If I keep complaining noisy neighbours will get better won't they...?

[Chips1999]

I'm really annoyed with our neighbours, we live in a ground floor flat and they are on the second floor flat, all I could hear yesterday evening and this evening is banging from their two children running around.

The neighbours on the first floor are elderly and really upset about the noise and have complained on several occasions.

I went upstairs this evening at 9pm and had to knock on the door twice before they answered and the lady had such an attitude - literally shrugging her shoulders at me when I explained that it was too noisy and I shouldn't be able to hear them from the top floor when I'm on the bottom floor. Apparently they were jumping around chasing a ball

If I keep going up to complain each time they will eventually be trained into being nicer neighbours won't they...? Hopeful!

We had noisy upstairs neighbours in our last flat - teenage boy with a single parent working night shifts who played very loud music and had parties and each time I knocked on the door he was embarrassed, apologised and turned the music down. We also had noisy neighbours opposite, loud music and lots of friends making noise and getting stoned on the balcony. Again we knocked on the door several times and they apologised and turned the music down.

I just can't believe the current neighbours attitude and she didn't look embarrassed or apologise at all. Not sure what to make of her!

Two different blocks of flats, this is the first problem we have had living here.

If I keep knocking on the door they will get fed up of me and hopefully think twice about the noise levels won't they...?

[YoungAndConfused22]

By the sounds of her blaise attitutide to it it doesn't sound like keeping at it will really help. Maybe something more shocking like making a noise complaint will make them see your serious ? Hope you get some sleep

[my2centsis]

God op sounds like you are having a bad run! Your poor neighbours in the middle!

By her attitude I don't think you will be able to 'train' them into nice neighbours at all, I feel it would be more likely they will become now noisier of anything.

Could you (and other neighbours) complain to the landlord instead? Maybe getting told off by 'someone more important' may work?

Fingers crossed for you

[Chips1999]

I did think about complaining officially but the noisy family own the flat, the neighbours in the middle are council tenants. I wonder if I could complain to the management company instead?

I think I will try to have a chat to the husband when I see him in the car park as he always says hello. The wife does always seem offhand. I think she didn't believe that the noise was coming through to our flat. Maybe she should come and stand in our living room!

I've asked DH to go up if there's any banging around tonight, he's got a more authoritative tone of voice than I have

I was just so shocked that she didn't seem to believe me or seem apologetic etc. After our previous experiences the other noisy neighbours were absolutely fine and although we had to knock on the door several times there was never any bad feeling. I know I'm stereotyping but I'd have thought a mum of two children who owns the flat would be easier to speak to than pot smoking council tenants/teenage boy etc.!

[ChocLover2015]

Children run about. It is what they do.

[Littlefish]

Is there anything in the management information about the type of flooring the flats are allowed to have? Are the noisy neighbours adhering to those rules? If they've got wooden floors then the noise carry is likely to be bad and won't improve unless they out down rugs or carpet with thick underlay.

[Iggly]

If you live in a flag with children you don't take the piss. If they want to chase a ball, then go outside.

I have two kids and live in a flat. They run about but only in the day and I keep them to carpeted areas. No ball games though. And no running or jumping early morning or after 6pm. Our neighbours also have children of the same age - I don't feel so bad as theirs are running about all the time.

[Chips1999]

ChocLover yes I know kids run about, I have two myself but they shouldn't be running around, jumping and chasing balls indoors all evening making so much noise that they can be heard through two floors and certainly not at 9pm!

I don't mind being able to hear the neighbours, and general day to day noise but this is too much.

From what I can tell they have carpets (could only see their hallway and the children's bedroom flooring) rather than wooden floors thank goodness!

I will try speaking to the husband and also check with the first floor neighbours if they've complained again recently. I'm determined to get this sorted out as we will be living here for at least another year as I'm on maternity leave at the moment.

If I get no joy I might phone or email the management company to check about any rules regarding noise. Don't really want to go down that route though!

[Jollyphonics]

It's tricky OP. I have 2 boys and there is no way I could stop them from running about. They have masses of energy, and they can't be outside all the time as often it's raining, or I've got things to do and therefore can't take them to the park. They're too young to go without me.

Having said that, I don't let them run about before 8am, and they're in bed at 7pm, so evenings at least are quiet. We don't live in a flat, but we are an end terrace so I know the neighbours hear them sometimes. No one has ever complained but if they did I'd be mortified, although I'd struggle to keep the kids quieter.

[FishWithABicycle]

You won't change anyone's personality by complaining. She doesn't care and your complaint is nit going t make her care. I don't think you'll stop this unless they are breaking a specific rule in the management company's terms - check with them whether there is a rule about noise - or if you get the council's environmental health people to rule that they are causing unreasonable noise and issue an enforceable order.

Nothing will change from informally speaking to them about it, but you do have to go through the motions of doing so before starting formal proceedings.

[cansu]

If the only noise you have to complain about is their children running around there is no way a council is going to take any action as it will de deemed as everyday family noise. I think going up everytime could be a mistake.

[cansu]

Children running around for an hour or so eearly evening is hardly the end of the world.

[SlaggyIsland]

We had this in our old place, Chips, and it's a nightmare. Upstairs neighbour had laminate (should be banned in flats!!!) and had her young son over every second weekend or so. Never took him out so he ran around constantly in the flat till quite late evening. Also had her teenage daughters over who would absolutely blare music to the point we couldn't hear our own tv. And on a couple of occasions, loud drunken parties with beer bottles and fag butts left outside.
We did make her aware, she was hostile and defensive.
We moved to a detached house.

[Cornonthecob]

I sympathise. As soon as we realised our bedroom was below the upstairs open plan living we had soundproofing on our ceiling installed, money well spent! Unfortunately most properties have noise issues, even in detached houses you may hear each other...

If it's so bad call the council noise control people who will take noise readings and possibly help you uhm train your neighbours children!!

Good luck!

[Chips1999]

A detached house sounds lovely at the moment

Cansu I didn't mean go up every time there's noise (although I think I'd shed my baby weight very fast that way ), just in the evenings if it's been going on non-stop for over an hour like last night. It's not the end of the world I agree, but I don't think it's fair that I can't relax and watch an hours tv in my own home either.

I wouldn't complain about day to day noise e.g. when I'm woken up at 6am by the neighbours children crying as that's normal family life noise, and I'm sure our neighbours must hear us at times although the first floor neighbours insist they never hear us!

It's a really nice block of flats, in fact the whole cul-de-sac is very friendly. Another neighbour going past my kitchen window this morning asked if DH wanted a lift to the train station as she knows I have a new baby and usually give DH a lift. Another neighbour was on standby for driving me to hospital if I went I to labour. Because of the lay out of the flats only is and the first floor neighbours are affected by the noisy second floor neighbours.