neighbour parties- what's reasonable?

[LondonKiwiMummy]

please tell me if I'm about to BU.

we live next to 5 sharers. over the year they've been there, they've had quite a few parties. the parties drive us mad, as they often finish about 3 or 4 am.

for example, they had a party last summer from noon til very late and some guests threw beer bottles and rubbish into our garden. we had a quiet word to them the next day and the girls seemed really mortified, so we didn't report them to their landlord as we had been planning to. we invested in silicon earplugs which helped quite a bit.

2 new sharers moved in last month and the party schedule has ramped up. now we have mid week drunken singalongs to listen to (we also heard one flatmate screaming at the singers to get the f**k out of her house).

last night, one of the new flatmates popped over to say it was his birthday and he'd be having a few mates over. they started music at 830 and finished around 345-4am singing in the garden. dh asked them to turn the music off at 1, and they turned it down for a while but turned it back up at 2.

how many parties is too much, and what time in the evening/morning can you legitimately complain about noise? i've fallen out with neighbours before, and I know how awkward it can be which is why I've taken so long to think about making a formal complaint.

I'm about to call their landlord and complain... but my younger colleagues at work have told me before that I'm being unfair and "people have parties". fair enough - what's the line? please give me some guidance!

[GabiSolis]

How often is it happening? Every week is too much. Once a month I could live with.

[TitClash]

Midweek is out of line as people have to work. More than once a month and after 3am and I'd say something.
Pubs and clubs are open late, I think its selfish.

[LondonKiwiMummy]

It varies. Can be two in quick succession, and then nothing for a month or so. Now seems to be getting on for once a week.

[Narp]

If you look on your local Council website under Anti-social behaviour/noise nuisance, it will give guidance as to what the Council considers unreasonable. You may well find that it's much less lenient than you expect.

FWIW, I think they are behaving completely unreasonable and you are in a good position to complain about it to the Council and their landlord.

I think if you canvassed opinion amongst your other neighbours they'd also agree - it might be a good idea to do this.

[CombineBananaFister]

I realise I'm in the minority with this but I think if you want to sing until 3:45am go to a club or buy a detatched house.

Maybe as a one-off so birthdays, anniversarys or celebrations 4-5 times a year would be okay to me? Plus I'd always let my neighbours know as a courtesey.

I also hate that anything goes at the weekend because no-ones at work?!? Its still rude to be that loud during normal sleeping hours and obviously a LOT of people work weekends.
I am really intolerant with noise though so a bit of a miserable fecker about it. I do think you'd be within your rights to have a word with landlord if its weekly.

[Narp]

The thing is about noise that you have no control over it - it's very irregularity is what makes it stressful to live with. So I think once a month is too much, if you have no warning and they ignore you when you complain

[Narp]

Also (I'm on a roll) - your young colleagues are probably also selfish. If you live amongst people who keep normal hours and are a range of ages, you just don't behave like that

[LondonKiwiMummy]

Thanks, I'd forgotten complaining to the Council. I might point out to the landlord what a shame it would be if we had to go down that route.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

I thought 11pm you could complain about the noise and loud garden singing I reckon more than once a year decade is too often!

Sounds like its a weekly occurrence for you and I would contact the council and landlord. The landlord is unlikely to be able to do anything as they will have a tenancy agreement so he can't kick them out. The most landlord can do is not renew the contract but firstly they probably don't care and secondly if they're paying the rent the landlord may not care.

[Narp]

Good luck.

My friend had very similar neighbour who would go out and come back late with friends in tow- loud music. talking, singing. Then parties many weekends that would go through from one afternoon to the next morning.

He was not amenable to reason and she finally got him out with help of the Council and then the police (he threatened her). Getting the other neighbours involved lent support to her case.

I hope your neighbours are more reasonable

[cece]

I think once or twice a year for special occasions fine. With advanced warning to neighbours. Any more than that and I would not be happy. I also think music and noise should be turned down/switched off at midnight.

I would have complained after the first 3am party!