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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask for revenge ideas on the sodding students next door

268 replies

HomeIsWhereTheGinisNow · 25/09/2016 15:03

At the end of my tether. Group of students have just moved into the terraced house next door, and had a 21st birthday last night. It was ludicrous, music pounding until 3am when the police finally shut them down. Desperate requests for the music to be turned down (not off...) at 8pm and midnight were met with serious attitudes and an expectation that as it was a birthday party we should just deal with it ("it's not Sen midnight...!"). The London council in charge of the borough has helpfully closed down their noise officer service, and as we're London we're bottom of the list for the police. So basically we're stuck. Begging them to turn it down so our two year old could get some sleep didn't work as they literally told me that they couldn't imagine what it'd be like to be a parent, it must be hard etc.

So here's the rub. Their landlord is gong to have a word but I'm not sure what he can do. The authorities won't help. So I suspect we're in for an academic year of misery, what would you do?

OP posts:

Morsecode · 25/09/2016 16:35

I would ask the landlord which university they were at and also keep the pressure on LL.

WinchesterWoman · 25/09/2016 16:36

I would warn them that you will complain to the university before you do it. Quite seriously, in a serious conversation. I think that would work.

BillSykesDog · 25/09/2016 16:40

Sorry, but as soon as you asked at 8pm you fucked any chance of them taking you seriously later on and they would probably just have carried on to annoy you after that.

If it's an inner London borough there are going to be a lot of young people and occasional parties are just par for the course. Perhaps a move to a more sedate family area might be worth thinking about?

BoneyBackJefferson · 25/09/2016 16:47

user1471439727
"Did you know you were moving next door to a student house when you moved in?"

Shouldn't matter, people shouldn't be dicks and play music so loud that it disturbs other residents.

MissingPanda · 25/09/2016 16:56

You should have put that you couldn't hear your tv in your OP. My neighbour had a party for her birthday a couple of weeks back. The music was loud but I could still hear the tv so it didn't bother me. Hopefully it'll be a one off due to being a 21st and they'll settle down. If not and they continue to play music so loudly on a regular basis then complain to the LL as pp have said.

Uricon · 25/09/2016 16:56

It should quieten after Freshers, when the realisation that they may possibly have to do some work hits.

So far it is a one off (and I do think 8 was early to complain under the circumstances) I would try to have a (genuinely friendly) word to clear the air, during daylight hours.

People should be more considerate but they are young and most of us went through a brainless flibbertigibbet stage (both sexes)

If it becomes an ongoing issue, keep on at the landlord and if there are non party animal neighbours the other side of them, enlist in landlord/police contacting as well.

Phalenopsisgirl · 25/09/2016 17:03

A party on a Saturday night as a one off/occasion is ok, music that drowns out your tv is not, even at 8pm, especially when asked to turn it down. 3am is really really not ok. Good etiquette re parties is -tell the neighbour in advance there will be noise giving them the chance to be out, then give them a time music will be switched off and stick to it, people are far less likely to stress out if they know it'll all go quiet at midnight. If you can't handle not partying past midnight go to a club.

crikey81 · 25/09/2016 17:04

YANBU

8pm is not too early to ask for music to be turned down if it's at a level that creates serious disturbance.

To those who think that 8pm is too early to ask for music to be turned down, consider yourselves fortunate to never have lived next to anti social neighbours who think nothing of playing music so loud that it's measured at over 110 decibels inside your own home. I'm confident you'd soon change your tune!

LadyConstanceDeCoverlet · 25/09/2016 17:05

The landlord is your route to a remedy. Ultimately if he keeps getting complaints about them he can evict them.

WrongEndoftheTelescope · 25/09/2016 17:06

Asking neighbours to turn music down at 8pm is unreasonable. By midnight - fine. It needs to go down then.

I think you need to be careful about getting out your big guns yet. It's only the start of term. If loud noise after midnight becomes a regular thing, then if course contact the university. But hold your fire for the moment.

You might also reflect on what sort of noise your child makes in the night and early morning . Noise can go both ways.

bestofbothhovis · 25/09/2016 17:07

Have you watched Bad Neighbours? If not I suggest you do and get some tips

WetsTheFinger · 25/09/2016 17:08

8pm?? That's ridiculous.

And if it was just a one off birthday party I wouldn't be too arsed myself, we've all been there and done that as students.

DinosaursRoar · 25/09/2016 17:10

On the bright side, if it's a 21 party, there's a good chance they are final year students, they are more likely to be the ones studying a lot this year...

Agree complain to the landlord over and over. The university too if you get no luck.

And the 6am doorbell ringing for a week is a good idea, except it might turn into a "petty war" and few people can do pointless pettiness like students.

DinosaursRoar · 25/09/2016 17:11

On the bright side, if it's a 21 party, there's a good chance they are final year students, they are more likely to be the ones studying a lot this year...

Agree complain to the landlord over and over. The university too if you get no luck.

And the 6am doorbell ringing for a week is a good idea, except it might turn into a "petty war" and few people can do pointless pettiness like students.

InfiniteCurve · 25/09/2016 17:15

Sympathies, OP.Our noisy neighbours were in their 50s and a lot of the problem noise was just them listening to music - one evening so loud that we could feel the vibrations if we touched the party wall,and there was a mid terrace empty between us and them!
When I did knock at about 2am having lost it with no sleep I got ' oh,can you hear it then?'
Well yes......
Then we had students who parked so that no one else could get out to go to work - gits. It was entirely not giving a damn as six inches further forward and everyone would've been fine.we hammered on the party wall till they got up for that one ( as they ignored the bell)

Acopyofacopy · 25/09/2016 17:19

Our naice neighbourhood had a pretty good system that eventually got rid of most of the loud music:
After loud parties, one or two families would kick it off by mowing the lawn first thing in the morning.
Then the kids needed to practice their instruments, in the garden, one after the other.
Then all the children had to go and play on the trampoline or (even better) had a water fight.
All done and dusted by about 11am.

LouisvilleLlama · 25/09/2016 17:29

And the 6am doorbell ringing for a week is a good idea, except it might turn into a "petty war" and few people can do pointless pettiness like students.

I can imagine a FB post going viral of them recording OP ringing the doorbell " it's been 3 days now 3 that our slightly unhinged neighbour has been furiously assaulting our doorbell at 6am"

Miiow · 25/09/2016 17:30

OP, YANBU, I would be really annoyed and really worried about the rest of the year. I'm baffled so many posters think it's ok to play ridiculously loud music at any time. It's just not necessary - have a party but let the neighbours know in advance and play the music at a reasonable level.

OP, I'd try talking to the students again and I'd contact the environmental health noise team. Log everything and don't give up.

...but Don't phone the police and lie about drugs or violence like one previous poster suggested.

Merrylegs · 25/09/2016 17:31

Oh dear.

We had a party in our student house in London (way back when) and about midnight some poor guy from the street knocked on the door and asked us to turn the music down as he had a newborn who couldn't sleep. We just looked at him like because we literally couldn't imagine what that had to do with anything, it was just beyond our little world.

Of course years later I now understand and still think of that poor guy -(sorry sorry sorry to him!) BUT we only ever had one party in our while year, so pace yourself. It might never happen again. Talk of revenge now is just as anti-social and frankly bonkers.

Conversely DS is in a student share in London and he can hear next doors toddler's wails so much it's like the kid's actually in his room. He goes to the library to study.

charliedontsurf · 25/09/2016 17:35

OP I can't quite believe the stick you're getting. I'd be raging too. If my neighbour came over and asked me to turn my music down because their 2 year old couldn't sleep I'd feel like a major arsehole and turn it down straight away.

Being a student doesn't give you license to be a cunt to everyone living in the vicinity. If they wanted to have a loud obnoxious party all night they should have gone to a pub, club or somewhere where they're not making someone's life a misery.

I hope for your sake it's a one off.

SeasonalVag · 25/09/2016 17:40

Find out if its an hmo...if it's not lodge complaint to council.
Ifbitbis, lodge complaint.
Note dates and times and call police, retain incident numbers.
Phone university. That's works.
Join your community council. Valuable information and advice.

I had this problem for Years ... eventually we left but by that time they'd had their hmo license revoked and the flat was standing empty.

ReallyTired · 25/09/2016 17:41

I am not sure the LL can evict the students that easily. It's really hard to evict someone during the assured tenancy period if they pay their rent on time. I am not sure how bothered the university will be about their students misbehaving.

I think your best course of action would be to talk to the students when they are sober and neither of your are tired or angry. If the students do not respond to a reasonable request the contact the council environmental health.

user1471517900 · 25/09/2016 17:43

I think we should mainly be congratulating Mary Whitehouse on her 2 year old to be honest.

Spice22 · 25/09/2016 17:45

YABU - it's Fresher's , someone's 21st. I doubt they turn 21 every weekend. You could have just accepted it for this weekend as its someone's big birthday. Also 8pm ?? I would have shut the door in your face TBH.

ivykaty44 · 25/09/2016 17:47

Knock on the front door on Monday morning at 6am until somebody answers the door..

Then ask them if they had a good night's sleep?
If they ask why just say I thought we could have a small chat about sleep and noise, but if it's inconvenient then you can come back tomorrow at 5

Passive Gressuve but a taste of their own sleep being disturbed often gets better results when they realise it's a two way situation of disturbance

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