Help, just moved, major problems here

[TopazQuartz]

Hi everyone

I posted recently asking if anyone else was sensitive to base sound, subwoofers, etc. I've just moved and the last 5 weeks have been horrendous. I've given it enough time to settle and see if it's constant. Unfortunately it is.

The last straw was this morning at 5am when both me and my son woke to a neighbour playing guitar. My son has slept through a lot of the vibration that affects me, but twice he's said the 'bed is shaking.'

We were moved here partly due to my chronic health problems, one of which is a condition which causes muscle weakness and fatigue. But the problem is that where we were before was better. There is almost constant noise and vibration here and every morning when I wake I can tell my body was trying to go into a deep sleep but failed.

I know moving into a housing association house is a good thing, we were private rent before, but it's honestly worse here. I will have to see what I can do about this next week but I wondered if anyone had any advice. Environmental health won't do very much, I know that from previous experience. I would have to pay for a private assessment for the vibration as EH equipment only pick up sound, not vibration. I've spoken to some companies and they've told me they can record the problem for proof, it'll cost me around £500.

What I'm scared of (and I don't want to sound any way ungrateful for the property I've been given which is lovely otherwise) is that now I'm in housing association, I'm trapped. I'm no longer on the council housing register (am I right? as I'm suitably housed?). Can I talk to the council and explain the problems? Can I ask if there were problems here before and that's why the previous people moved?

I know it's easy to feel sceptical about this but please can anyone reading give me the benefit of the doubt. This is really happening, I don't really feel life is worth living now as I can't see anyway out of this (I am not suicidal and would not leave my son or family but I feel there's no point), I also know that environmental health can't or won't do a lot and I'll lose loads more of my life to this problem.

My ex partner is coming to stay soon but sadly he's not looking forward to it. I need him to come and verify (be a witness) that it's all going on.

Does anyone know what my options are with the council? Or is it move out, lose my place on social housing, etc.

Thanks for listening :-(

No-one’s going to come and save you from this unfortunately. You’re housed, that’s the state’s job done. You can talk to the neighbours about the 5am noise but that’s about it.

OriginalUsername2

I know what you mean and I am grateful for being housed, it's just trying to see if there's anything I can do about it. I'm particularly worried now my son has started to complain, his health and learning etc.

I'm just wondering if there's anything I can do. All the while I was waiting for a property a man in my community who has no children was moved 4 times, despite (from everything he said) being suitably housed. I don't begrudge him, he's a nice person and I don't know the details, but it makes me wonder if the council do still listen if there's a problem. Part of what's sending me into a downward spiral into depression is that I think there's nothing I can do.

The only thing that comes to mind is the possibility of exchange. But wondered if there were any other avenues.

Contact your MP. Contact Anti Social Behaviour dept at the council.. The police told us the council must deal with noise issues...

Are you able to sound proof as much as possible? Wear ear plugs?

Can you go online and get a house swap?

Have you spoken to the neighbour that is causing the noise and asked them politely not to do it, particularly at night?

This is awful. I moved from two lots of horrible noisy neighbors and it's taken ages for my health to recover.

It's good that you are renting. Is the person making the noise also renting? If so that's good news! Complain everywhere including the housing association, your MP, the noise abatement team. Remind everyone you are entitled to quiet enjoyment of your home. I would also push it to say if it's doesn't stop you want to be re housed.

I just don't understand people being like this.

In my city noise abatement were useless but they might work for you.

Thanks. I don't think anyone is being particularly anti social, I think there's a major structural problem with the building. It's like everything is vibrating through to our property.

I don't think people change their behaviour sadly. They can be asked to turn stuff down etc, but it will go up again later. If they are being anti social it's probably the use of subwoofers, home cinema systems, etc that are not designed for these types of buildings, at least at the level they are using them. But I don't see they would stop.

I'll talk to my MP for what it's worth.

I'll also ask environmental health to come out and witness this before talking to the neighbours. No point once they've informed the neighbours as then people turn everything down, then there's no proof and then you are the crazy one. I'd rather they came out, were sure it's all happening and then we decide what action to take. I don't want to get the neighbours in trouble unnecessarily, just have to be believed first that's all.

Thanks, it's knowing where to start. The building is a big problem, the vibrations come up through the floor and I'm ground floor! It's obvious they are coming from the neighbouring property (or the one next to them even, as it can travel). I will try and talk about it but I think people generally don't change and a big part of the problem here is there's so much noise and vibration leakage into my property that where would we start. Everything they are doing is impinging on the party wall and my property. So a lot of this is building structure unfortunately. But I will ask if people could consider turning down subwoofers, surround sound systems, etc, even if for a short while, see if it makes a difference.

TRexTara, thanks, I don't think we can yet as we've only just moved in the last 2 months. I think we have to wait a year? I'm not sure, will have to look into it. My mood has gone through the floor unfortunately, a friend's lovely dog died this week, my expartner and best friend has drifted off during the lockdowns, he knows I'm really low about this but isn't calling and we live a distance apart so that doesn't help. Everything seems wrong, just holding it together for my son atm.

the thought of being able to eventually house swap offers a glimmer of light..

Speak to the person who manages the properties at the housing association. Playing guitar at 5 a.m is really not acceptable. You need to make them aware of who it is and how loud it is too, they might ask you to keep a diary of when the noise starts. Don't be too dismissive of what might happen if you complain, there are things that they can do, and they have a responsibility to actually manage the tenant and the property,they might just start by visiting and having a conversation about being considerate, but they can do other things as well if the noise carries on.

Not really kind to the person she will be swapping with?!!

Yes, don't lose hope. You will feel better if you are doing something about it. If other people have also complained the other tenant might be moved out.

Thanks user1471538283

I don't know if the others are renting, I suppose the housing association will know though. I will complain everywhere, it's just that from experience in the past (and what others have said), nothing happens and you end up in an exhausting battle leading nowhere.

I just want to get away from here as quick as possible. It's a shame as it's a lovely place apart from this.

I hear you, but different people react differently and if this has been a problem for the previous tenants then I want to know about that (for that reason).

I'm wondering if I can make a freedom of information request for that info. Wondering how much is covered up in all these things.

Is it a sound and vibration problem or just the vibrations? Your first discussion needs to be with the housing association, it’s sounds like you think a number of other households are adding to the issue. Are you able to tell which property it is coming from? You need to have as much information as you can when you speak to them otherwise they will fob you off, saying there’s nothing they can do

BTW, I am a retired local authority housing officer and we did take complaints seriously. No one wants tenants to be unhappy due to bad behaviour, you are entitled to enjoy living in your home, no one wants the situation to escalate so nipping it in the bud is what we aimed for. If others are also effected there will be multiple complaints/requests to move and other issues. And constantly moving tenants is bad for lots of reasons.

I feel for you OP its awful being jerked awake from almost falling in a deep sleep. In the meantime, try playing pink noise on your phone/laptop. It drowns out external noises and really does help you sleep deeply.

Could there be any benefit to you putting anti-vibration matting or feet (usually sold for washing machines) under your bed? It may depend on what point of contact the bed has with the floor and wall.

Contact the council and/or housing association. They have recording equipment that they can leave in your home to record sound levels and take it further.

the housing association will have a responsibility to ensure that their tenants ‘behave’.

Speak to your tenancy officer. Playing guitar at 5am and the neighbours being able to hear it is pretty unreasonable. Same with the music if it's loud and late at night or early. The neighbour needs to consider his other neighbours.

The problem you've got is the bar for acceptable behaviour in HA property is very low. Eviction is an absolute last resort because these people are effectively going to be on the streets. Police don't want o be called out for what amounts to a minor disturbance and it won't be good for your neighbourly relations OP, but that's the evidence the HA will want of this antisocial behaviour, to do anything. Your ex's opinion will count for nothing. The private recording may help, but you'd have to show it was consistent over a long period of time and not a one off. How many thousands is that going to cost? If you're going to spend that much money for an uncertain result you may as well just move out and rent privately.

I know this doesn't help you but it could be worse. The noise is people going about their lives as opposed to people deliberately targeting you for bullying. You're not being harassed and beaten up for drug money. Your property isn't uninhabitable through serious damp issues. It's not filled with weed smoke.

You've got to live somewhere. If you can't buy, can't private rent, aren't a traveller, then what other options are there? Can you move abroad? Obviously that's a long term plan, if it's possible at all. Can you get a job with accommodation? Otherwise you're looking at waiting a year and going on the exchange list. That won't necessarily solve the problems, you could move out of the frying pan into the fire. People exchange for a reason, not all the reasons are good. You yourself would be moving to get away from nuisance neighbours.

Realistically, if you're stuck here you'll have to find a way to make it work. Antidepressants if that's what you need to cope. Sleeping pills, you can get various kinds OTC. Soundproofing the flat/bedroom. Professional soundproofing of walls etc like for a music studio? Heavy duty underlay and thick carpets? Rubber mats, like for cow sheds and horse stables to dull vibration? Adjust your sleeping patterns (if you don't work) to fit in better with the neighbors quiet times? Getting a different job that takes you out of the home during noisy times? Having alternative places to go when you're getting stressed eg library, park, visit friends, hobbies etc? Ideally home is your place to relax in, but unfortunately that's not everyone's reality, and you have to either work with what you've got or somehow change your life.

The man you know who moved could have either had health issues you didn't know about necessitating a move, he could have exchanged, if the only reason you know he's moved is because he told you it could be that he's lying, or he could have been got jobs in different areas and moved to the new area after years on the waiting list there. He may be less fussy than you and accept properties you'd not touch with a bargepole. I know someone who lives in a private rental one bed house with a mould problem, because in her eyes anything is better than a flat and being surrounded by neighbors. Some accept run down HA property and pay out to fix it up themselves or do the renovation DIY. Someone I know lives surrounded by many weed smokers despite not smoking herself, you don't even have to enter the block to smell it it's that bad! She says at least stoners are no bother, too dopey to hassle you or be bullies usually.

I'm sorry for your situation. It is shit. There are nicer properties, nicer neighbors etc but they're a minority. And a lot of it is pot luck. It only takes one bad neighbor to feel like there's a problem. If you live in a block of flats or on an estate the chances of you coming across a bad neighbor increases just because you're surrounded by more people. Are your neighbors actually selfish/antisocial or is it that the homes are poorly built/soundproofed? Of course, it could be both! You have a DC, so you're unlikely to get housed anywhere the HA have unofficially set aside as really quiet and peaceful anyway because DC have a tendency to be noisy by default, just by virtue of being a toddler/teenager etc. I'm not sure there are any particularly quiet ages with DC. When DC leaves home and you're older you'd be able to apply for an age restricted/sheltered housing property if your health deteriorates and you're no longer adequately housed. Or you could swap with someone who is already in such a property but who is willing to move to an ordinary property just because eg they want to move area to be closer to family. At the moment, you're adequately housed and your problems aren't cause to move you, in official eyes. So you can't bid on properties any more.

Think you need to be in a year before a swap can be allowed

@Beeonmyeyelash that isn't strictly true. As I said I am a retired housing officer. There has to be more than 1 occasion of noise but if there is constant noise nuisance then there are measures the HA can take. They can, and do, evict nuisance neighbours { I've done it}, they can evict people who have no where else to go, we did move tenants who had been the innocent party in this. It does take time,they will need evidence, the HA will often start small by visiting and saying there have been complaints and if there are more then a notice etc could be served. There is no need for the OP to put up with nuisance , and most HAs understand that playing guitar at 5 a.m isn't acceptable.
The *OP, should also check if Environmental Health can visit and check on the nuisance, she should contact them in office hours to find out what they can do. I know tenants who have had their stereos confiscated for example and legal remedies put in place so they can't play music at all.
She should not just give up the tenancy , because getting another will be harder in future.

A quick call to the housing association would solve this

No need to call in env health or other 'specialists'!

Just call up... they will address it if he's a fellow tenant!