To be upset about neighbour noise?

[noiseworrier]

I live in a semi detached with three dc, husband works away a lot.

The neighbours had frequent gatherings and parties late at night and into the small hours when they first moved in a few months ago. I thought this would stop after novelty wore off, and because is now winter (they were very noisy and would wake the dc as their patio is under the dcs' window, almost). They still have infrequent gatherings late at night, but nothing I have complained about.

They also have a dog, and I was forced to complain about this after almost a week of it being left alone during the day and constantly barking (punctuated by whining) I work from home and couldn't escape from the noise anywhere in the house. We were also woken twice in the middle of the night by the dog barking (when somebody was home).

The dog noise has improved thanks to their landlord, with the knock-on effect of the late night noise improving too.

However, they've just arrived home from the pub, at 11.30 pm , and some men began shrieking (it is a couple mid to late 20s who live there)and roaring a little past midnight onwards.

They woke the dc, the youngest of whom said she was scared. I'm afraid I banged on the wall at this point, but heard laughter in response.

I don't know whether I am being unreasonable or whether my tolerance levels are shot to pieces because of the earlier noise mentioned in past few months and weeks. I'm still a nervous wreck now. I'm constantly monitoring our own noise levels in the house 'in case' they use it to justify their own noise.

I've felt too vulnerable to approach them to ask them to show consideration at night as there are large groups of them (mostly male) usually and they're drinking etc I'm also afraid that I shouldn't have banged on the wall, as this could make things worse.

I might not see their landlord for months now, as he last came to mow their lawn (October ish).

phone the localpolice station to drive pass

email/phone/Write to your council's noise people. Someone will contact them for you - when it happened to us we didn't know who had complained, so you should be anon.

Thank you for replying.

You think it is serious enough to contact the council then and that I am not being unreasonable?
Though they will know it can only be me, as their next door neighbour, who could have complained about them.

I admit that I feel our quality of life is being affected. I'm on edge a lot in the evening as I know there will be another gathering sooner or later. My worry is that they are not regular or predictable - and is human noise (shouting, roaring etc, rarely music). E.g we were expecting a big NYE party, which didn't happen. , just now,on Sunday night, the cars arriving at 11.30pm and their fun starting.

I don't understand why they have no consideration towards the children living in a household.

They might have no consideration because they have no understanding. It's easy to sit listening to noise through a wall believing that the perpetrators are inconsiderate scumbags. I know it feels intimidating, but if you felt that you could knock on the door in the daytime when you're feeling calm and they're in but quiet and explained how the noise affects you, they'd be slightly mortified. Write things down if you feel it would help.

What I'm saying is.. only a small percentage of noisy neighbours are actually sociopathic arseholes who genuinely don't care about children being frightened. Most are just thoughtless, and it simply doesn't cross their mind that their actions are affecting anyone. A bit of non-confrontational education might go a long way towards neighbourly harmony.

Reckon you could give it a go?

Well the people next door to us talked to the council who said not to approach us directly, in case we were agressive (we were not, just mortified).

Our children were slamming their bedroom door to stop their little brother getting in and destroying their games. It was really loud next door (turned out ages ago the chimney breasts were taken out which meant all sound travelled everywhere).
When we got the council letter I went round and spoke to the people next door to check it was then, say sorry and find out what the problem was. It was pretty obvious it must h have been them. As I recall it must have been a pretty vague letter because it did specify what the nature of the problem was, just that there was a problem which wasn't very helpful.

You need to do something about it I think.

We had a similar problem recently. Neighbour moved her 'son' in and a couple of other bodies who proceeded to play loud music from about 7pm until early hours night after night after night. DH went and had a quiet word with her, got better for a few days then started again so we phoned the landlord.

He was round like a shot, and she was on my doorstep the moment he left shouting the odds, calling my kids noisy little brats and being generally aggressive. She was furious - turns out she was breaking the turns of her lease. Extra bods have moved out and we haven't had any noise since.

We are also monitoring our noise but we are not a noisy family and apart from normal kiddy noise late afternoon/early evening we don't really make any. I refuse to rag my kids all the time though for being kids. If you live in an attached house you have to expect a certain amount of noise - we can hear their tele sometimes and loud laughter, doors and going up and down stairs. All acceptable imo

I agree Pheebes, that sounds quite normal - your noise I mean. My kids' noise would have been Ok if the house had been better - sometimes it would sound like WW3 had broken out upstairs and when we went up to tell them off there would be one child lying on the floor reading a book and tapping a foot on the floor.

OP - if I would you I would certainly contact the council and ask for their advice.