to contact my neighbour's landlords about noise?

[samandi]

We are getting fed up with noisy neighbours. Constantly running about flat above us and walking in loud heels. Shouting, shrieking, slamming doors. Playing music and singing at night. They go out about three times a week and come back slamming doors and shouting, waking us up at about 4 in the morning.

Those of you who are landlords, would you respond at all well to a polite letter saying we are having some problems with the tenants?

Do you rent from the same landlord? if so you you could have a word with him - I take it you have actually spoken to your neighbours.

No, we own our flat. I don't actually know the landlords but I have their address. Yes, we've spoken to the tenants.

what was the tenants reaction? how is your relationship generally?

I think speaking to the tenants first is best.

We asked our noisy neighbours for their mobile numbers. If they're playing their stupid music too loudly, we text them and it usually gets turned down. If not, we ring, and if that's no good, we contact the landlord who bollocks them. It helps that the landlord is the dad of one of them.

The landlord may sympathise (and so do I) but there may very little that he can do except not renew the contract at the end.

If the tenants won't behave like human beings, your next stop is the council as it would be with any noisy neighbours. Do tell the landlord so he can consider not renewing, but he may not be able to evict for this unless it is explicitly in the lease.

Our neighbours are like this and worse. The police are in and out of their flat. We own our flat, and despite them having caused actual damage to our property, anti social behaviour at all hours and being very well known to the local police, the landlord does nothing and isn't obliged to do so. It's a shit situation. We are going to try and sell up, and rent somewhere in the mean time as we just can't live in it any more. :(

I would call the council or the police and report noise levels and anti social behaviour if you get nowhere with your landlord. Maybe they will be more effective than ours have been. Good luck OP.

the point is that the landlord may not be ABLE to do anything.

I agree, it is horrendous.

Yes, if you'd spoken to them more than once and your tone seemed reasonable. There will probably be a clause in their contract about being considerate towards neighours.

I would then let them know there'd been a complaint and they would put two and two together and know it was you. So, in your position, I'd want to try reasonable discussion first, until you hit a brick wall, so it is very clear to the neighbours that you've exhausted that route first, otherwise they might feel quite miffed at you 'telling tales' rather than being open with them.

What I'd do next though, would really depend on how reliable the tenants are otherwise and how easy the flat is to let. If I had other reasons to ask them to leave it might cement that decision but if I had none, I would ask them to be more considerate and suggest to you that you contact the council's environmental health department if it persists as a major problem.

Councils have noise people, who, if it's something really loud and persistant, like a house alarm that doesn't stop, will come to your flat and take timed noise level readings and can take enforcement action. I don't know their rules well but I called them once after next door's alarm had been going, inside but not outside, for over 24 hours, they measured for 20 minutes and contacted the landlord demanding action pronto or they'd kick the door in and deal with it, marevllous! But a rather different situation.

Yes, I'm not sure what I expect the landlord to do. Not renew the lease? Put down carpets? If I was a tenant and my landlord had a word with me about noise though, I think it might carry more weight than my neighbour complaining. Not sure.

Now I'm also concerned that we have to declare noise problems and this could cause problems when selling somewhere down the line. So fed up.

I am a LL. I would respond and get in touch with the tenants and tell them they must be considerate of neighbours. I would note it down and if it continued would give them notice.
You can also t in touch with the noise dept at your local council if you get nowhere with the LL.

Oh yes, police is reasonable if it really loud, really late. They'll just tell them to turn it down, unless there's more going on of course.

Also, are there any other neighbours affected? If they cmplained too it would seem much less likely it was just you being oversensitive and the tenants would understand that they were the odd people out, so would have to be truly unreasonable and thick-skinned to continue, rather than just a bit oblivious or careless.

Is this a landlord issue?

doesn't the council deal with noise issues and if they deem it to be unreasonable (by hours and volume) then they can deal with it... although most likely it will be hard to get the council resources to follow up every complaint every time.

What is the landlord going to do if their behaviour doesn't change? Kick them out for walking on their floors, slamming doors and being inconsiderate?

As for declaring the noise problem, I guess it would depend on same tenants still being there when you sell and deeming that their noise would be unacceptable to anyone - which people have different tolerances.

As a LL if my tenants were causing a noise problem or anything else to our neighbour (an elderly lady) I would want to know asap.

Yes if you declare to council about noise and it goes on record then you sell and the buyers ask about neighbours and noise etc and you lie - and htey have problems of course your in the shit.

If they are on a tennancy agrement though then yes they have to abide by being good neighbours.

Id contact the LL and ask about carpets and other options to minimse noise.

If you do move, never buy a flat under neath another one!

3/4 times a week is horrendous.

Yes me too Bop, unfortunalty LL get off very lightly in this country with actually being responsible for the properties they rent out.

I saw a program about LL a while ago, it showed them being abusive in a wide range of situations and apparenlty only 2% of irresponsible LL are ever taken to court and prosecuted.

This really makes tennants/lodgers and neighbours very very vulnerable.

I would not tolerate any anti social behaviour from anyone if I was a LL.

Yes, landlords often want to keep good relationships with neighbours, who may be there longer than any tenant and can keep us informed about local issues or help us out now and then. Depends.

Btw, my advice here is exactly the same as I gave to the woman who wanted to complain to the landlord about the neighbour smoking weed in the garden (i.e. talk to neighbour, then to relevant authority, then LL - except I'd actually rather know about this because it's more inconsiderate and avoidable, in its way, than smoking in your own garden).

Hi Samandi. I got in touch with my noisy neighbours LL as a last resort (via the letting agent). He was lovely and gave tenants a firm talking to and me his phone number in case of any future problems.

I think most would probably be fine with it.

I complained to our tenants (also our next door neighbours) about their dog barking. Was told to "fuck off and never darken our doorstep again". That was 3 weeks into their tenancy. We evicted them, but the law states they have the right to stay for as long as their contract is valid. The LL can try evicting earlier if the noise breaks their contract, but they'll still have to give at least 2 months notice and then go to court if they refuse to leave.

Good luck. There is NOTHING worse than having to live with what you are. Your home should be a peaceful haven not somewhere that stresses you to bits.

I seriously wish that the law would come down on selfish/noisy neighbours.

I agree. Where I live one can bring a court action against the tenants for nuisance, but all that can be awarded are damages- not much use if one's neighbours are ne'er-to-wells with no money.

It would be so much better if victims could enforce court judgments against tenants' bonds- landlords would be obliged to protect their position and the victims would get recompense.

The Neighbours from Hell in Britain website might be able to help - section on noise www.nfh.org.uk/resources/Articles/noise/index.php