Noisy kids keeping DD awake - advice pls

[Rosesandteashops]

My (adult) DD has asked for advice and I said I'd post for her. She and her friend moved into a flat in London at the end of July. The neighbours downstairs have two dch ( approx 18 months and 3yrs) that scream and shout from 5am until they all leave the house at 8.30am. Sometimes the parents are shouting too. It's driving both DD and her friend "insane". She says it's unreasonable noise, not just kids playing. DD works hard, is on her feet all day and then studying for a qualification. They've tried earplugs but the screaming still wakes them. Her friend wants to write a letter, but I wonder if they should knock and speak to them. What do you think? TIA

Will be interested in replies but I do also think noise in flats is part and parcel in London.

I had a bit of a shock myself moving to London having grown up in a detached house. I’ve lived in a flat and a semi detached house in London in my adult life and both have noise from neighbours which drives me mad sometimes too (not at 5am though) but worth it for me to live in London

sorry not to be of
more help

ps is she renting or did she buy? If the former I think I’d just move and try my luck in another block

Yikes - this sounds awful. I lived in a flat in London with my first and the sound proofing between floors was pretty good, which was fortunate because he had a phase (several months) of waking at 5am and howling (he as tired but you couldn’t get him bk to sleep for love nor money) for about 30-45 mins before he settled down and had some breakfast. Obviously we never shouted back at him but it was horrendous. These days we have 2 and if they are both up (rarely both before 6:30, fortunately) there’s lots of commotion but we live in a detached house.

They could write a note but to be honest, surely if these people could keep there kids quiet that early they would? No one wants a racket at 5am. The flats need to be insulated better, that’s the solution.

Sorry / just to add. Speaking to them won’t help because of they are decent people w
they will be incredibly stressed and worried about the noise and if they aren’t decent people they won’t care.

I’d do an anonymous note asking that they keep the noise down and look at sound proofing. Polite but to the point.

Thank you. It's a good point that if they could do something they would do it. No one wants chaos.
It's rented ( and costs a bomb!)
I did ask her about soundproofing but she said they have carpets.

If it’s a Victorian conversion or something they’re typically awful soundproofing

i am not sure what a note will achieve - If they’re that loud I doubt any cheap sound proofing options will work that well.

Mornings will get darker soon so the kids may not rise so early?

I also agree with this para whole heartedly from @Icanttakethisanymore “Speaking to them won’t help because of they are decent people w
they will be incredibly stressed and worried about the noise and if they aren’t decent people they won’t care.”

if you google noise in the uk the % of people living with stressful residential noise is quite high!

If it’s a Victorian conversion or something they’re typically awful soundproofing

yep! The answer is to drop the ceilings and isolate the floors above from the ceilings below. It’s the only thing that works. We’ve just spent hundreds of pounds on super acoustic underlay for our floors in a Victorian conversion because it’s loud downstairs… it helps but doesn’t solve the problem. In our flat in London when they converted the building they dropped each ceiling 30cm and you hear almost nothing between floors. Obviously not something your DD can do. I’m afraid she’ll have to move if it’s that bad.

Thank you. They are renting. DH thinks a note to the landlord. I suppose it can't hurt. What do you think?