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AIBU?

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AIBU to snap at neighbours who keep complaining about normal noise?

38 replies

Lilacmclovely · 26/08/2026 13:41

We live next to a very sensitive neighbour. Unfortunately when our house was renovated for my son’s needs the council were inconsiderate regarding noise , this has now set the tone.
We know this caused alot of stress for them and we apologised but now they are taking it out on us.
They “OWN our property” therefore according to them they can do what they want in their own home. We are just council trash ( they’ve slagged us off to the whole street) we’re actually very nice people.
They complained to our council about our lift being noisy but unfortunately for them when they reported it the lift was actually broken, so y lie?
They complain about our dog who barks when someone comes home for about 8 seconds( yes we’ve counted). They complain if my teenage son plays music at….. wait for it….8pm.
They don’t seem to understand that there is give and take to living Nextdoor to someone.
We hear a lot of screaming, crying and tantrums from their garden but we just shut the door and carry on our day.
Each time they’ve had a baby we go through the controlled crying with them ( they have four children). Her husband shouts and shoots an air gun we get their deliveries for them. Their kids even threw sweets wrappers over our fence and our dog had to go to the vet! Not once have we said a thing, we’ve just ignored it.
Today I pull up with a few bags of shopping and my dog barks no more than 10 seconds and she’s screaming out of her window, swearing.
I snapped this time. I know she has anxiety, I know she’s struggling with her children but there’s a line and I’m not being bullied anymore. So I shouted back ( no swearing because she may swear in front of her children but I’m not going too) and told her to shut her kids up then.
I’m trying to be kind but I really think they have no idea how loud they actually are themselves.

OP posts:
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WecanbeheroeslikeBowie · 02/09/2026 12:40

I would probably be in a lot of trouble with the police if I lived next door to this shit show like you.
Own their own home and their point is? Doing things the right way, so I'm told by h, and def not Bowies preferred way. 😐Would be logging incidents, calling the police if feeling threatened, reporting the air gun if twat face is showing off in front of people and looking at a desist harrassing letter form solicitor.

Mistachio · 02/09/2026 09:40

Stick a note through her door:

“The ‘nuisance’ noise you complain about would be classed as normal household noise should you choose to report it. In fact I urge you to report it.
In the meantime I do not want to hear any more complaints from you. Just to remind you, (outline all the times they’ve been PITAs here) so you’re hardly dream neighbours yourselves.

Do bear in mind that should you choose to report us, if you ever sell your house you will be obliged by law to disclose any neighbour disputes. Should you take the risk of NOT disclosing, you can be assured that we most certainly would.”

WildLeader · 02/09/2026 09:28

BigAnne · 27/08/2026 21:14

If the op sells her property she would also have to declare any dispute involving the authorities despite her not being the one to make the complaint.

And what if she doesn’t…

people lie ALL THE TIME!

our neighbours lied when they sold their home.

WildLeader · 02/09/2026 09:26

Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 15:51

16 seconds of barking in a 24 hour period, that’s excessive! R u winding me up 😊

The dog barking IS HIS JOB!

8s is fine. Ignore and tell her you’re not being bullied anymore and that you too can complain about her noise too, but you don’t.

tell her that you put up with her household behaviour because it’s live and let live, she owes you the same courtesy

stand up for yourself

at the end of the day, your occupation of that home is as permanent as hers. That house is yours for as long as you want it to be. She is no better than you.

i fucking hate bullies

Keymoment · 28/08/2026 19:40

Well, the dog barking is annoying. That’s pretty unreasonable of you. 8pm for music - depends how loud. If they can hear it, it’s obviously too loud. The rest, not so much. Don’t take in their parcels though if you don’t want to.

Aiming4Optimistic · 28/08/2026 19:33

Why are you taking in their parcels when they've thrown rubbish in your garden, damaged your fence and whine all the time?
Yabu for not telling them to fuck off earlier!

GoldenGail · 28/08/2026 18:57

Holeymoley28 · 27/08/2026 19:38

Perfectly legal to own without a license so what would you be reporting for?

Legal to own but not shoot in a residential area

PyongyangKipperbang · 27/08/2026 23:32

BigAnne · 27/08/2026 21:14

If the op sells her property she would also have to declare any dispute involving the authorities despite her not being the one to make the complaint.

Except that the OP doesnt own her property, she rents from her LA which is one of the reasons that her neighbour hates her. Its in the OP.

MDDR · 27/08/2026 21:57

Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 19:48

For what ?

What do you mean?

They could report you for the noise but they'd then need to declare a dispute if/when they try sell.

Bufftailed · 27/08/2026 21:54

Sounds annoying as anything. Hopefully she stops now

Lotsofsnacks · 27/08/2026 21:24

BigAnne · 27/08/2026 21:14

If the op sells her property she would also have to declare any dispute involving the authorities despite her not being the one to make the complaint.

OP doesn’t own the property, so it doesn’t matter, it affects the neighbours who do, more

AndImVictoriaMalcolm · 27/08/2026 21:20

I think you need to keep a diary of their noise and anti social behaviour. I don’t mean kids crying, I mean the screaming and swearing (for any reason, at anyone so long as you and your family can hear it), rubbish being chucked into your garden etc, the air gun, the name calling, the false complaints. Did you say you take in parcels for them? Did I read that correctly? If so stop doing that. No more engagement, no more excuses for this behaviour from them. By the sounds of it, if anyone’s “trash” it’s them. Ugh.

BigAnne · 27/08/2026 21:14

PyongyangKipperbang · 27/08/2026 20:42

Legally if they want to sell they have to declare any issues with the neighbours (that involve the council, legal issues etc, not disagreements over where you put the bins!) and that can and does put off potential buyers who wonder if you are nightmare neighbours. Tbh it doesnt sound like you are, they sound like arseholes, but the point is that reporting will affect them far more than you.

If the op sells her property she would also have to declare any dispute involving the authorities despite her not being the one to make the complaint.

Chefpig · 27/08/2026 21:10

Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 19:39

My elderly dog barks twice a day, Once for about 8 seconds when my son comes home from college and again at 6pm when my husband gets home. Sometimes he does neither because he’s going deaf and sleeps all day. It’s not about the dog anyway. It never has been. They’re very unhappy people and we just arent. They witness love, fun and happiness and I think generally they’re just not very fulfilled people. Which I feel sorry for but it’s not my responsibility and I’m not apologising anymore.

Edited

Ahh I wish you were my neighbours. Mine are nightmares with their dog barking so frequently. Yours doesn't bark much at all. Twice a day I could live with happily.

PyongyangKipperbang · 27/08/2026 20:42

Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 19:48

For what ?

Legally if they want to sell they have to declare any issues with the neighbours (that involve the council, legal issues etc, not disagreements over where you put the bins!) and that can and does put off potential buyers who wonder if you are nightmare neighbours. Tbh it doesnt sound like you are, they sound like arseholes, but the point is that reporting will affect them far more than you.

Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 19:48

MDDR · 27/08/2026 19:43

I'd let them know to report you. But, if they do, it's only their house they'd devalue as they'd need to declare it, and they own the house after all.

For what ?

OP posts:
Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 19:47

Winederlust · 27/08/2026 19:42

I've recently made a noise complaint about a neighbour (not dog related) and have got a noise diary form from the council. It specifically says that a dog barking for a few moments when someone is at the door or similar wouldn't be considered a nuisance.
Annoying, yes. A nuisance, no.

It’s give and take though isn’t it. I find the children screaming and tantrums very excessive but we except children make noise. We’ve had litter thrown in the garden, our fence kicked in, spitting over the fence. But my dog barking occasionally for seconds deserves abuse. It’s all very odd

OP posts:
MDDR · 27/08/2026 19:43

I'd let them know to report you. But, if they do, it's only their house they'd devalue as they'd need to declare it, and they own the house after all.

Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 19:43

Holeymoley28 · 27/08/2026 19:39

Sounds like you both annoy each other.

Not surprised you snapped back.

Yes it’s all very pathetic I suppose. We do ignore it mostly. But there’s a line between being understanding and being a door mat

OP posts:
Winederlust · 27/08/2026 19:42

BoxOfCats · 27/08/2026 08:44

While it does sound like they’ve got their backs up, the dog noise does sound a bit excessive.

I've recently made a noise complaint about a neighbour (not dog related) and have got a noise diary form from the council. It specifically says that a dog barking for a few moments when someone is at the door or similar wouldn't be considered a nuisance.
Annoying, yes. A nuisance, no.

Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 19:39

Chefpig · 27/08/2026 19:26

How often does your dog bark? I have one of these barking every 5 to ten mins from 9am to 10pm. It gets very wearing because it's so frequent.

My elderly dog barks twice a day, Once for about 8 seconds when my son comes home from college and again at 6pm when my husband gets home. Sometimes he does neither because he’s going deaf and sleeps all day. It’s not about the dog anyway. It never has been. They’re very unhappy people and we just arent. They witness love, fun and happiness and I think generally they’re just not very fulfilled people. Which I feel sorry for but it’s not my responsibility and I’m not apologising anymore.

OP posts:
Holeymoley28 · 27/08/2026 19:39

Sounds like you both annoy each other.

Not surprised you snapped back.

Holeymoley28 · 27/08/2026 19:38

Gardenisablooming · 26/08/2026 14:21

Well I'd be reporting his air gun. .
But also block your ddg from the window if he is barking regularly..8 seconds regularly is annoying..

Perfectly legal to own without a license so what would you be reporting for?

Lilacmclovely · 27/08/2026 19:35

Knickerstoya · 27/08/2026 19:29

8 seconds of barking is too long.

put a timer on. That’s a long time for a dog to bark.

ans I say that as a dog owner.

It’s a deep breath, try it. There are 86400 seconds in a day. My dog barks 16. It’s a normal amount for sure. My old neighbours dog used howl and bark for four hours or continuously until 3am.

OP posts:
Knickerstoya · 27/08/2026 19:29

8 seconds of barking is too long.

put a timer on. That’s a long time for a dog to bark.

ans I say that as a dog owner.