Noisy Neighbour - Am I being too picky?

jaybee

jaybee

jaybee

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We are in a terraced house between two houses. One side is an old lady which we barely ever hear. Other side is the problem side with a "rough" Women and her 2 year old ish child. The child we never hear. What I do hear is her banging all the time. Now, I am a light sleeper and it bothers me more than my girlfriend who claims it doesn't bother her much, but I think the reason she doesn't want to make a fuss is because the women is really rude and a bit rough.

This house next to us is I believe council owned and this women that lives there lives off benefits all day sat there doing nothing. We have said hello to her a few times and she just stays silent and looks at us. So gave up with communication.
The noise I can hear is banging like she's shutting cupboards/doors really loudly and just her walking up stairs and around the upstairs makes a racket as she is quite overweight.

The thing is the walls are proper solid when I hit them. I'm surprised the sound seems to get through. I can hear her playing music - like word for word - and can hear her singing to it at times. The house is probably built around 1950 ? Complete guess though. We rent here and have been in it for years but want to move out next year. Question is, is it too picky to ask her to stop banging and being loud in that it seems like everyday stuff that is noisy? I don't mind so much in the day but at night time I get really stressed and lose sleep like last night. I could hear her laughing loudly and walking about the house between midnight and 2am. For me personally I wouldn't be that loud at that time as I think it's unfair, but is she actually breaking any laws staying up till late in her own home laughing and watching telly loudly?

I'm not sure whether to try to talk to her (she seems to sleep in the day and stay up all night being loud so I don't get a chance to catch her) or write a letter to her politely asking to be quieter? Thing is, I don't want her to read the letter then go round and kick off at my girlfriend and kids whilst they are there alone in the day. We've had it where she has been really loud with music at times and seems to stay up at silly hours watching telly. When I am trying to watch telly in the evenings I can hear her. Should I address the problem or leave it? It's really stresssing me out being on edge all the time in my own home wondering if I'm going to be able to sleep and.or watch telly without being distracted in the evenings when trying to wind down.

What do you think?
 
Get some earplugs for starters. I'm in a student house on a main road and I've got the downstairs front room, so I have to deal with traffic and the assorted rowdy students. Earplugs are an absolute lifesaver.

If this fat **** is sleeping all day, you'll probably want to hammer a nail into the wall every morning!
 
Gerard said:
Gaffer tape over the mouth, sponge on the back of the headboard. Sorted. :)
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hehe, it's more like she's constantly tidying her house almost? I don't know. I can't work out why someone would bang as much as she does. It's not like she's having sex and constant whack whack whack. More like constant wlaking around opening and closing drawers/doors/cupboards. All sorts of different noises. I can accept it's a terrace, but does there come a time of night where it's antisocial to be doing much more than sitting quietly or heaven forbid...sleeping?
 
Skull said:
Get some earplugs for starters. I'm in a student house on a main road and I've got the downstairs front room, so I have to deal with traffic and the assorted rowdy students. Earplugs are an absolute lifesaver.

If this fat **** is sleeping all day, you'll probably want to hammer a nail into the wall every morning!
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LOL well I didn't want to come accross as direct as that in fear of people saying I was stereotyping council house people, but yep that pretty much sums her up ;)

Tell me more of earplugs. Thing is, I want to be able to hear my kids if they need me in the night, and I want the ear plugs to be comfortable to wear in bed. can you advise where/what/how much etc? Cheers fella
 
First step is to go round and have a quiet polite word with her, for all you know she maybe perfectly reasonable and have no idea her behaviour is impacting on you life (This does happen!) if she ignores this you need to do two things, firstly start keeping a noise log to record all incidents including times, durations, impact on you (ie couldn't sleep) and anything you did (ie go and ask her to be quiet) secondly write her a letter and send it recorded delivery. If the noise persists contact the council they will require the record of noise and proof that you have tried to resolve the situation, they should then investigate to decide if there is a problem or not. It would be beneficial but not essential if you had more neighbours who could back you up.
 
DEFRA info about Noise Nuisance

From what you've described then it sounds as though she's creating unreasonable noise, this is something which should be mentioned in her tenancy agreement, probably along the lines of "after xxpm it is unreasonable to make noise which can be heard outside of your own property", check your own tenancy agreement for your rented property and you'll find there should be something similar.

As it is part of the tenancy agreement then breaching it could well jeopardise her tenancy, although it is unlikely that she'll be kicked out for being noisy.

See if there's anything useful in the link, and if you're really uncomfortable about approaching her yourself then contact your local council. It might also be an idea to contact her neighbour on the other side to see if they're being disturbed by the noise as well.
 
a1ex2001 said:
First step is to go round and have a quiet polite word with her, for all you know she maybe perfectly reasonable and have no idea her behaviour is impacting on you life (This does happen!) if she ignores this you need to do two things, firstly start keeping a noise log to record all incidents including times, durations, impact on you (ie couldn't sleep) and anything you did (ie go and ask her to be quiet) secondly write her a letter and send it recorded delivery. If the noise persists contact the council they will require the record of noise and proof that you have tried to resolve the situation, they should then investigate to decide if there is a problem or not. It would be beneficial but not essential if you had more neighbours who could back you up.
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Yeah I have read to do all of the above before. I think before doing anything official I certainly need to try to speak to her as you say, to give her a chance to sort it out with me. I have thought about going to see the neighbours in the house the otherside of her to see if they find the same problem, but they have only just moved in and I've never spoken to them so it might come accross a bit wierd to bother them so soon. Then again I suppose there is every chance they find the same. I don't know.
 
We have a noisy neighbour as well. She is an old woman who lives above us. From about 9pm-1am she has her TV on above her bedroom really loud. Then somehow she is up and about at 6:30am the next morning with the TV on loud as well. It annoys my GF no end!
 
I wouldnt write a letter tbh. Seems cowardly and puts the impression that you are trying to completely avoid her. Which tbh would proberbly make her do it more.

Go round talk to her face to face.

I'm gunna go with the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover"
 
I wouldn't go down the offical route. Ok she sounds like a bit of a scummer but if you make it all official she will likely take offence if you haven't even asked her nicely a few times.

And as the official way will not be quick she could make your life worse in the mean time.
 
Talk to her, if nothing is resolved call the council. They will advise you to keep a diary of times when she is being too noisy, I suggest you start doing this now.

One of the worst things you can just 'put up with' is a noisy neighbour.
 
ScarySquirrel said:
We have a noisy neighbour as well. She is an old woman who lives above us. From about 9pm-1am she has her TV on above her bedroom really loud. Then somehow she is up and about at 6:30am the next morning with the TV on loud as well. It annoys my GF no end!
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Get your Mrs drunk and send her upstairs = job done? :D
 
jaybee said:
Yeah I have read to do all of the above before. I think before doing anything official I certainly need to try to speak to her as you say, to give her a chance to sort it out with me. I have thought about going to see the neighbours in the house the otherside of her to see if they find the same problem, but they have only just moved in and I've never spoken to them so it might come accross a bit wierd to bother them so soon. Then again I suppose there is every chance they find the same. I don't know.
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Do this. ^^^

I have been on both sides of the argument. I used to have a neighbour who lived beneath me - he was a complete psycho and complained about me to the council - went in with a log book and everything. I got two threatening letters from the council as a result... I barely make any noise :/ I'm average height/build for a female so don't 'stomp' around the flat, I put silencers on my cupboards to stop them banging.. sent all this to the council then heard nothing.

A month later he moved out!

The new guys are brilliant in comparison, but are students and talk ALL NIGHT! I can hear them... 8am on a saturday morning I went round to speak to them about it as I had zero sleep. All in all though I get on ok with them. The next time I phoned my management agency as I didn't want to look like a whinge - they always bang the front door when they go out to smoke - and they leave the door on latch too... idiots.

I have spoken to them once about the noise, but I only remember what the previous bloke was like and realise how much better my situation is now.

From the hours of 11pm - 7am they have to be quiet, otherwise you are in all power to report them to the council.

Speak to her first - like others have said, she may not realise! :)

BB x
 
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Thanks for all the advice. Feels good to hear I'm not alone with noisy neighbours. I will try to pay her a visit and report back how it goes. To be honest I think she will either be really rude and shut the door or will be the other extreme and be really polite and say sorry and that she will be quiet, when in fact there will be no change or maybe she will do it worse. Anyway, can't really judge until I see her.
 
thing is pottering around the house, opening doors/cupboards, and toilet seats and stuff arent exactly unreasonable beahviour any time of the night i'd have thought...

COuld you move your bedroom to the other side of the house perhaps?
 
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