Stuart Briggs

Living with sarcoidosis, the good, the bad, and lots of in between.

Tips on how to deal and dealing with noisy neighbours

How to deal with noisy neighbours

Boom boom boom boom, and no it’s not the John Lee Hooker masterpiece, it’s the irritating noise nuisance neighbours sounds that vibrate through the walls, those carrying bass sounds. Noise pollution is one of those laws, or regulations that seem to have large parameters depending upon when and what type of nuisance takes place, variance from different city’s and counties.

I do enjoy my peaceful times with only thoughts and the PC cooling fan to contend with! My noise pollution appears live on stage with as much energy as I can fit into each song, maybe that’s why many musicians like the quiet life, putting so much effort into inspiring performances needs to be complimented with a nice peaceful environment?

Do or have you suffered with noisy neighbours?

The law states;

  • DIY.
  • Shouting and arguing.
  • Vehicle work.
  • Dogs barking.
  • Bass sounds.

And other issues, let commonsense prevail here.

Any of those noise pollution issues can be tackled, but the agencies do recommend we should try solving it ourselves. Solving it oneself can give lots of people another problem as they might not like confrontation, no one in a sane mind should enjoy confrontation – so does that leave our politicians insane!

Timing

So do you go round when a party is in full swing, I guess not, do you go round when they have a hangover, definitely not, do you wait for them setting off to work – if they do – or upon the return from work do you pounce on them as soon as they appear.

I think it is a really tough decision, for those of us who enjoy writing, well I would prefer putting a letter in the post and keeping it polite just mention that on numerous occasions you have tried to talk with them but just keep missing them?

Usually a law states noise pollution as between the hours of 23:00 and 7:00 but obviously if the sounds continue throughout a day it would be a huge problem. I can never understand why folks get home and then put that music on so loud and irritating.

Something what can be done, talk with other neighbours and see what they can advise or even they might join you in confronting the nuisances? Don’t get some loud music equipment and take them on! At the end of the day they just might not realise just how annoying they have been?

If you do have problems;

  • Staying calm go round and see them.
  • First signs of conflict show your palms about shoulder height and leave.
  • Make a note of what happened as soon as you get back, you could in fact record it on your mobile voice recorder but keep the phone in a top pocket.
  • Call your appropriate environment agency.
  • As a last resort you can call the police at any time but this really will add to the strain that would be arising.

Still problems

Unfortunately and in so many cases that can be read and watched – certainly in the UK. Neighbours do take it into there own hands, mainly due to the lack of help from the various agencies, maybe lack of help is the wrong terminology but unable to help through lack of being able to gather the evidence, as it can sometimes just never be known when the nuisance start, and its stopped by the time enforcement folks arrive.

Setting up your own video, camera and sound recording equipment could get you the evidence required but at what cost to purchase this equipment?  People should never be forced out of their home due to unruly nuisance neighbours but sadly it happens, you really can’t choose your neighbours.  I just can’t understand why folks do have permanent noise coming from their homes, is that how they were brought up? Is it a vicious cycle that they just don’t or can’t understand?

Video them

The technology of camcorders and batteries now means you can get a very long recording time; this could well be helpful if you need to gather your evidence over a longer period of time without being able to change the battery. Some of these appliances are very small and would be suitable.

Take a photo

A camera is ideal if you need to carry it around with you, you might have your camcorder set up at home.  An ideal small pocket camera would suffice, thing is, mobile phones have all these functions and don’t happen to make anything as obvious as a camcorder or camera.

Avoidance

Above everything, do not take the law into your own hands; this will cause no end of problems that could actually give your neighbour reason to get enforcement agencies to act against you.  Do proceed with the given advice, be calm as possible and structured, it really should work for you.

101 responses to “Tips on how to deal and dealing with noisy neighbours”

  1. Serena Hawkins

    I am a homeowner being harassed by tenants downstairs. It’s 3.30 a.m. Sunday morning and someone is banging and tapping on the ceiling and wall directly below me. When I go to the bathroom they follow me in there and in the bedroom when I go in there, in the hall etc. Also they shout from the landing downstairs when I come out of my flat. The banging and tapping is why I haven’t wanted to go to bed last night. I live on my own and feel totally alone with this. I have reported it to: 1) the managing agents of the apartments 2) the freeholders of the building 3) the police 4) environmental health/the local council. Managing agents response:”it’s a civil matter”. Freeholder/landlords of the building refuse to respond. The police: “are they responding to something you’ve done?” Environmental health: “It will be quicker to sue your freeholder/landlords” . They wouldn’t do the noise recording thing as they said it has a poor success rate in court when you try to get a noise abatement notice, the other side’s solicitors take it apart and get them off on a technicality. I’m glad they told me but it does put the full onus back on me and I’m not well (severe back injury).
    Latest update: I have had to send a letter to the freeholder/landlords of the building giving notice of intention to sue (damages). The tenants started harassing me because I complained and their landlord/flatowner is actually supporting them and the freeholders are listening to her over me even though all flatowners have to comply with the same lease. It’s been going on for two years and first they said I was imagining it, then they said they weren’t getting involved, then no reply, then when I insisted and said I was going to court, they started saying I was behind with the service charges, dragging that into it. I wrote to them telling them that wasn’t on and giving them a month to sort it out or I would go to court. Now waiting for a reply which I feel will either not come or be nasty and unhelpful about it. I also feel let down by the police as things got worse after they had visited me but they never had the word with these tenants that they said they would. It has got really difficult for me living here in a lovely place which used to be so quiet and peaceful.
    Round and round and round …..
    I too am really tired.

    Reply
  2. Tom from Luton

    I have someone playing thunder Bass music nearly 24 hours a day I only hear or feel the bass no music but hard to find the dwelling that it comes from where I live without walking around houses and flats – private land ect its a like warren around here so many new people to this country have move in, who seem to play it constantly, I feel like moving just to avoid this torture I hardly sleep now with headphones /radio distracting me from it .Last year I did find a house about 2 streets away, that’s how strong it penetrates.
    Cheers -from a very tired me

    Reply
    1. Miles Fordham

      Similar problem here, you feel the thumps coming through the foundations rather than hear it, absolute bastards doing this at 6 am. Hope they get cancer!

      Reply
  3. Lucy Jenkins

    ‘The Law’ (above) hives the best advice. Get your own speakers, put them facing the neighbours, turm them on loud. Only do it when they start their noise. If they’re quiet then you stay quiet. Don’t play the samesort of music as they’re playing, play something that creates discord. I play opera really loud. It’s got that I quite enjoy the ‘noise wars’. Stop being a victim. Following council advice to keep records etc etc just takes over your life and makes you into a victim. Give as good as you get. And start enjoying giving as good as you get. Find some inner strength. No-one has the right to ruin your life and ruin your home. Don’t let them.

    Reply
    1. saaraj

      my neighbours kids make so much noise everyday (whatever the weather). they scream from 12pm to late 7pm and play in my drivway (throwing footballs and climbing on our cars), i have seen them climb on our fence and try to open our car doors forcefully. they are driving me nuts, the landlord said they won’t leave as he wants the house back to sell. The kids throw things into my back garden- sticks, balls and plastic sticks. one stick hit my arm and caused me to have a bruise. i don’t know how to approach the landlord and what can he do. i hope they move as they are freeloaders scrounging the tax payers hard earnt moeny.

      Reply
    2. Kathy Tiemann

      I like this advice. We have tried this, but it did not work with these neighbors. They are very inconsiderate I do not know what else to try. Any suggestions? They constantly run back and for over our bedroom and wake us up at all hours of the night. Getting old.

      Kathy

      Reply
  4. Deanaae

    Now they are using” Tiny internal Audio mind harassment implants for telepathy mind reading ” and saying they paid a cop friend to infiltrate your home and find anything that could be used against you breaking in to do that, bug your home ,car, job and you also with dentally implanted Implants for hopeful mind washing talk to see if they can get you do what they want like damage a tree or hurt their own pet…It’s all set ups and non stop vigilantly activity .. and make cops to turn you down saying ( Ignore it!) ..then when they are not there it’s forward with the harassment again non stop… Thus doing absolutely anything they want to you. Because the voice technology covertly put in your tooth cell phone implant will either make you look bad, kill you, or make you forget stuff interrupting on your thinking at work and get you hurt or fired NOTICE! Your blocking every aspect of that persons life and their jobs and friends lives and when work is done or on off day..Your boss and your family should take advantage to this because it puts their job and your family and their employees in jeopardy and could make them all millions! Police and everyone should take note so if they have this happen to them or their families they could get control and stop this sinister situation@!!

    Reply
  5. Andy

    Hi all,

    Just before xmas i made my final mortgage payment and was happy. Less than a week later the new tenants arrived next door. I live in a terraced and the walls are thin, but been here for 12 years and for the most part all has been well.
    However this family are something else, 2 adults, 3 small kids. They scream instead of talk, the parents just swear at the children all the time. They stomp instead of walk, and they slam every door and cupboard. This usually starts at about 5-6am and goes on until 10pm.
    After 2 weeks i thought i would put some music on, so they might get an idea of how thin the walls are as i live alone with my dog and we are both quiet.
    Within 10 minutes the woman knocks my door saying she has a 2 year old trying to sleep, this was at 8pm. So i told her `it`s ok for you lot to be as noisy as you want but i can`t make a sound?` then he came out and asked if i was taking the piss. Then i had to shout at the idiot. I told them the walls are thin here and to try and remember that. For the next week they toned it down a bit.
    2 other neighbours of mine have also knocked their door as the vibrations from all the stomping is going though to other houses it is that bad.
    When they leave the house for any length of time the dog howls ans barks which then annoys mine. If it could not get any better i noticed them bringing in a bird cage today so no doubt they will have a bird chirping in there soon. The house is small enough as it is yet they want more living creatures in there, oh they have a cat as well i am told.
    I have called the estate agents as have 2 others of my neighbours, but now if i sell up i have to disclose that? I feel sorry for the kids, the parents are just dumb drunks, i see all the carling cans that they put out for recycling.
    The estate agents told me they went round to see them after they had complaints from the other neighbours, i told them they should have sat in my house for a few hours to hear it, they won’t be playing up when someone from the letting agency visits.
    They also thought it a good idea to play music from 8am on Sunday as the kids were away, i have a loud amp and speakers and i think it is time they got a taste of it.
    It really makes your life hell when you can not enjoy your own home.

    Reply
  6. Ana

    I have exactly the same problems with my neighbours upstairs. They are a Polish couple with 2 kids, he just smokes weed on the hallway, she doesn’t speak a word of English. They never take their kids out, they just play in the house, constant jumping, screaming and running and there is no sound insulation. The property manager, Philip Smith from Athena Properties and the landlady Linda Rogers are absolutely useless. They are crooks who don’t give deposits back and don’t give a shit about any of the tenants. Anyone looking to rent any flats at 100 Gleneldon Road, SW16 2BZ, STAY AWAY, unless you want a living hell!

    Reply
  7. Tom Ritchie

    My wife and I moved into a lovely rented flat in the Wirral some 3 years ago, and at first all was peaceful until the flat above us was sold to a couple. The son moved his mother and father into the flat above so that they could look after the grandchild. The noise if the child’s constant running up and down and jumping up and down without any restraint became to say the least a bit wearing as it went on all day and late in to the evening on occasion. My wife wanted to nip it in the bud but I said that with them being new neighbors we should allow them a settling in period, BIG MISTAKE!!!!! The light were flickering with the jumping up and down, and the ornaments were shaking.
    Eventually my wife went to the door and asked if everything was alright to which to which the grandmother replied why? my said we just wondered as the light a re shaking and we thought that the ceiling was coming in. The grandmother replied ‘she only jumped the once’ meaning the child. In fact this child had and has been running riot above us for two and a half years now. I spoke to the management committee who said that we could not or should not complain about the child unless ‘we’ confronted the neighbors which my wife has now done. We have not approached the management committee yet as we don’t wan to cause more friction but those living above us could not care less. the grandfather is a bit of a do it yourself man, and flooded us twice in a 6 week period between the end of April and the middle of June this year. The first time he flooded us it was that bad that the neighbor directly below us had water damage to her flat as well. Added to this was the frequent hammering and banging. His son is his landlord so there was no use in approaching him as he is an arrogant man who thinks because he owns the flat above that he can do what he likes.
    The pity of it all is that a neighbor who was a friend but does not live in our block of flats has now taken sides with those living in the flat above my wife and I because we complained about the excessive noise we were having to put up with from the flat above. We are at the stage of looking for a place elsewhere because of the situation we find ourselves in but I don’t see why we should be forced out by arrogant inconsiderate people. I keep a daily journal of the situation noise wise from the flat above, and the management company representative that I spoke to about my complaint has told me to take the complaint all the way if my wife and still feel that we want to, and that he will execute the complaint to the Landlord, who is the son of the tenants who live above. He said that it does not matter if they are owners of the property or are renting the property if they are causing a nuisance or doing anything that affects the rights or well being of other tenants living in close proximity to them then they are not above the law.

    Reply
  8. Cody.

    Yeah forced move new house, and since been hear had one neighbour especially loud with tv , music and banging vertually everyday really annoying.

    Reply
  9. Kirsty

    I can’t take it anymore!!
    My neighbour is pushing me to breaking point.

    She’s constantly got music blasting all day then all night, she had kids also so she has it on even when they are going to bed, she’s constantly screaming at them too, her voice is like nails on a chalkboard!
    She’s lived next door for a few years now, and we haven’t said anything too her, even after all the weekend parties which would go into the next day, so I get kept awake because of her being so disrespectful to everyone of her neighbours. I dislike/hate a lot of people but she is at the top of the list, also she was meant to move like 2 years ago!!

    Ya’see I’m fine with people playing music because I can’t stop them, but not at the volume she has it. I’ll give you an example.. I’m sitting on my couch right now with headphones on and my music is loudish, but I can still hear her music that’s how loud she has it.

    One time she had a weekend party/gathering and my bedroom is at the back of the house above the kitchen so it’s next to there back door/kitchen and they stood there singing/shouting/screaming/laughing and I had no sleep for the previous 2 nights because of them and it was getting to me a lot, I ended up sitting on my landing crying with anger, lack of sleep can do things to people!

    I just want her to either turn it down or off. The whole of August she blasted music, yes I know that’s the summer holidays but I’m talking about all day and night/early hours 3am, 4am even 5am or carrying on to the next day, she is a fucking nightmare of a woman.

    I swear if I had a baby and she was constantly blasting music keeping him/her awake, I’d of called the police by now!

    Reply
  10. Lexi

    I have a neighbour for the last three years who has drilled and hammered the house adjoining mines for nearly nine hours a day . He has definetly drilled through the cavitys adjoining our houses . Now when they cook the smell wafts through my upstairs . Their dogs bark the minute they leave till they get home . There is no sound proof between our houses now , i hear everything and it is affecting our health . To the point i see myself running out and stabbing my neighbour .

    Reply
  11. Anon

    I have this lady next door, who has many children over EVERY SINGLE DAY, probably provides some sort of tuition service in the back garden (Is that even legal)?. Those kids scream, sing loudly and bring noisy toys. We have asked them politely to keep the noises down but every time we do so they get even louder. I am student revising for my exam and this is stressing me out. The lady is rude when talked to and not even once she tells those kids to calm down. Can anybody help me, please? As I am not allowed to involve police or the council…

    Reply
  12. Anti shanti

    I had a bunch of chavs move in next door, who decided to have long shouty chavtastic phone calls under my front bedroom window. I knocked on their door and politely informed them that I was giving them a choice, stop or I would throw a bucket of water out of the window on them. It only took one bucket of old bath water to make them decide to hold conversations inside or further down the street 🙂

    Reply
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  14. D

    If anybody needs help fixing any anti social behaviour please email me on danieldenniswright@yahoo.com

    Reply
  15. jazz

    I am having a noise problem with a new neighbor living in the flat above in a housing association property. The complex is for the age 55 and over, we moved to the property because we were fed up with anti-social behavior and noise problems. We thought that at last we would have some peace. How wrong can you be, the new neighbor is in his late 50’s and is a heavy metal fan and lives alone. I have kindly asked him if he could turn the volume down, the problem is not so much the volume but the booming base noise from what he calls a boom box?
    My request was ignored and we have to suffer with this booming noise throughout the afternoon and up to around 9.00pm. My wife and myself are not happy and are now regretting moving. Because the problem is a low volume irritating type noise I don’t believe that any noise monitoring equipment will show the extent of the problem. Anyone been in a similar situation?

    Reply
    1. Maz

      I downsized here nearly 3 years ago and the first 5 months were heaven, couldn’t hear my neighbour who is 70, lives alone and very nice. then he found 2 woofer speakers in his attic from his days as a bass player. Since then my life has been hell. He plays his jazz from 8.a.m. until 11.30 p.m. non-stop day in day out. I have spoken to him in a nice way on 7 occasions over the past 2 years and he turns it down to a level that I can put up with for a couple of weeks, then it starts again. He owns another home away and goes to that home for a week then back for 3/4 weeks here. That is the onlt respite I get. I have tried to be nice about it even telling him when I am goin g out for the day so that he can play his music loudly as long as he turns it down when I am back home. But it isn’t enough for him as he has told me that he loves the bass music or watching dvd’s with out the bass isn’t worth watching. I have kept a diary and today he was up at 5.30 a.m. to watch the Lions game in New Zealand and the bass woke me up. I do not want to involve environmental health but now I have no choice. He returned from his other home on Friadya and I have had 4 days of constant bass against the wall, reverberating around the house as he rarely goes out. I feel I can’t keep going out or walking around my house with cottonwool in my ears to deaden the sound. I moved here becausde it had an art studio and my friend , another neighbour, told me it was quiet. It was until he connected up his woofers!!!!!

      Reply
    2. Dollie

      hi jazz, I am in a similar position I moved to sheltered for the over 60s 3 years ago, 2 years ago the lady above me died and a couple moved in in May 2016. The continual banging of doors and windows and them arguing all hours of the day and night went on for months despite my complaining, then she walked out and left him. He has made my life hell, banging and crashing about all hours, the nights are the worst as he keeps me awake most nights. Ive just had a quiet week as he has been on holiday and its been heaven, he came home yesterday and my peace has been disrupted!! It doesnt help as he drinks too much to the point he doesnt know what he is doing! A few weeks ago the police had to be called as he was banging on a neighbouring door stark naked!!! The council have been useless!!! Ive done a diary for nearly a year of all the escapades, I am on the very long waiting list for a noise machine from the council, they only have 2!! ( I have heard that their rubbish as they dont pick up the noise) Ive tried recording the noise he makes but my ipad wont pick it up. Ive done everything by the book with the council and its got me no where. The whole situation has made me ill, I have M.E. and my health has declined dramatically. I am a prisoner in my own home as he intimidates me and Ive not sat in the comunual gardens at all this year because of him. If he is sitting out the front I go out the back door to avoid him. I refuse to speak to him as he has made no attempt to stop bang doors windows, play loud music, stomping on the floor, god the list is endless!!! Ive lost all faith in the council as they just keep making excuses for him as he has ‘mental health’ issues. He should not have been allowed to be moved into sheltered housing where there are vunerable elderly women living. I am now looking for somewhere else to live but theres just nothing available to suit my needs, and theres also a shortage of social housing. I cant afford to go private I so wish I could. I really dont know how much more I can take!!!

      Reply
      1. Dollie

        update, the enviromental health now inform me that I cant have a noise monitor as the cretin upstairs has mental health issues!!! so everything Ive done over the past 18 months has been a complete waste of time. I dont even bother complaining any more as soon as he starts making any noise I turn my tv or radio on to drown the noise out, if I see him I blank him. Mediation was suggested, I had my first meeting and all they were interested in was to get me and the cretin in the same room to discuss the problem, I told them no chance of that ever happening not after the hell he has put me through!!!! My only option now is to move. Comes to something when your forced out of your own home and no one gives a shit!

    3. bob

      I feel your pain, I live in the city where houses are 15-20 feet apart.Our one neighbor has a family room in the back with a huge tv on the wall that is on side of our house.The people have no structure in there lives.They have nothing but time and are older and not in the best health so all they do is camp out in front of the tv and I get to hear it from inside my house.I dont know why I have to put up with their tv set blaring from 9am to 11pm it is so annoying and an everyday occurance for the past 3 years.Our house is small and I can hear the tv in the whole back half of my house.Its so loud I have to sleep with a box fan year round next to my bed to block out the noise.And unfortunately for me I cannot talk to them I have had them slam the door in my face a couple years ago for complaining about there son killing my grass along our fence on my side with his little spray can.If I said anything to these people they would say they dont care I have been through it before.These people rank as the top worst neighbors I have ever had.When people have nothing but time this makes for the worst neighbors.My only hope is that when they are gone a family with structure replaces them at least if they make noise it wont be sustained for so many hours and there would be down time where it is quiet.I think I am in for the long haul as much as I want this to stop I dont think I have any recourse.The funny thing is the noise ordinance is at 11pm and that is when the volume on the tv goes down so I know the scumbags are aware of what they are doing.I am relying on karma to even things up for me one day.

      Reply
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  17. Angry Scotsman

    My downstairs neighbour is an absolute moron, and he’s starting to push my buttons now with his music playing for years now.
    Alcoholic loser of the highest degree.
    He’s not constant, but you never know when he’s gonna start, especially when I have my son at random nights of the week and we have to be relegated to the upper floor of my flat because we can’t sit in the living room when he starts as the TV is useless, as is conversation because it makes my blood boil to the point of having crazy thoughts, due to the lack of respect.
    He starts off with a rumble…then it gets louder and louder as he and his bunch of moronic “friends” get more drunk.
    And when they start, they start…i dunno wtf they are on, but who sits there with that up at THAT level for THAT long without being on something to emulate a concert or a rave??
    He’s actually made me hate good music… Pink Floyd for one, because all I hear is “comfortably numb” (yeah, the one song he plays of them) and Floyd fans will know what I mean in the relation to how brick-walled their bass can be when played with a woofer.
    Got crazy visions of going down with a hammer and ending him, but I have a family and more to lose than that pathetic waste of oxygen.
    He’s registered as “disabled” but he’s still able enough to make my blood boil with his stupid super woofer, rave, chav-ned music that he plays most of the time, this is to make himself feel like he’s still a young guy, and one of the crew.
    He lets all the teenagers come in sometimes and piss all over his flat and it’s even cost him a stroke but that didn’t stop him being a twat after a few weeks rest.
    I’m trying to have a family in a place where the now 45-50 year olds all reside, all “old skool” and are thick as thieves as they are thick as planks.
    He’s only disabled because he took a stroke with his drinking.
    And walks with a zimmer, so if I do go down, I have a cripple to beat up, in among a bunch of neds with the “SUNDAY SESH” which is an excuse to drink again after they are elsewhere the Saturday night before…his flat is a last resort for them, as it’s crazy days of the week he does it, and we all work, unlike that useless piece of flesh that the vultures would even turn their noses up at… and I have to suffer for it.
    It’s like his speakers are up on the ceiling when he turns it up. I’ve been down, I’ve reported him about 5 times now…but the anti-social are that stupid that they pull up outside his flat with their “HEY LOOK!! I’M FROM THE COUNCIL” jumpers and name-tags on, with a clipboard and a pen…and the police around here are all masons, as is my neighbour so nothing gets done due to the Union Jack on his wall as a sign of “I’M ONE OF YOU MORONS!!” Also evident in when the orange walk comes round here or when Rangers FC get beat, they just let everyone go mental with nothing done about it…kids in BMX bikes wondering about with bottles of Buckfast…yeah, not a word said.
    Soon as I try to walk home myself at 2am?? Straight behind me, stopping me and asking where I’m going etc etc.
    The system is a joke, and it deserves to go under.
    Justice is just a word that they use to make them look good.
    I’d move in a second but my mother-in-law just made sure we can’t by screwing our credit rating by getting us in over 2 grand in debt behind our backs with catalogues she took out in my gf’s, her own daughter’s!!, name.
    I’m a positive guy in a land of negativity, and it’s a struggle every day to prevail in a pitt of morons.
    No one else around here seems to matter because they’re all morons too and are probably in there drinking with him.
    There is no such thing as respect anymore, and I refuse to believe that he’s THAT stupid that 5 visits from the anti-social and several visits from me and countless banging down has went over his head.
    The council seems to want me to go down there and crack a few heads…if it was twenty years ago then they wouldn’t have a stereo or fingers that worked to even turn the thing on.
    But I’m stuck, and it sucks….yay for the system!!

    Reply
    1. Ara

      The police wont take situations like this seriously. But its really creating a HUGE Problem. It can cause the entire neighbourhood to be sleep deprived which can cause a lot of health problems. Like weightloss,insomnia,stress, inability to attend work or even do badic daily activities. Jusy becaue of one pathetic lowlife kid, veryones lives are pretty much ruined.
      I understand its a massive issue. I also have 2 super loud neighbours and its frustrating me. Just keep calling the police untill they get bored of your constant complaints and the will eventually find a solution and maybe force the neighbour to move and pay penalty charges.

      Reply
      1. Angryginger

        When I was a kid, we had to move in with our grandparents for a few years, they lived in a high rise block in Salford. It was ok apart from the lifts constantly breaking down and stinking of piss.
        I now own my own house in a Yorkshire village. I can safely say that I would kill to live in a Salford high rise again, just for the peace. My next door neighbour died recently, he was very young and we were surprised to know he’d had a heart attack. It was probably all the bloody stress!

      2. Dollie

        the police wont do anything!!! they just tell you to keep on at the council!!

    2. Angryginger

      God I can relate to your anger. I have been trying to get the council to do something about my neighbour’s constantly barking dog for years now.
      I can tell by your post that the accumulation of stress over and over, has just exploded. It is quite like my angry emails to the council’s environmental officers, if I look at them as a history, they started off polite and friendly and have become more and more hostile over time. The last one, I came across as a raving lunatic I’m sure, but I just don’t care anymore. I cannot ever put in writing now how much I detest dogs now because of the constant noise, all dogs. I know it’s not the dog, it’s the owner but I can’t help it, even a pathetic poorly little thing on one of those bloody vet programmes, I immediately think, “I bet that’s a yappy little shit!”
      I feel no empathy at all for them. I’m immediately infuriated that there is always dog shit outside my house and walking up the street in the dark is just not an option anymore, I’d rather walk on the road and risk getting run over.
      I’m an animal lover, at least I thought I was, but, honest, I’m seriously considering killing the bloody thing.
      Not just that either, I’m ashamed to say that I have racist thoughts about the family who own the dog, I know I’m not this person so why am I having these thoughts. If your religion is such that dogs are considered as unclean, don’t have one, it’s as simple as that, buying a fashionable Japanese Akita type dog then immediately locking it in a cage outside for the rest of its life so that it barks and howls all day and all night, apart from 6am -7:30am, when it’s obviously knackered, so it’s asleep. Who does that? Well they do, obviously.
      We cannot sell our house to get away from it, nobody would buy it with that constant racket going on, our house is now a worthless money pit while they live happily in their council owned house among us lowly mortgage payers, they constantly have work done to the house for free, Unlike our house, I’m on the verge of bankruptcy as I’m unable to concentrate on my work, I’m self employed. I even thought about suicide over Christmas and new year. Every time I leave the house I cannot bear the thought of coming home. I hate every dog I see.
      I noticed your comments about teenagers, I feel exactly the same way about dogs, and lately, a certain ethnic minority, or majority whatever. It’s because your brain is on constant alert, things you once had no problem with whatsoever become a threat on an unconscious level, slowly leach into your consciousness so you become intolerant.
      This is what leads to murder, I find myself having daydreams about the family and the dog being ripped apart by lion or any other wild animal with big canines. I’ve wondered about borrowing a big snake and accidentally letting it escape in their garden. I know somebody who had a Python, (but maybe it could have been an anaconda or something, I think it may have been another breed) it ate her neighbour’s annoying barking lurcher, probably unaccidentally too. The trouble is, that now, I’d like the snake to eat the family too. I even asked the parcelforce bloke if his pet snake was big enough to eat a dog or a human.
      Committing a crime and being put in prison feels like an option. If I was in prison I wouldn’t have to be a prisoner in my own house anymore, at the whim of a bunch of selfish bastards. No barking dog.
      The hatred I feel is hard to wake up to every day, but so is a barking dog, I actually don’t want to get out of bed in the morning anymore.

      Reply
      1. JBCLondon

        I know exactly what you mean by developing irrational hatred. I’ve just been through a 6 year nightmare due to former neighbours’ paranoia over ordinary household noises they heard through the party wall. They left but the new owners bought to rent out, so I am still a nervous wreck in anticipation.

        Have you considered dog silencers? They start from about 30 quid on eBay.

        The Local Council should have some input as they are renting social housing. Check online for the rules around conduct and call office for advice. I am warning you however that I personally got little help due to lack of staff/resources.

        Have you also considered noise-cancelling wifi earphones for TV/web.

        To sleep through even bass intrusions from local parties, I take a large pair of earphone buds and fill in the hollow chamber with enough wax from a Boots Muffler Earplug to create a good seal. http://www.boots.com/boots-muffle-wax-earplugs-5-pairs-10114104

        Recommended earplugs:
        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2186979/Five-best–ear-plugs.html

      2. StephenV

        No one should go through this kind of noise torture.
        Last year, I took matters in my own hand and kidnapped my idiotic neighbour’s cockerel, then set it free. Just a quick in-and-out stealth operation with a self-made landing net.
        These people can’t be reasoned with, police are utterly useless so if you want to reach a solution, do it yourself, if you’re catching my drift…

  18. Peacefull Pacifist!

    I acknowledge that some people have been confrontational to sort out their problems but some of us do not like conflict & should not have to resort to it!, We are just normal people who want to live in peace without hassle & harassment & Anti Social Antics!, We should be able to in my humble opinion!.

    Reply
    1. Angry Scotsman

      You’re right, buddy. I got respect for everyone and whatever their views are etc, and I make sure I’m not a moron to my neighbours because we all have to live here. They should NOT put humans next to other humans…all flats and houses should be detached from each other with at least one sound-proof wall between them….problem solved…but they throw houses and flats up here like lego. Just add water and boom,,,more morons to contend with.

      Reply
  19. Amanda

    They are still loud. 3am i hear their radio.

    Reply
    1. Angry Scotsman

      Morons, no respect, it’s the lack of respect that boils my blood. I hope it gets better for you.

      Reply
    2. JBCLondon

      I am reposting this from another thread. I have discovered a great way to eradicate loud music from neighbours.

      Take a large pair of earphone buds (get cheap ones on eBay if you don’t have spares) and fill in the hollow chamber with sufficient wax from a Boots Muffler Earplug to create a good seal. http://www.boots.com/boots-muffle-wax-earplugs-5-pairs-10114104

      I have found this solution near miraculous.

      Reply
  20. Amanda

    Live in united states. We called 911 on neighbors, they retaliated like around 5 minutes later. I heard one of the neighbors company shout they’d come to our apartment and “raise hell”. For hours they were loud and banging their floor (our ceiling). We called the non-emergency police number again and police never showed up or called us back! I don’t dare call emergency number in case someone with serious emergency wouldn’t be able to get through.

    Reply
  21. kevin

    im a carer for my elderly and quiet ill parents. 5 year problem with several tenants next door noise music parties most nights . ended up being threatened by the owner.police council no help. in fact felt police turned on me.finally quietened down a years or 2 ago but now construction has started every morning for the last month. my folks have had to leave there beds at 8ish dues to the sound of kango hammers drills and loud music to boot.am reading about noise disputes on the web that got out of hand with people being killed . i now totally understand why this happens.

    Reply
  22. No sleep

    I live on the second floor of a council flat. Four months ago, a young lad moved in to the flat downstairs. Now the smell of drugs seeping out into the hallway is ridiculous, and embarrassing when people visit. Gangs of teenagers are constantly hanging around, coming-and-going, presumably to buy drugs, and there’s frequent shouting, sounds of fighting and loud altercations coming from the lad’s flat, and the car park outside. People screaming in the early hours of the morning. I could just about live with the above, but recently he’s taken to playing loud trance music literally all night. The music starts at around 10:00 pm and continues until around 5:45 am. The walls and floor of my flat vibrate with the pounding bass. Reporting him to the council time after time does nothing. Eventually, last night I plucked up the courage to knock on his door at around 4:00 am. I was scared, because he’s quite rough-looking and obviously violent. I tried to calmly ask him to turn it down, but her responded by screaming ‘FUCK OFF’ in my face and slamming the door. A second later, as I was walking back upstairs, shaken and upset, his door opened again and he screamed more abuse at me and threatened to ‘rip my fucking eyes out’ if I ever spoke to him again. I called the police, but nobody came, because they said loud noise was a council matter. I’ve spoken to the other tenants, and all are fed up and scared – they constantly keep reporting this lad, but nothing is ever done. I’m feeling very close to taking my own life, as I just can’t stand it anymore. I already suffer from depression, and this is making my life not worth living.

    Reply
    1. Stash

      Ok – I sympathise with you a lot here. The council have a legal obligation to help you. In order to help them:

      – Get a notepad
      -Arrange 3 columns [date / disturbance type / implications]
      – every time you are disturbed, write an entry inot your notepad. For ‘implications’ it is important to document how you (and your neighbors) are feeling – and how you are being impacted by the disturbance.

      Once you have a list of events, telephone the council enviornmental health department. Tell them you have written evidence / cataologue of the disturbance. Even better, have the document signed by other neighbours who are being disturbed. Tell the council it must be dealt with.

      Reply
      1. Nik Kelly

        my council’s attitude is ” if you work nights .. hard luck !” I work nights and since last year my “neighbour” has “worked from home” And due to this has been able to have buiders in for about 3 weeks .. then recently decorators in .. for about 3 weeks again. He knows I work nights .. yet NEVER had the common decency to speak to me about what he was going to have done . So being sleep deprived for 2 or 3 days in a row over those periods was just a joke !! Waste of time the council .. quite obvious how much noise would have been made by the works he had done ..BUT the answer remains .. its during the day .. not outside permitted hours .. so we wont take any action!! Even the local MP tried on my behalf … still the same response!!! Any ideas if I can complain to his boss about how he was spending his ” work from home time” ? They must be responsible for him if they allowing to stay at home and get paid ? Why should I keep my window closed whilst trying to sleep when it gets warm .. and have to use ear plugs .. which eventually become painful and dont block the noise out …. and lets not even start about the noisy kids and that when they go out in their cars they have to slam every door ! Got to the point that every stupid little noise thye make when im trying to sleep wakes me up ! Damn. where are the rights for people who work stupid hours and weekends ? Grrr

    2. Rowan

      The police have a duty to deal with threatening behaviour. I hope they help you.

      Reply
    3. No Sleep either!

      I can so relate to what you have said as I have experienced similar situations at different Abodes!, Please do not commit suicide as I believe this Planet needs people like you!, I think you might need to get away to a safer more peaceful place to live as sometimes this is the only answer!, I have had to move several times and keep encountering this sort of behaviour!, I really hope you can find the peace of mind you need!,
      Take Care,
      Yours Sympathetically,
      Person in same Situation.

      Reply
  23. The law

    If your neighbors plays loud music, due exactly the same thing to them. Put a speakers system facing them…and play it on only when they turn on their music. Do this every day, week and for months if necessary. This will take their fun out of the equation, and eventually they are going to stop. It may take days, weeks, or months depending on how low people you neighbors are. However, they will eventually stop. Just don’t play music if they are quite. Respect them, so they can eventually respect you.

    Reply
    1. Angryginger

      I tried to do that with my neighbours barking dog, I recorded it and played it back loudly, then played punk intermittently between my recordings of the barking. The police paid me a visit and told me I would be charged if I carried on.
      The council are as much use as a chocolate teapot. It’s been years now and nothing has been done.

      Reply
  24. Irene Dash

    I moved into my home almost four years ago after going through seven years of racial abuse and both physical and mental abuse by a family and their friends. I eventually got a lifelong ASBO on them but decided to move anyway. At first all was OK then the neighbours started – I live in a semi-detatchec bungalow . They have three boys 6, 15 and 22 and all I hear, especially during the holidays, is running, jumping continuously on the wooden floor for up to an hour, banging and tapping on the wall, the drums they got at Christmas, a whistle being blown and a ball being bounced like a professional ball player and all this is INSIDE the house I won’t even mention what its like when the go in the garden but it included the drum, a trampoline and thing banging on MY wooden fence. This starts at 8 am and goes on until after 10 at night.
    Due to the problems at the other place that included having my door kicked in several times, being beaten up numerous times half strangled and ending up in hospital, being held at knife point and badly injured in my home on another occasion after the door as kicked in again and going to hospital, again I suffer badly from PTSD, and the noises from next door set it off several time a day. I am under monitoring at my doctors surgery because my asthma has become much worse 8 or 9 arttacks everyday and I have gone from 9 stone to 6.13 stone since June.

    The doctor gave me a letter to send to the environmental health, who passed me to the ASB people who told me to go to the police who despite a case of hate crime – I was told to go back to my own country and leave my neighbours alone their house number as specified- told me to go to environmental health who have passed me back to ASB and so far nothing not even a call.

    I am 63 years old, and will be able to claim my pension in November, I am badly disabled with post-polio syndrome and have spinal injuries plus fibromyalgia, I can only walk a few yards even with a stock. I am going blind too, but despite all this and a letter from the doctor no one seem able or willing to help and to be honest after 2 years of this I really can’t take much more. Any help would be welcome.

    If you print this please don’t include my surname. Thanks

    Reply
    1. F.Gray

      ;( made me sad reading this.
      I hope things get better for you xxx

      Reply
  25. harmony

    from the outset be fukin hard with them..if they cause any shit go round there and have it out…failing that call a hitman!

    Reply
    1. harmony

      i meant to say also when they move in go over with a bulldog…get your mates around look over the fence…just get ways of working together from the outset!

      Reply
    2. Angryginger

      Where can I find a hitman?

      Reply
  26. sick of subtle bullying

    i moved up north 20 years ago to escape London and eventually found myself a really quite village that was great for 4 years, then my ‘butter melts in my mouth and her selfish, manipulative, i am innocent idiot of a husband who is such a control freak but does it so cleverly it is just so frustrating – give him credit it is done so subtlety but leaves me beside myself in impotent rage, i confronted him once but the manipulative so and so twisted it around so i was bad guy, far cleverer than i will ever be, have finally realised that this is never going to change and my self-confidence has been severely damaged by this bullying so am putting house up for sale, but am so annoyed that i cannot see any other way around it – we have a shared drive, his music drowns out mine, he is always tinkering around – so you can awake to the sounds of tapping and then when he hears you, he stops and then i hear him deny it, after 10 years – enough-

    Reply
  27. pissed off

    I’m afraid I’ve already reported it to the council and they didn’t do anything, but thanks for the advise anyway!

    Reply
    1. helpful advice

      Oh ok.

      Reply
  28. Helpful advice

    Dear pissed off, report it to the council and see what happens! But what ever you do, DON’T be noisy back! I did that once and boy do I regret it …..

    Reply
  29. pissed off

    I have neighbours that have just moved in a few weeks ago. They have been doing DIY late at night, sometimes even in early hours of the morning! I went round to talk to them and they said they were not being noisy and they told me to fk off. I get hardly any sleep at night and it’s driving me up the wall!!!! What shall I do?

    Reply
  30. ALondoner

    The next door neighbour flat renovated after a floor I reported, and put in new hardwood type of floorings. In Feb, the flat was let out to a family with a kid and I had been having terrible and continuous noises from their bare foot heavy walking, dropping heavy items to floor and the worst of them all, the child’s jumping, running and screaming ever since.
    I wrote to the tenants, management company and the flat owner, the tenants lied initially about their making noise to the management company and then the management company said they didn’t want to get involved because it’s a neighbour dispute. They then said they didn’t want to take actions because tenants said they would move out at July. July came and went, the tenants lied about moving out by July and kept staying. I contacted Newham council in London many time by email and phone calls, they sent out their standard letters to the tenants twice, then nothing else happened. I called the flat owner last Friday, he was full of abusive words and said he had asked the tenants to stay as long as possible to keep making noises. The tenants themselves didn’t have tiny amount of consideration even by wearing slippers or having a rug to reduce the noises for four months I had been complaining, and the impact on my and my family’s daily living and sleep were terribly bad.

    I went through the lease of the flats and the next door flat owner’s braches of lease are clear as below and the flat owner doesn’t even have Freeholder’s permit to sublet nor Newham council’s landlord license to legally let out the flat. Can someone wiser suggest what else I can do the stop them?
    Many thanks

    Forth Schedule
    8(a) not to assign or transfer the whole of the Demised Premises without the prior written consent of the Landlord which shall not be unreasonable withheld

    The Fifth Schedule
    1(a) Not to do or permit or suffer to be done in the Apartment and/or in the Building anything which may cause damage or inconvenience or be or become a nuisance or annoyance to the Landlord or to the lessee or occupier of any other flat or part of the Building or to any person lawfully in the Building or in the neighbourhood generally (and the generality of this paragraph shall not be restricted by the remaining paragraphs of this Schedule)
    8(a) To ensure that all guests and other invitees or licensees of the Tenant while in the Building confirm to the stipulations and regulations contained or referred to in this Schedule
    11. To keep the floors of the Apartment (apart from the kitchen floor and (if applicable) any balcony floor) covered with carpet or some other suitable sound deadening material or utilising some suitable sound deadening mechanism

    Reply
  31. Belia cavazos

    Me Belia have 5 neighbors with loud music and my closes neighbor as an Rooster and ugly loud Goat I tryed Cops city Manager Mayor ex Mayor and Chief of police it did improve but because it was Dec weather is cold they indoors …I know for in summer gets worse it happened 4yrs when my good neighbors moved and sold to new one they don’t let me rest I even crashed because of them my feel sick my nerves and my bones because of seat belt but but alive me and my Daughter …Thank GOD

    Reply
  32. Darren

    I’ve been bullied and harassed by my neighbors for over 18 months, verbally threatened on my property front and back garden. Also continuously psychologically harassed from inside their house by leaving extremely insulting remarks on some sort of playback device (24 hours a day at low level decibel frequency) which you can hear faintly. Because they know I’ve reported them to the police, anti social behavior team and the local council. I’ve asked the council about there noise nuisance recorder and the possible limitations of the device and the council are not sure whether the device could pick up the sounds at these particular levels.
    Moving on, the interesting thing is there is also a consistent pattern to their thuggish behavior. When people are visiting their property i don’t hear the repeating insults through my property boundary wall connected to their home. Even thou it is making my life a complete misery, feeling victimized, bullied and discriminated against. Look up (Statuary nuisance.) They have consistently tried to make out that they are not doing anything wrong with the police and the anti social behavior team, who visited their property and the husband consistently lies to the authorities by saying “he’s a nutter and not all there.” Due to his evil ruthless actions I had mental health professionals come down and visit my property so they could evaluate my mental health by the recommendation of the police authorities. These so called (mental health professionals) who mis-diagnosed me, tried to say I was suffering from some form of stress response and psychosis, which I knew I wasn’t. Therefore I decide to contact a consultant clinical psychologist and to prove once and for all to the police that mental health problems were not affecting the issues with my neighbors. As expected I passed the psychological evaluation with flying colors and she even personally visited the police station to talk to the investigating officer in charge of the police case who originally contacted the mental health services. And even thou the issues with my neighbors is still ongoing he decided yet again to contact the mental health services because of the constant phone calls to the police regarding my neighbors. I’m now making a formal complaint against the police as well.

    Reply
    1. Anonymous

      You will get threw this horrible situation, hold your head up high, you’re done nothing wrong, some neighbours play games and think it’s funny because they are not happy, they cause misery and upset to other people. as they have nothing positive in there lives, it’s not nice being bullied and victimised and then you can’t even get help.

      Reply
    2. Survivor

      I put up with a bullying harrassing neighbor for 16 years.
      He was a hateful miserable paranoid SOB with video cameras, oil cans leaking, multiple wrecks of vehicles, running exhaust day and night, driving over my front garden with his semi and boat. He did everything he could possibly think of because he hated me: he wanted to purchase the property and I ended up buying it from my landlord. He had previously moved the fence over to usurp about two feet of the property so he could build an illegal two story abode and a driveway to access it.
      I finally left due to foreclosure-It took me 4 years to feel ok again. I grew a garden there for those 16 years-I really miss my garden. I only stayed so my son could finish his schooling.

      The woman who bought the house built up to two stories.
      No more privacy for him. I guess that is how karma works. Real slow.

      Reply
  33. Chloe Cadby

    Hi I’m really looking for some help… After two years of noise nuisance from upstairs neighbours I am feeling at the end of my tether.. I live in a housing association flat underneath 2 adults and 3 children who do not have carpets or any flooring down in any of the flat every single noise s amplified however they constantly let their children run all over the flat in presumably steel toe cap boots I’ve tried reasoning with them and got a hurl or abuse and I’ve had noise equipment in twice from my housing association however my housing officer tells me this is normal day time noise I have various witnesses And hAve sort help from shelter who have given me rehousing solutions I have a 4 year old son who is a nervous wreck and won’t go to the toilet on his own and yet my housing officer is not helping me anyone know anything I can do this has made me have anxiety and the stress has brought on fibromyalgia that’s in advance

    Reply
    1. nejat

      Chloe, i had a similar problem with my neighbours that continued for 20 years.
      whenever i confronted them , they used foul language and abuse.
      i reported this to authorities with no prevail. these people were thugs.
      my friend told me to take kung fu classes. to teach me self control. and confidence. after about 3 years of classes with a very well know sifu.
      i had the confidence. one night to confront theses people. about the noise.
      i dont know what happened , but when i rang their bell , one of the sons in his thirtys then opened his door , and threw a punch at me , i instinctively blocked, and counter side kicked him all the way down his hallway.
      i walked back home and reported it to the police as self defence.
      needless to say 10 more years have passed now . and when they see me they nod in respect. i dont condone violence. but it worked for me. unintentionally

      Reply
      1. Cheesed off

        That’s absolutely brilliant please come to my house and kick the shit out of my shithead neighbour and their fn kids it’s the only language this thickos understand I’ve had 22 years of harassment from this nasty pus filled bitch and her crew she has the neighbours under her evil spell as well and they take it in turns to harass me my crime is renting the property she hates all tenants we are quite and peaceful people no one wants to know as she owns her house the council and the police are useless I wasted months keeping a diary of noise and the police spoke to her and nothing came of it the upshot is the law only applies to people who own not tenants as they are assumed to be the problem.

  34. Little fox

    That’s wonderful news Claire you must had been dancing all over the place when they moved out!
    Shadow I really feel your pain, I’m in the same boat.
    I’m privately renting and my neighbour was a DIY nutter. I had months and months of constant DIY which was extremely loud – the walls were really thin and this went on from even as early as 4 in the morning (woke up 2am before to hammering noise), and it has even carried on to 11:30pm. As a result to months of constant drilling and hammering I got tinnitus. Unfortunately they own their home so I couldn’t see a way to get help.
    I have now moved into a new house after a year of hell and I have noisy neighbours again (who also are the home owners). I had a polite word but as like the last neighbour – I got ignored. It’s not DIY but they’re in all day, the TV is loud and on almost all day (bloke is hard of hearing) , I’m always having to hear them talking loud and hearing their arguments which seems to be at least once a week .
    I have no escape as I am house bound and have no friends or family around me. Moving is the only option to me but as I just moved here I can’t see when I can move. I’m also very hurt and angry being lied to by the last people who was renting here that it was “it’s really is very quiet here”.

    Reply
    1. claire

      Hi,
      Sorry to hear you moved to the same again, as they are private home owners, you stand a better chance of getting thing sorted out. Contact the Environmental Health Authority in your area. Explain about the noise, they will ask you to keep a diary to start and write to the Owners explaining they have had a complaint. If it continues from after this, they can provide you with a Noise Recording Device, thereby hopefully getting proof. When proof is gotten I think they are threatened with legal action, this can then start meaning fines, and nobody likes a fine! It’s hitting them in the pocket!
      If the previous tenants have moved out due to noisy neighbours, they may have reported it to the landlord or Environmental Health already. If so, you should have been forewarned by your landlord!
      Like myself as a private owner if I had let my house or moved out and not declared the problems with the Nuisance Neighbour I could have been sued!
      This was why I had to stay, I had no options.
      Ask any other neighbours if they know of any complaints against the Nuisance Neighbours, if so, this could be a way out of the rental agreement?

      Myself and the other neighbours have had the best Christmas in the last two years! Our new tenants are soon to move in, the previous tenants left the property in a complete mess, so the Housing Association are working really quickly to get it ready, new bathroom, kitchen, floor boards, doors, doors casings, skirting boards and plastering walls! Clearing the rubbish away (two van loads) Clearing the garden front and back! I hope the previous tenant gets the bill!
      Keep us updated!!! Good Luck!!

      Reply
      1. Cheesed off

        It doesn’t work they don’t care about tenants only home owners as I write this her grandchildren are banging about and screaming the council legally have to write to the trouble maker and give them a date when they are going to come over effectively warning them this gives them enough time to clear off until they go making you out to be a liar then they magically reappear and start all over again only louder.

    2. jess

      Hi little fox i hope things are better for you now, i feel your pain. i moved a year ago after 5 years of really noisy neibours (all night party 20 year old guy one side and a deaf couple the other) . this new place was quiet until 5 months ago.

      Loud arguing (hear all about an affair and his gambling habits, sounds violent sometimes. lol dont want to know that) and music daily, same stuff on repeat over and over like right now its driving me nuts. Daytime also a fair bit of drilling, diy and visitors. being woken up at 2, 3 am regular when they start shouting and swearing, they have a baby so i guess they wake up when it cries, but i never hear the baby.. it starts screaming after they do, poor little thing listening to that.

      I’m self employed and at home all the time too with no contacts either, its a pain. though if i play music or blast the tv for 10 minutes they seem to think if they can hear me, i can hear them and shut up for about an hour.. nightmare

      Reply
  35. claire

    I just wanted to give an update to my situation as shown below, After 2 1/2 yrs, it is FINALLY ALL OVER!!!! My complaint with the housing association was closed down by their staff, but I contacted the chairman of the organisation who turns out to be a local Councillor, he passed my letter to the H/O board member and 3 days later complaint went to Stage 3 independent review panel. (I did state in letter I was prepared to go to the TV and press) After presenting my evidence paperwork, recordings, statements!, and witness who attended all meetings. They profoundly, profusely apologised! They are changing their Nuisance Policy and Complaints Policy as my case showed their staffs failings. They have replaced my fencing and gates and given a small amount of compensation. But the best of all two days later the TENANT MOVED OUT!!! Clearly something had taken place behind closed doors, but I don’t care!!! PEACE and QUIET!!! Other neighbours have apologised to me as I was left to sort it all out!! as they were frightened!!! I can only hope that wherever the Tenants have gone that they don’t put anyone else through the same!! or hopefully they have very large!! blokes on either side of them!! Thanks to everyone here for the support!! Whilst it has taken an awful long time PLEASE don’t give up!!!

    Reply
    1. Congratulations!

      What fantastic news! Good for you for sticking up for yourself!

      Reply
      1. jess

        Well done you fought for that and won 🙂 its encouraging to hear, it makes you think its time to stand up and its possible, thanks. if only more people had your attitude to defend our homes and those scared neighbours would act too.

        i made a comment above about the 20 year old party guy next door, i confronted him when i lived there, but hes like oh.. i didnt realise, sorry, i crashed out and it was my friends… he seemed to have some illusion that he shut his front door and the outside world didn’t exist! he would be quiet for a few days then it was the same all over again. he was apologetic and gave me his number to call if it got loud, but when he was drunk hed say fk off, oh well. some people just dont learn no matter now nice and understanding you try to be.

  36. David Shailes

    Hi all and my sympathy to everybody in this situation. If i may i would really appreciate your opinions.
    I live in a semi detached ex council house which i own. The neighbour is a council tenant. He is a 6 foot 2 inch bully and a brute of the worst kind. Definately a functioning alcoholic and well as a small time drug dealer. He is verbally abusive to his wife frequently and physically abusive occasional (once every couple of months). When the house is empty their dog howls continuously i recorded this and it maxed out at nearly 90dB. Now i would like to think i’m a reasonable man and have approached him on numerous times over the last couple of years. He just’s responds with verbal abuse to myself and my wife.
    A few days ago his dog howled from 22:00 till 02:00 then he came home with his wife and ranted (there is no other word) at his wife for 3 hours. I ended up having 30 mins sleep before driving an 1 and half hours to work for a full clinic. All the neighbours know and are sympathetic but are unwilling or too afraid to get involved. The police won’t respond at that time because of man power issues. The council do there usual please log it and get back to us later. My dilemma is i have previous martial art training, please don’t think i was a black belt because i am not but i was a competent practitioner many years ago. I,m a slim 5 foot 6 by the way,so he is a little intimidated when he’s in your face. My wife is 12 weeks pregnant with our first child after giving up all hope of conception and i’m obviously very protective. His noise and the dog howling is tearing me up inside i don’t know what more i can do legally. I’m seriously started to consider rash actions but i know i will lose my job i’m not a doctor but do have a high level of clinical responsibility . Why is it he can deprive me and my wife of sleep to a point when i might fall asleep on the motorway driving and the legal response is a letter from the council telling him he has had a complaint. I am at my wits end and just want to make this physical. PLEASE HELP any suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks David Shailes.

    Reply
    1. claire

      Ask the Council for a listening device!! Keep complaining to council and environmental health.
      1. Do record everything
      2. keep a detailed record of all nuisance
      3. Call the Police to the domestics, regardless of how short they are
      (the more the Police are involved or the fact that you can report it to the Council that they Police attended or you have a Ref. No from them the Council will have to start acting)
      4. Don’t get confrontational or verbal with tenants
      5. Get to the Docs and report it, state your lack of sleep etc., depression happens so quick. Wife’s midwife might be able to give a statement for you to the council.
      6. Is the dog well, looked after proper? Call RSPCA? Report to Police, you are in the health service, state to Police and Council about this!

      I have stated a lot of this below, just keep reporting!
      DON’T take matters into your own hands, YOU will be the loser.
      Stay calm (as best as you can)

      Reply
  37. Dianne

    I live in a condo so cannot move. I hear consistent noise from the apartment upstairs. I hear chairs scraping, bangs, thumps, drops. I have tried recording the noise but an ordinary tape recorder does not pick up enough. What would be the best recorder to catch impact noise? Thanks to anyone who can help.

    Reply
    1. Claire

      I don’t think this kind of noise is classed as nuisance noise?
      I think it would be classed as general living noises, which living in a flat, apartment or condo is to be expected?

      Reply
    2. shadow

      I feel for you Dianne, I am in the same boat. I moved to get away from this and have the same again, a short window of sleep thanks to an ingnorant old couple below who clearly dont need more than six hours sleep a night… and dont try to be quiet when they’re up. I had a breakdown due to my last neighbour and hoped this new place would be a place I could sleep and heal. There is nothing we can do in this situation, it is all classed as acceptable. Tried nicely approaching them but they think its not a problem and think Im being unreasonable. The sound really carries despite thick carpets and underlay. I am a nervous wreck and cant stop crying. Will need drugs and earplugs unless I get a lucky break and can find a new home. No money to move, cant afford private, and need a quiet night so where on earth am I going to go? You are soooo not alone. I wish people like us could find a community somewhere, with a kerfew of silence between 11 pm and 8 am. Sigh… I can dream

      Reply
  38. Claire

    Update: Seemingly the Housing Association have failed yet again!! This time they have failed to deal with a complaint I placed about them & how they have failed with their Tenant. Letter to Chief Executive who seems to hide behind his desk & pass on the problem, although his staff say he has to be seen to be impartial & not get involved! Not sure what exactly what use he is to the company?? Neither use nor ornament! Had a meeting with a general housing officer manager who was in charge of the Nuisance Officers team. Basically covered her own back side when it come to the failings of her team! Not happy with her, saw her boss, Snr Housing Officer – seemed very interest in the notice board on the wall whilst talking – Guess what NO answers! Not surprising. But did say they will take tenant to court! GREAT!!! FINALLY GETTING SOMETHING DONE! Must have over 100+ incident books and have witnesses. Then informed by their Legal Clerk. NEW LAW came into effect on 23 March 2015, NO Evidence can used that is over 6 months old. But still they stated they would take Tenant to court. More incidents in the meantime, and guess what! Due to lies by staff they are not taking Tenant to court! Still have ongoing complaint about the Association, have taken Witness with me and they blatantly lied to us, and still are. Now at the stage with a Assistant Director of Housing who really is no use as staff have lied to her! Will still continue with complaint!
    Their bullying tactics are not going to work!

    Reply
  39. claire

    i would appreciate some advice regarding this matter. I have lived in this flat for 13 years and last april had a new tenant move in to the flat above me, at first she wasn’t too bad, about 2 months after moving in she moved her brother, his girlfriend and their 2 children in, bearing in mind this is a small property and a converted house. the noise would start around 5am when my neighbour got up for work and finished at 10pm when they all went to bed. this went on for 7 months, they finally moved out which i thought would be the end of it, but no, now she has them staying from friday morning to either sunday evening/monday morning. they stayed last week from friday morning until sunday evening of the following week as the neighbour went away. i was woken up at 5am by the girlfriend as i shall be honest she is gobby,shouting at the kids, she had the tv blaring out from 5am to just after 6am, then it is blaring out on and off all day, the baby screams on and off all day, she is shouting on and off all day then when the older daughter is back from school she is either playing skipping rope on the floor running up and down screaming and shouting it is as i said continuous until 10pm when they all go to bed. i am at the stage now where i hate living in the flat, so yesterday i put a polite but to the point note in the neighbours door. this morning she was banging on my front door and started screaming and shouting at me telling me i was out of order putting a note through her door and that what her family get up to in her flat when she isn’t in it is nothing to do with her, she was very unreasonable and abusive which was quite upsetting considering i am the injured party, i am now worried what she and her family will do and she did start swearing at me at the end. could any one tell me what rights i have on this matter it would be gratefully received?

    Reply
    1. Claire

      Believe it not, you really have NO RIGHTS! The law is not their to help the Victim! I would love to be able to tell exactly how to get this resolved, but all advice as you can see on here doesn’t work. Are the flats Council/ private/ Housing Association? Report problem to them, they will probably talk with Tenant to see if that solves it, it probably won’t, so don’t get you hopes up. Tape all that you can! If after their talk to Tenant doesn’t work, insist they fit listening device fitted. If as bad as you say they can get an injunction, she breaks it, she’s out! Hopefully!!!

      Reply
    2. Advice

      Do you have Child Protective Services? A baby screaming like that sounds like neglect.

      Reply
  40. Robbie

    I really like to give you a hug Claire. You have suffered a lot. I have a simular situation. But I want to fight back with a boot full of low frequency torture on my neighbour. I will win. I am very good with electronics and radio etc. But unfortunately my Wife wont let me give it back ten fold. The authorities are never going to solve the issue 99.9% of the time. You are unable to turn off due to the annoyance of the thumping keeping you constantly thinking about the noise, and that will effect your entire life. Moving will help but will probably cost you some way. I have made attempts to solve the issue but it only last a week or so. I agree , don’t get physical but keep up the things you are doing now and my hopes are , they will move or suffered from their own noise before you loose it.

    Reply
  41. J

    I have a very noisy neighbour and a four month baby girl. Everytime she comes in she slams back foor shut goes to middle door bang then goes to the frnt door slams that shut then the gas and electric meter boxes she slams those.. But it doesnt stop there she runs up and downs the stairs over ten times really loud bearing in mind shes like a twig. She bangs my walls. Threatens me everytime i see her outside. Police have been involved housing officers been involved shes even phone social services on me even though they took no notice its not the point and shes phoned rspca on us.. Just dont know what to do shes still slamming her doors now and walls its 12.40 at night for god sake. I feel sorry for my neighbour living the other side of her she sufferw with her nerves and next door bangs on her bedroom wall 6.15 in the morning with a hammer. Any adcive appreciated fed up now been going on since april.

    Reply
    1. Claire

      Keep very good records, times dates, descriptions etc., right down to the minute detail. Keeping records of all telephone conversations, what was said by yourself and what they say at the housing. Leave nothing to chance. Have a witness with you each time you see a Housing Officer and make the complaint. Make sure they document everything you say, they are very good at just writing down what they want to right. I have been told to report each incident as soon as it happens. Do it! You have to keep on top of it all. A pain I know. As you say Housing Officers involved you need their Nuisance Team and not a basic Housing Officer they cannot do anything. You have a right to a Noise recording Device. They may even have their own out of hours Professional Witness. Police are a complete waste of time, they are quick to pass it to the Housing. But do keep reporting it. If it is a housing Association write an Official letter of complaint to the Chief Executive, hand to him/her by hand. Any staff you have any meeting with again take witness and make notes.
      I myself have suffered for over 18 months now and things are now happening. I have an elderly lady neighbour who is frightened. I know how absolutely awful it can be, as you have a 4 month old see your health visitor about yourself and baby. She if she/he can contact someone – social services/doctors/Housing Assoc., Get a Doctors letter if needed. It’s too easy for some to say wear ear plugs or play music back. The majority of the time it doesn’t work. If you can tape her on your phone or a camera threatening you, do it. Insist that the Housing do something for you, mither!!!. It is an absolute pain doing all this, but hopefully it will pay off and get her stopped. Good Luck!!

      Reply
  42. Andrew

    First, you are not alone ! we sufferers are legion. My proactive suggestions are 1/ White noise – buy a CD or if you have old FM manual tune radio, tune to hiss between stations & adjust volume to comfortable setting, enough to mask noise HELPS ! 2/ Ear Plugs – I use them daytimes and sleeping, alleviates all those loud banging door noises which bring on the fight/flight instinct – put them in once the noise starts & before going to bed. 3/ I wholeheartedly disagree with the comment made on combatting noise with noise. I have loud music players in flat below me, they used to go on for hours anytime. Since i put my old boom box on the floor in my other room (covered with duvet/pillows to block out noise to flats side & above – but cracked up bass for loud thump) & put Rock on 10 mins after they start, i now find theirs goes down volume within 10 mins of mine – even the ignorant get the message !! You can passively moderate their behaviour

    Reply
  43. Claire

    Back again, can you believe it – probably YES!
    Still noisy neighbour making plenty of noise!
    Have had 5 Nuisance Officers in total now and all have different ways of doing the supposedly same job. (failing miserably but not doing it properly – failing to speak to witnesses, saying I’d made a complaint when I hadn’t, I’d asked for a listening device) But not one has been able to sort out the problem. Or I feel are really trying!
    Noisy neighbour given letter stating she will be taken to court if anymore complaints about her. Guess what! A real Hum Dinger – a Domestic close to midnight lasted an hour, once I heard the child involved dialled 999.
    Was told by the Nuisance Officer I was placed on the ‘professional witness’ list and to call when it all started again, I did!. They couldn’t find me on the list?? By then I had to hang up and call police as it had escalated. Found out after making complaint that she said she ‘fell in the shower’ and was shouting for help! not the shouting and screaming, smashing bedroom furniture, slamming doors, I heard! She told the police the same thing. So, Housing Association have said they have to believe her over me as no other witnesses. I even managed to stick on camcorder and record some of it, not a great recording but it could be heard. Housing Association listened and then said ” they cannot accept it as they are not sure it is her?”
    So where to go now, would love to sell my house, but who wants to buy it, as I legally have to disclose information of ‘problem neighbours in the last 5 years”.
    Still looking for a decent listening device that will pick it all up, but couple I’ve seen cost thousands, if I had the money I’d gladly pay it!
    My health is completely gone, living on my nerves! Whilst my neighbour is the problem a MAJOR PROBLEM is the HOUSING ASSOCIATION. I feel they have NO real powers and NO real interest. They just like the sound of their own voices!
    Seeing other replies and postings- I feel this is my life now as nothing can be done, I wish everyone good luck and hope you have better luck than I’ve had.

    Reply
  44. Rick

    Having read a few of the above comments, it seems like the same old story. I live in a lower flat with noisy people above. I went through the routine, asked nicely, please be less noisy, her reply was, right, bring it on !
    My wife says, no matter who we speak to, no one wants to help, its always the trouble makers that get away with it. We spoke to our council and environmental health, no one wants to know. The only answer is move out.

    Reply
  45. Martin Briggs

    JUST CALL OUT “BIG BRO”…ILL SORT IT LITTLE BRO…….

    Reply
    1. Stuart

      Hey big bro! All seems sort of ok here now, but, strange month January, not a bad month but, some folks have caused some memories and boy the thoughts of: do, did, should, maybe? Those who made young life sort difficult, bring them on!? We would have been a good team at school and out etc. hmmm.

      Reply
  46. Claire

    Update – Housing Association this time have been a complete waste of time, they have changed their Anti Social Officer, who has failed to investigate fully, took them 3wks to send a letter out to other neighbours and didn’t ask what the Officer told me it would be asking. They failed to speak to neighbours. My update from them failed to materialize, I’ve had to chase them up! Neighbour has been told to be quiet – though how long this will last for this is anyone’s guess. So, the Officer has decided she is going to close the case. Seems that the policy explained to by first Officer isn’t the one the Second Officer is following! Good job I didn’t hold my breath!! So, still no further on, will have to wait for next incident which won’t be long in coming!! UGH!!!!

    Reply
    1. Stuart

      I think we find that once the housing association have got us ‘in’ then they take a step back re. neighbours, proper annoying but I believe if the housing association are honest and genuine, then the noise would be to a minimum? otherwise its down to the authorities’???

      Reply
    2. Cheesed off

      Claire buy a shotgun and blast them that they’d understand useless councils and police and they wonder why things like this escalate I bet you’d have the full weight of the law and the council on you then! They should tow these types of people all out on a boat and sink it imagine a quiet an peaceful life ahh!!

      Reply
  47. sharon

    My neighbours drive me to distraction with their constant banging & crashing & clattering & shouting & stomping around. I dread coming home! In fact it’s not home it’s a hell hole! It’s so bad they drive me out! It’s like a heard of wild elephants charging around! I’m at my wits end!!

    Reply
    1. Stuart

      Sharon, they can drive us nuts, but the problem will carry on with their children, noisy parents, noisy kids = future noisy parents.

      Reply
    2. daniel matthews

      Hi sharon i am experiencing the same problem i live in a two bed flat and my neighbour above me is a absolute nightmare all he does is bang around from 8pm – 7am also stomping on the floor and slamming his doors and cupboards it seems to me he doesn’t know how to sit down and also the fact he wakes my 8year old son up i have confronted him which the.police was called out i have contacted enviromental health which sends me diary sheets out and i have filled in atleast 60 in and sent back i have also been in touch with the neighbourhood warden who also gives me diary sheets and i have had a noise teat done and still they carry on i am at the end of my wit now and feel like dont know what to do now is.there any suggestions you could help me with i would be very greatful thankyou from dan

      Reply
  48. Claire

    I have been dealing with a noisy neighbour for a few months now. I come home from work to their music but once I put my TV on, I don’t hear it. (I’m not a TV watcher but put it on to cover the noise – so doing this I feel I’m not being unreasonable) But as the night goes on it gets louder and louder! I’ve no problem with the music once my TV in on but when it goes above my TV volume (even after increasing TV volume) to me that’s noisy.
    Local housing association who own the property dealt with the first complaint brilliantly. But sadly after 4 months we are back to loud thumping music, banging, screaming, until 3.40am, intimidation and threating behaviour towards me. I’ve been back to the housing association and complained again, this time they’ve been slow to deal with it. Other neighbour(s) are frightened as elderly. The occupant has been interviewed by housing Assoc., and they have denied it and made ridiculous accusations back. (one being – I was banging when a carpet fitter was fitting a carpet?) I’m now looking at moving but have to declare I’ve got noisy neighbours, who would want to buy a house with all this going on next door?? I’m now considering listening equipment. But feel I’m intruding. I’m stressed with it all, I’ve missed work and also missed the Volunteer Work I’m involved with, my job is suffering through it and I love my job! Friends, family and work have all noticed a difference in me. So, presently I’m awaiting for the housing association to give me an update on it all, but I’m not holding my breath!!

    Reply
  49. Natalie

    I dont know why you would video your neighbours they are playing music not doing a dance

    Reply
    1. Stuart

      That’s exactly why!

      Reply
  50. sheila richardson

    what kind of recording machine would work.? Loud parties from neighbours for instance. Low frequency all night music.?

    Reply
    1. Stuart

      It really isn’t just about sound recording equipment, videos have great quality sound recording, and it can be viewed by the authorities, not that they can fully do anything against arrogant neighbours.

      Reply
      1. Kweli

        I have reported to the Association after diligently documenting incidents. Police did nothing because they could not hear noise as they drove by. The noise is a low bass tone (presumably from a sub-woofer) that I can hear in my B/Room adjacent to theirs, the origin of the noise. Neighbors flatly deny it and even called me to tell me that they will continue as before. But with the help of a Management Company who sent the complaint to the Landlord. The latter sent the neighbors a warning of eviction if problem is not cured. The MC’s contract with the Association has been terminated. But to be absolutely sure (and the issue still persists by the way), the video recording appeals to me, because I will have concrete evidence. Without spending an arm and a leg, any suggestions (from anyone here) of perhaps a camcorder that has decent audio recording features together with date and time appearing on the screen as one records? I am really new to this kind of tech and would appreciate your help. This is the kind of evidence I want to gather and send to the L/Lord. Thanks in advance.

  51. X

    There are two types of noisy neighbours, 1) Noisy, but ignorant of the nuisance caused to others; 2) Intentionally harrassing.
    Type 2 are the worst, the type who play 3 second blasts of loud music, or pick up the end of a bed/sofa and drop it. They generally cannot be reasoned with, and that is when you need to state your point personally or legally.
    Buy a voice recorder that can pick up background sound without interference. Note dates/times of all disturbances with a short description. If all else fails, move – it isn’t worth it.

    Reply
    1. Stuart

      Unfortunately it seems most folks do move and try find somewhere with more peace, we do not want absolute silence but respect.

      Reply
      1. Cheesed off

        Stuart we both know it ain’t gonna happen shit heads like these only understand force like the other guy did to defend himself he kicked the shit out of the offending neighbour that works because that is the level of their ignorance their language.
        I want to do the same to the thing and family next door that cow had deliberately made life miserable because she can’t get her own way she’s tried harassment false accusations to the landlord and the council about me she’s dumped her crap over my garden got other neighbours involved through coercion and intimidation this woman is elderly and filled with pus and bile goes to Church says her Hail Mary s then does it all over again a true Christian! She pretends to be nice etc I’d like karma to give her butt a bloody good kicking she’s earned it well and truly.

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