Letter from HA about loud music?

Definitely.

Dogs can be trained so they do not bark at every person up the street or leaf that blows. (i hope my neighbours are reading)

They can. But that would take some effort from the owner.

Nobody has suggested that you must sit in silence, so there’s no need for the exaggerated comments about cutting out tongues or holding silent discos. Children playing, a dog occasionally barking and music with a kitchen door open can all be ordinary household noise. The issue is the volume, frequency, duration and effect on other people, particularly the repetitive bass from music, which can travel through walls and make it impossible for neighbours to escape in their own homes.

You acknowledge that music shouldn’t be played at full blast or early in the morning and late at night, so you clearly accept that personal enjoyment has limits when it affects other people. Where exactly do you think that limit should be during the day? If your neighbours could clearly hear your music and told you it was disturbing them, would you turn it down or close the door? Would their discomfort matter to you, even if you personally considered the volume reasonable?

Those are genuine questions. I’m interested in whether you consider the effect of your choices on other people, or whether you believe neighbours should simply tolerate whatever noise you decide is “normal.” Empathy means recognising that something harmless or enjoyable to you can still cause genuine distress to somebody else.

shouting, shrieking etc, listening to dogs is acceptable

No it's not, kids shrieking at the tops of their voices isn't acceptable.

you're being unreasonable. kids can play quietly without shrieking or screaming.

We can all enjoy music at low volume or on headphones.

Dogs can be trained so they do not bark at every person up the street or leaf that blows. (i hope my neighbours are reading).

There’s no excuse for rowdy behaviour.

No-one wants to listen to your music.

It is antisocial to choose to do something that adversely effects others.

This should be easy to understand.

97% of people on here disagree with you.

Loud music is not everyday noise. Neither is dog continually barking. Shouting outside is not normal either.

So having to listen to kids playing is acceptable, laughing, shouting, shrieking etc, listening to dogs is acceptable but having the radio or whatever on in your kitchen and the door open is not? So we are supposed to sit in silence?

Explicit lyrics is def not ok, neither is full blast or playing early morning and late at night.

Only on MN is it ASBO behaviour to play music. Have just informed the kids, silent discos only when we move and I am cutting out theirs and the dogs tongues in case we offend anyone 😆. Not that my dog barks, only to alert and chasing crows....but still.

Hopefully my neighbours are a bit more normal and accept daily normal noise.

Don’t do it. Use earphones.

You know why you weren't approached? Because people who are antisocial enough to play loud music with offensive lyrics in a terraced garden generally don't take well to a conversation, and if anything, escalate their behaviour.

Stop being inconsiderate with your music and you won't get any more letters. 🙄

The lack of awareness shown by the OP and a few others in this thread is genuinely astonishing. Does it ever cross your mind how other people might feel when they are forced to listen to your music? I’m genuinely interested in how someone can disregard the effect their behaviour has on those around them and their mindset. Does empathy and kindness exist in your character? Again it's a genuine question as I have met sociopaths and narcissists before and it amazes me how they think.

Apart from the occasional summer barbecue, it simply isn’t socially acceptable to play loud, bass-heavy music where it can disturb your neighbours.

I’m fortunate to live in a fairly considerate area now, but when I lived in a London flat in my thirties, the woman below me made my life miserable. She would play bass-heavy music at full volume whenever she came home from work and throughout the weekends. I can still remember the relentless thumping and the anxiety of waiting for it to begin whenever I heard her get home, especially when she returned from a night out at one or two in the morning and played it for another hour.

Eventually, I reported the problem to the council. After receiving a warning, she turned the volume down for a couple of weeks, but it gradually crept back up. I then managed to contact her landlord directly. He was appalled by the effect it was having on my life and within a few weeks he'd evicted her.

Persistent noise can have a serious effect on someone’s wellbeing. Asking people to consider their neighbours isn’t unreasonable, it’s basic empathy and courtesy.

Well, if you're the only one who received it, presumably you're the only one playing loud music? Buy headphones and stop being so antisocial.

I think it's "can't"

Yeah they probably didnt feel comfortable approaching you.
You shouldn't have music blaring in the garden anyway. I like a bit of loud music to get things done when the kids arent about so I wear headphones.

But that's the problem. You didn't think about other people.

I have a similar issue in that we have a neighbour who plays music, but its that drance sort of stuff you hear in ibiza so while they don't play it loud I get the boom, boom , boom and because it has a broken beat and isn't proper songs the tracks go on for ages, its like fucking torture. They play it only in the afternoon thinking they are being considerate but four hours is enough to drive me nuts.

Now I am a big man with a loud mouth...I have deliberately not found out who it is because I don't want to find myself banging on their door and being intimidating so if it were a HA house I too would write to complain.

Inconsiderate twats who talk on speakerphone on public transport give me the rage...

it’s probably better to try and be considerate up front rather than disturb people unless they complain.

And HAs have a duty to ensure their tenants stick to the terms and conditions of their Tenancy Agreement, which the OP wasn’t

Bet you play your music on trains and buses without headphones too. Completely oblivious that people won’t ask you to stop because they don’t want a volley of abuse thrown at them by someone who lacks the integrity to be aware that the world does not orbit around them. Loud music in the garden… in a row of terraced houses????!!!!! How many times did you do this? Clearly not a on off that can be easily forgiven. You must have realised this is not good neighbour behaviour?

They shouldn't. It puts people at risk.

Well clearly you were the one playing loud music hence being the only one to receive a letter.

Not everyone likes speaking to neighbours directly as you don't know how they will react. You say you were unaware your music was loud, but clearly you should be mindful of what it is you listen to and whether the lyrics are appropriate for children - especially as you say you were playing it outside.

The fact you say your boyfriend wanted to turn the music up, shows that until you got this letter you would have been unlikely to stop him and would probably have already had it up louder.

Had the neighbour you think who complained come and spoken to you, or possibly boyfriend, you might have simply laughed and turned the music up louder, playing ruder lyrics.

Hopefully now you will accept you were wrong and neighbours will have nothing to complain about.

Exactly. I once went on holiday with some work colleagues. We were in a flat and one of them kept playing really loud music which would disturb everyone else in the block. When I tried to stop her, she said it was her holiday and she could do what she liked. No thought for anyone else at all.

Of course it is a nuisance. Noone wants to have your music choices imposed on them when they are trying to relax in their garden.