NOISY NEIGHBOURS

kerry b

Silver Member
We recently moved into a flat and have discovered that the neighbours through the wall seem to be running a music school from their flat. we hear piano music at all times of the day. It usually starts just after 8am mid week and about 8.30/8.45 at the weekends.

This morning we were rudely awoken by loud piano music at 8am. I eneded up shouting at them to give it a rest so early on a Sunday and banging on the wall. The music stopped for 30 seconds or so then started up louder than ever. Their sitting room seems to be straight through the wall from our bedroom.

Hubby tried to go next door but they live in a stair and he couldnt get in & they didnt answer the buzzer (probably couldnt hear it over the noise of the piano).

Enviromental health can only do something if they actually hear the noise happening. We have had dealings with this before.

Im a fairly easy going person and normally the noise doesnt bother me through the week but I feel they are really taking the piss at the weekend. Is it unreasonable to complain about this noise? It's not like its happening at 3am. Im extremely grumpy as a Sunday is the only day I get to sleep late while my 3yr old son is at his grandparents house.

Any advice on how to tackle the problem when the neighbours wont let us in the stair? we cant be the only ones suffering, the rest of our neighbours must hear it too. The piano is the main problem but we also hear a guitar flute and (crap) opera singing (wailing and screeching).

This is starting to cause arguments between me & OH. What would you do?
 
I think that it's very annoying for you, and thoughtless of them at the weekend. If you could talk to them maybe you could ask them to start later, especially at the weekend, but i don't think they will be too helpful because surely other neighbours have mentioned it previously.

As far as anything official, because it's after 8 a.m, I think there's nothing doing :(
 
Contact the council and they will put you through to the right department, they will send you out a diary where you record the times/types of noise (dog barking/rave musci/piano playing etc) after 2 weeks you will get a visit from the environmental officer, he will then send a friendly letter to the offending neighbours, if that doesnt stop then they will set up a recording device which you switch on when the noise occurs, its a slow process but it is worth it
 
I think that it's very annoying for you, and thoughtless of them at the weekend. If you could talk to them maybe you could ask them to start later, especially at the weekend, but i don't think they will be too helpful because surely other neighbours have mentioned it previously.

As far as anything official, because it's after 8 a.m, I think there's nothing doing :(

I did wonder what time was a "reasoable" time and hubby thought it was 8am 7 days per week.

We would talk to them if we could get hold of them. Unfortuanately they never answer their buzzer. Wonder why?

Im going to phone the council tomorrow. just wanted to make sure I wasnt being Mrs Grumpypants coz I didnt get to sleep late;). It is now 9.45 and they are still playing. May as well go to supermarket to do weekly shop.

Thanks everyone
 
You lot are far too nice :p .......

Remember, if you can hear music coming from there flat they can hear it from yours. Rig up some speakers right next to the wall and next time they're giving a lesson put on some thing very loud and take the opportunity to get outside and do a bit of Body Magic round the block for ten minutes.


In seriousness, I had a flat on a main street when I lived in Scotland and there was a bar across the road that did live gigs late into the night with zero soundproofing. I complained via Environmental Health and at one point reached the end of my tether and called the police to make a noise complaint. They said there's no way it could be that loud, the police came in to my flat and heard how loud it was and that I couldn't hear my tv over it. Eventually they had to take noise reducing measures.
Now, if it is just general neighbour noise you'd probably be sent through mediation to come to a compromise BUT if they are running a business from their premises I think they have to meet different rules so it's 100% worth contacting your local Environmental Health Dept and asking them to investigate.

Zoe
 
What an absolute nightmare! I really feel for you.
Are you living in rented accommodation? If you are, have your neighbours the same landlord? Would we worth taking it up with the landlord, too.
Also have a look at this website, you may find some helpful hints and tips from there: Neighbours From Hell in Britain
Hugs, Jill x
 
I cant add much to what has already been said, but just a thought-you dont mention if you or they own or rent. It might help to have a word with their landlord if thats the case
 
I really feel for you, i had problems neighbours for over 4 years. The flat below me was rented by the council as emergency accomodation for the homeless,but almost every tenant they put in there was a young single parent or couple who just used it as a party house,and there was someone different in it every few months.
I had to listen to music,shouting, fighting etc 5-7 nights a week and evetually it drove me mad,my daughter and i were lucky to get a couple of hours sleep. I tried asking them to keep it down nicely the first few times but i usually just got told to f**k off or similar.
I also tried complaining to the council who did come and have a word with them but it did no good so i started phoning the police every time they disturbed me.
The police were really good and took it very seriously and most of the time after the police had been to the door the noise stopped. They also told me there is no such thing as a "reasonable time" for loud music etc ,if it is disturbing me at any time of the day or night it is unreasonable.
I actually got 2 seperate lots of tenants evicted due to the large number of disturbances/complaints mostly from me but a few from other neighbours as well.
The couple that are in the flat currently were playing electric guitars and a keyboard several evenings a week,some nights i couldn't hear my tv. I tried knocking on the door but never got an answer so i phoned the police and after 2 visits from them i haven't had another problem,i can still hear it occaisionally but it is pretty quiet so i don't mind.They are obviously trying to keep it down.
I know it isn't nice to call the police on your neighbours ( i felt i had no choice) but you have to put your own sanity first,and they obviously don't care about disturbing you so why should you care about what happens to them.
Next time it happens phone the police and see what happens,you might have to make a few calls but they might eventually get the message.
 
If they are running a business, then are they allowed to do that from their flat? I am not sure what the rules are where you live, but I do know that my neighbour across the road from me has to have some kind of licence for running his business from his house.

Either the local council or your Citizens' Advice Bureau should know.
 
Argh noisy neighbours I have them too!

Constantly shouting it's like a youth club! If the father isnt screaming at them their screaming at him and its constant all day! and theyve got a friggin trampoline in the front garden and they bounce on that at all hours!! I was up with the little one, last week so tried to get some kip in the day but nooooo they were bouncing on it and it rubs on the wall causing a racket! ARRRGHHH

Went in to the conservatory yesterday morning and theres the neighbours looking straight at us....greeeeat....went and bought some nets!!
 
I had a problem with a new neighbour in my old flat... her music was horrendous. It wasnt long after my dad died and I wasnt in the right frame of mind for any confrontation. I wrote her a nice note explaining and she came down within the hour to apologise and couldnt have been nicer. Never had a moments bother after that

Your council might have a noise team, our local one do, and we pass most of the calls the public make to us at work, they have a dedicated team who go out when you report a complaint and assess it there and then and will issue an on the spot fine if necessary.

If its late at night - call the police
 
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