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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Asking my neighbour to turn TV down

15 replies

AntiHop · 16/12/2015 10:55

We have very nice neighbours, and get on with them well. Recently I have started being able to hear their tv in my living room. We've been neighbours for a few years and this has never happened, so they must have got new speakers or a new tv. AIBU to ask them to turn it down a bit so I can't hear it? Or is that being petty?

It's annoying when I am working from home. There's no where else I can put my desk in my flat apart from my living room. I can also hear it when I am watching tv in the evening, I can hear it over the noise of my tv. I have said to them in the past that they should always feel free to tell us we are ever disturbing them, and they said they are not disturbed by us. We have never been aware of any other noise from their flat, until now.

OP posts:
RaptorInaPorkPieHat · 16/12/2015 11:04

Do you think they might have hung it on the wall?

howtorebuild · 16/12/2015 11:06

I too wonder if it's gone on the wall. What prevents you moving to another room?

Original poster
AntiHop · 16/12/2015 11:06

Yes, it is definitely on the wall, but it has always been like that and I haven't been able to hear it until recently.

OP posts:
howtorebuild · 16/12/2015 11:09

Are they experiencing hearing issues? They may not realise. I don't envy you if you have a discussion about the noise.

Original poster
AntiHop · 16/12/2015 11:12

howtorebuild there is no room in my bedroom for a desk or table, and the kitchen is part of the same room as the living room.

OP posts:
steakpunararemediumwelldone · 16/12/2015 11:14

Are they watching something they really love ? Our neighbours tv suddenly became noisy when they discovered how much they loved musicals. fucking les mis. My desk was right next to it too and they were lovely and embarrased about it after I knocked.

Original poster
AntiHop · 16/12/2015 11:14

howtorebuild very unlikely that they are developing hearing issues at their age (30s), and I am not aware of any existing hearing issues.

OP posts:
grundrisse · 16/12/2015 11:14

They sound lovely, so it's probably inadvertent... are they older? Perhaps deafness is creeping in? As someone who suffers with deafness (result of mumps as a child), I would be mortified if my TV were disturbing anyone and I would definitely rather know than annoy them.

I would put through a small Xmas present and a card and just mention breezily that you can hear it! You can buy headphones that amplify the volume on the TV for precisely this problem so there is a 'tech' solution. I think the thing is that it can be quite a sensitive issue if it's age-related, so polite care may be needed to protect egos!

grundrisse · 16/12/2015 11:15

Oooops, sorry, x-post about the age thing!

Gottagetmoving · 16/12/2015 11:17

If they are nice then there should not be a problem having a word with them. Just tell them that recently you have been able to hear their TV and you wondered if they had changed anything because it has never disturbed you before.
I would want a neighbour to tell me if noise from my house was bothering them. I would hate to be disturbing people.

Original poster
AntiHop · 16/12/2015 11:19

steakpunararemediumwelldone It's hard to tell what they are watching, but it's at different times of day, both daytime and evening.

OP posts:
RogerScrutonRocks · 16/12/2015 11:19

I would politely ask them to turn it down. In fact, I did so only recently. I kept hammering on the wall in protest at the hideous noise levels (the old lady wouldn't answer her door, ever) until I approached the elderly lady's son (who lives on the other side of her). He explained she has altzeimers and is unaware of her surroundings etc and I felt bloody awful having complained. However, I have babies and their sleep was being interrupted and I was going insane

The lady's son was marvellous and bought her a pair of headphones which he plonks into her ears each night at 10pm. I've lived in peace ever since.

Original poster
AntiHop · 16/12/2015 11:29

Thanks Gottagetmoving that's what I was hoping, that they wouldn't mind as they are very nice and reasonable people.

RogerScrutonRocks I completely understand why you asked your neighbour when it was hideous noise levels. However the noise from my neighbour is not hideous, that's why I was not sure if AIBU when it is not hideous noise levels.

OP posts:
hefzi · 16/12/2015 13:17

When I work from home, the noise from neighbours really bothers me (they congregate in the street, or yell back and forth from opposite ends Hmm) so I just stick on noise cancelling headphones to block them out. It's sub-optimal, but I don't feel comfortable asking them to stfu when they are in a public space - and it's my fault for being easily distracted.

If headphones wouldn't work for you, I'd think it was fine to let them know it's bothering you - they've probably, as PP have said, got a new tv and not realised how much clearer the sound is etc.

Original poster
AntiHop · 16/12/2015 22:54

Thanks all. I will have a chat to her next time I see her.

OP posts:
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