Perceived as a noisy neighbour

milgo

milgo

milgo

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Joined
21 Aug 2003
Posts
651
Location
Essex
Right so I have been in my flat for 4 months now. It is in a big building with some friendly people, but mostly expressionless city drones. I have people either side of me. To the left I have never heard or seen the occupants. The couple to the right are maybe in their 30's and seem generally pretty grumpy.

My bedroom butts up to their lounge. Sometimes before work, or like this evening I am just sitting on the PC listening to some music. Nothing banging and not at all loud. But the guy has got a habit of thumping on the wall aggressively, I guess to tell me they can hear my music. Who do you think is in the wrong?

The latest I play music up to is about 9:30pm other than friday or saturday when people come round and we hang out in the lounge until 10pm at the latest. When I first moved in he came around knocking complaining about the noise at about 5:30pm. I will admit that time it was way too loud. This place is so quiet I just assumed it had awesome sound proofing. I apologised and turned it down immediately. The thing is I don't mind him coming around and talking to me, but this sort of passive aggressive behavior really gets to me.

What would you do? I want to go around and introduce myself and discuss it. But I get the feeling they will just be un-reasonable anyway. I have seen them in the hall and given them a smile and a wave and they just glare at me. If you live in a flat you have to expect some noise pollution. I can hear the little child upstairs banging about in the day and I have managed to keep away from jabbing the broom at the ceiling.
 
I used to get this. I did one of two things.

1 - Turn it up.
2 - Bang on the wall back.

I was never confronted about it, just banging on the wall.
 
Problem solved:

hello-kitty-comic-pop-dot-headphones-from-coloud.jpg


Alternatively, if you're playing your music loud enough to disturb him, just turn it down?
 
if its actually within reason, I would ignore him until 11pm. (all noise regs etc).

Or at least talk to him and ask him why he finds it so loud? take him into your bedroom and.....




let him listen to your music at the volume you play and ask if its actually excessive?
 
Surely when you live in a block of flats you need to be mindful of the fact everyone else is quite close which means however much you might like doing X, Y or Z its perhaps incompatible with where you live?
 
Buy headphones, why anyone would want to deliberately annoy their neighbours confuses me. They could be spiteful people and end up deliberately annoying you. Had an old uni friend who had neighbours complain about his music so he turned it up, they decided to leave loud music on repeat every time they left the house as payback. Drove him up the wall and all because he was a bit of a dick about their original complaint.
 
Think I would be a bit annoyed at the banging on the wall. Fair enough if he came round or mentioned it to you in passing but to just thump on the wall I would be almost tempted to turn it up when he does that.

However that wouldn't solve anything so take the boring yet mature approach and talk to him and see if you can come to some sort of agreement that keeps you both happy.
 
I really hate these passive aggressive types. Although you don't believe that your music is to loud have you considered turning the base down as this is likely what they'll be hearing.

Personally I'd be unbearable nice to them whenever you see them in the hall as this will really get on their nerves.
 
orderoftheflame said:
Problem solved:

hello-kitty-comic-pop-dot-headphones-from-coloud.jpg


Alternatively, if you're playing your music loud enough to disturb him, just turn it down?
Click to expand...

Funnily enough those are the same ones I use.

I would rather avoid escalating things. At the end of the day like you say he can't do anything if I don't go past 11 and it's not excessive before. I own the place so he can't pressure a landlord or anything. But I want to relax in my own place and not have any tension.

I like your suggestion metbandit1. I might invite them over.
 
This will ultimately lead to who has the biggest speakers and sub. If I were you I'd start looking now.
 
Ask if you can go round into his flat and hear the music for yourself to see how loud it is, if it is indeed loud then show some consideration and lower the volume.
 
[TW]Fox;21193323 said:
Surely when you live in a block of flats you need to be mindful of the fact everyone else is quite close which means however much you might like doing X, Y or Z its perhaps incompatible with where you live?
Click to expand...

Do you mean me or them? I am really mindful of what I do.

Bennie-Mac I do usually turn it down when they thump. I also use headphones most of the time. But this is my space too and it's about compromise surely?
 
I guess this is the trouble on here. If I go in the kitchen and turn on the tap I can't hear my music.

There is no way it can be filling their space with sound.
 
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