Big Badger House (aka Noisy Lodger) HE'S GONE!

Snooze · 16 May 2008 at 9:24AM

tbs624 wrote: »

We've had neighbours whose own kids could be heard screaming & shouting and thundering up and down on laminate flooring from 5.30 am in the morning onwards, but once their darlings were in bed at night the parents would complain if anyone else's noise could be heard by them from either of the neighbouring properties.

YES.. Tell me about it... :rolleyes: Just posted pretty much that in my post above.

Rob

lostinrates · 16 May 2008 at 9:50AM

I'm not far off the age of your lodgers and I admit to sometimes getting a bit carried away with noise. I would NEVER mind being asked to be quieter because I wouln't want to make anyone else uncomfortable. The difference between me and a baby is that my noise is voluntary and I have some idea of the effect it has on others. I'd like to think my noise is more pleasant though......;)

I think the law is on your side and that, over a glass of wine you say just what you have said here, you really like him, you want him to stay but that you also want to be a good neighbour and so you'd like to ask that bedroom noise start to wind down in the evening, and be gone by about 11 to comply with not only the law but being a good neighbour.

What a great landlady an neighbour you sound like, btw.

Badger_Lady · 16 May 2008 at 10:58AM

^ Aww, thanks! I try

Couple of clarifications:

Basement Living Room

On one side, it shares a terrace wall with an elderly couple. Their basement has not been converted, and is still an old coal cellar.

On the other side, there's a solid internal wall with a door to the stairs / hallway. Then there's a shared terrace wall with a 3-generation family. Their basement has not been fully dug out, so it has a higher floor than ours, and is used as a small secondary living room (their main living room is on the ground floor).

Both the neighbours have all their bedrooms on the top floor.

To the front, it is underground. To the back, it opens onto my kitchen (and the neighbours have their kitchens alongside), which has a back door to the garden.

Turning it down when asked

Lodger 1 does turn it down / off when asked to, but this is always after the event. My biggest worry about last night's event - how long/how many times had my neighbours lain awake listening to the noise and worrying about how to approach it? How stressed must they have been to finally come to my house at 1:30am? They're currently on the market, so must be keen to keep the relationship sweet.

It's actually the only neighbour I don't know by name, because it's the only household who couldn't make it to my moving-in party in February. But it's a very close-knit street and rumours/gossip spread quickly. Up until last night when I said "oh, it's my lodger", no-one officially knew I was letting rooms out - they would have assumed it was me, and changed their opinion of me accordingly

I don't want to be a nag, I'm not good at it!

hollydays · 16 May 2008 at 11:02AM

The time you ask him to keep quiet would partly be governed by the ages of the children,i think.

morg_monster · 16 May 2008 at 11:14AM

I think you really need to just have a chat. He sounds like a nice guy and my view of it is that you are getting (understandably) quite worried and worked up about it, but really there may be no need. I'm sure if you have a chat it'll be all worked out.
Why not say something like "since the neighbours came round it's got me thinking, perhaps we should have a house rule that there's no music playing after 11pm, it's obviously bothering them, I don't want them to get annoyed with us, so would that be OK? what do you think?"

madmalteaser · 16 May 2008 at 11:52AM

It's nice to see someone who is actually concerned about it! I've lived in a shared household with some very noisy people who obviously don't realise just how paper-thin the walls are! And I've had neighbours who think it is alright to slam doors and stomp around at 3am.

Unfortunately I was never brave enough to broach the subject with the neighbours but when I tried to deal with an incredibly noisy housemate it all got very messy and I ended up moving out!

Good luck with this situation. I hope you managed to get it resolved soon.

jamtart6 · 16 May 2008 at 12:19PM

i think 11pm is reasonable, as this is the time police can be called after if there is too much noise (or is it 11.30pm??) I do think 10 is too early, but think 11pm is perfectly reasonable. A little chat will go a long way I think

Mac_Sami · 16 May 2008 at 12:36PM

Just say that the neighbours have complained (but you remain neutral on this - and point out you're not taking their side!), and so it's best if music is kept to a minimum during the week after 11pm to avoid further issues with them.

That way, you're passing on the message from the neighbours, but also getting the result needed without you directly complaining to the lodger.

Andy_Hamilton · 16 May 2008 at 12:38PM

Speak to him and tell him your concerns, Tell him you really like him being in your home and glad that he pays on time, tidies up etc etc (positive things) then explain your concerns (negative things). Don't be too strict as he may think your nagging and mind games set in where he will constantly test your boundrys, say something like you have no problems with having parties in the basement but it needs to be contained. Say you have had a few complaints from neighbours and would like things to settle down or you will be forced to ask him to leave.

If he has made an investment in your property it should be enough to do the trick.

Am I just lucky?

poppysarah · 16 May 2008 at 1:37PM

Mac_Sami wrote: »

Just say that the neighbours have complained (but you remain neutral on this - and point out you're not taking their side!), and so it's best if music is kept to a minimum during the week after 11pm to avoid further issues with them.

I was thinking about this and for a moment thought "Oh yeah that sounds reasonable" and then I stopped and realised why it meant... it means he can be annoyingly noisy until 11pm. Which if you've got kids you'll know will be a nightmare getting kids off to sleep. Or even if you want to have an early night.

I really think there is no excuse for having to routinely listen to someone elses music at all.

He shouldn't play his music loud at any point of day at a level where it annoys anyone.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Big Badger House (aka Noisy Lodger) HE'S GONE!

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