Neighbours TV on too loud? What to do?

[MusicTooLoud]

Quick synopsis. Live in a council flat. Have health issues so am home most of the day. Have been here for a few years, have one teenager.

Over the last week I noticed radio/TV and boom-boom sounds coming from downstairs neighbour (a couple in all day).

I asked her about it today and she said it was from a new Dolby Surround TV thing they'd bought. She said she would try and move the speakers, turn down the bass, etc.

However, I can still hear it all day and evening - the muffled voices from the TV and radio. Even with classical music on all the time I hear this as well as boom-boom sounds (like a computer game being played).

I should say I have very sensitive hearing because of my health condition. I know this noise is really going to drive me nuts, to the point where I'll have to move. Where to I have no idea, no money, and so forth, but its the one thing thats important for my mental and physical health.

I don't mind occasional noise of everyday life, or parties, but since they have the TV on all day every day this is gonna really effect me.

I am waiting for the Housing Officer to get back to me, but I don't think she'll be able to do much, if anything. Its not like the neighbours have got loud music blaring on all night.

I feel upset and confused about it, and really don't know whats gonna happen.

Any thoughts? Advice?

Should have made it clear it was my classical music on to try and drown out the sound, but I can still hear it above that anyway.

Not trying to mitigate the impact that their noise is having, but would headphones work for you as an interim solution?

Noise itself doesn't bother me, it's the just on the edge of hearing muffled noise that you unconsciously try to concentrate on that bugs me. So I can sympathise.

I've heard of those white-noise cancelling out headphones. A thought, Grimbles, thanks. Yes its the edge of hearing constant muffled noise - plus the random boom boom.

We got a sound bar and from another room all you can hear is a "boom" noise from the bass. It wrecks my head when I go to bed and DH has it on downstairs. Maybe ask your neighbour to come up and have a listen? They could lower down the bass level hopefully.

Without going into it magic I know they're not going to do anymore. I'm gonna have to move aren't I ?

I really sympathise. I have the exact same with my neighbour. Hell when he turns it on randomly at 4am and the boom shakes my floor. My husband put a polite note on his door. To be honest it didn't make a lot of difference. Must confess I give the floor a good stamp when it's too loud

I'd suggest approaching the neighbour again and mentioning your issues? Surely surround sound isn't really necessary for regular TV...

Have spoken to them 3 times Algebraic. I was as nice as I could be and lets just say the third time she wasn't making eye contact back .

We live in tiny council flats with a tiny living room and poor noise insulation, why they have gone and got Dolby Surround Sound I don't know.

That's the worst. My flats are small too, terrible sound proofing. I can hear my neighbours phone conversations; including the party on the other end, no exaggeration!
I'm looking nice because I can't put up with all the shouting, tv noise, music, smoking...
Can you request a move?

Well I can try ... if I can find the bloody energy Algebraic (am ill). But anyway you have to be in a seriously dire situation to get a transfer or move where I live. There's hardly any social housing. Are you saying you are moving?

Everythings just shit at the moment. I just want some peace and quiet. And now I can't even get that for 5 minutes in my own bloody home. PM if you like!

OP,

Oh, I do feel for you.

Coping with health issues which limit options for respite away from such constant noise (and bass vibration, which can really make some people feel ill?) must make it even tougher.
Last thing you bloody need, if energy reserves etc. are already running low/ you're suffering with pain.

(If further action does need to be taken re council/ H.A. etc, it'd be well worth asking any medics you deal with to speed things along by providing strong evidence as to how your health is being negatively affected).

Sadly, as is usual with (un)neighbourly noise problems, the measures that can help minimise stress would already have been put to use by anyone with an ounce of consideration to begin with.

And for that to happen now, they'll have to admit to being at fault. Hmm.

I'm guessing they're merrily assuming that any racket before 11pm is fair game, even all day and evening-long.
Haven't read through this myself, but I'm sure checking noise nuisance details on UK Environment Law site will prove otherwise for you: www.environmentlaw.org.uk/rte.asp?id=70

For basic starters, they could use noise-absorbing mats/ panels for under and behind speakers/ 'bass traps' (shaped acoustic foam blocks which damp down the gut-churning vibration etc., which they'd position in room corners).

Do you know what type of flooring/ carpeting SelfishNeighbours have downstairs?

In your own flat, you've probably already tried/ are about to try heavy, thick rugs with deep underlay/ wall hangings/ cushions/ jam-packed extra bookshelves etc? All help soak up noise (though it shouldn't be you that has to fork out, frankly...and impossible, anyway, if you're financially very limited).

God, I'm getting severely riled on your behalf.

Maybe S.O.S. borrowing items from friends or family/ getting them to bargain hunt on your behalf (e.g. bulk buying charity shop paperbacks), if your health restricts you?

Regular desktop fan white noise, right by your bed also works.

Youtube has pretty good, free (hooray), continuous, 10hr-length audio white noise to plug headphones into.

Really hope things improve. Preferably without 'official' intervention.
Keep us updated.

^^ Well, that ended up an essay. Sorry all.

Yes sorry that should have read I'm looking to move, I am unsure why my phone autocorrected that!!

The doof doof doof will drive anyone to distraction. They should buy headphones, not you.

Endless loud thumpy thumpy is for people who live on desert islands.

But I really appreciate people understanding, thank you.

OP,

Has there been any peace for you today, so far?

Thanks Marilyn! I will have to wait and see what happens over the next few weeks. I haven't been home much today. But will post back at some point in the future. I still feel pessimistic about the outcome. But thanks for your ideas and sympathy though . As you and SpecialSubject describe is exactly how it feels.

^ Maybe getting ahead of myself - ToLiveWhere - the desperate I gotta get away from this noise feeling made me wonder.

Sorry no advice just wanted to you have my sympathy. That horrible bass noise where you can't quite make out the actually sound but can still hear it is awful. I have hearing sensitivity too from illness but I think most people would find it really wearing.

For evenings, have youvtried wax earplugs? You can trim them to size and they work really well. Not that you should have to but just to give you a break.

MusicTooLoud you are me! I have the same issue with the downstairs neighbour with the loud echoey speaker and the tv on all day, really noise sensitive and home most of the day. I even try to drown it out with classical music.
It's so frustrating as he was fine, could occasionally here a little bit but no big deal then a few weeks ago he literally sounded like he was in the room next to me.
We're in a privately managed block so a complaint to them has helped, but it so happens that our lease was up (renting privately) so we're moving to a little detached.
I really hope you can get moved somewhere more suitable as well. In the meantime, I found easy listening jazz is a bit more effective at covering noise as it's a more consistent volume than classical.

A know how you feel, a live on a street where one girl in her late fifties puts on a careers uniform and pretends to go to work when she signs on for Jobseeker's Allowance, complains about other peoples noise to pray on sympathetic ears yet uses power tools at 12 midnight in her back garden! And another who calls her neighbour a billy idol yet has no friends and does nothing but sit in her house all day while her dog barks in the backyard 24/7. Not enough straight jackets.....

For everyone struggling with neighbour tv volume or even any music system annoyance —

I have an elderly lone neighbour very hard of hearing. For the last NINE years I’ve had her blasting her tv through the wall. I done all the right things like speak to her, write letters, speaking to her family etc but I’m still in this position. When I asked her politely if she could do something or if I could help, my life was made hell. She has damaged vehicles I’ve had using a wheelie bin, she’s told neighbours I’m persecuting her, she had a dog that barked round the clock and would throw dog waste over our fences (we had a toddler). She would bang on our walls round the clock, mainly during the night (she would sleep through the day). She sprays us with a hose in the summer over the fence, she has purposely damaged the fence she told me she would pay towards (she didn’t pay), she would shout and swear and insult us when seeing us in street in front of our young daughter, she would sing silent night over and over and over again (badly) for months on end, shouting it through the wall, (not around Christmas) and you won’t believe this - after full volume all night I knocked once after a night of no sleep at 0700 and again asked her to turn it down and stop banging. She opened the upstairs window and threw a hammer at me. Luckily it missed but she went and then telephoned the police!! I’ve spoke to family (they say phone the police and that she won’t listen to them), I’ve spoke to her gp who wasn’t interested, social services said there’s no need to provide support, ambulance service when they have had to break in to her house when she calls them and won’t answer the door. I’ve also spoke to PCSO’s, anti social behaviour dept at the council and environmental health. I’ve even asked my MP for help. NOONE has ever solved this issue for me. She won’t give any details to any agency of any family members (she was never married or had kids) and the agencies keep keep telling me because she’s old and vulnerable there is no way anyone would attempt any kind of prosecution or any sort of action even though I have anxiety, depression and tinitus. I work hard for a living and own my house, as she does, I am in need and trying to get on with my life in a normal law abiding way but no one seems bothered.

Well it seems all I had to do was to use a Sky tv remote through her window, use the auto scan feature to enable me to search for the correct code to control her tv and bang I managed to turn her tv off and she will have no idea how it happened.
And for all you lot who have no idea how it feels and will make no effort to really understand, no I’m not nasty and no I’m not waiting til she dies and no I’m not moving because I can’t afford to and no I don’t feel sorry for her anymore and no I can’t move the bed to another room and no I can’t afford soundproofing (not that it would make any difference). I have only signed up to this site so I could post this in the hope this simple solution will be able to help someone so I won’t be able to see any replies. I can’t think of any law I have broken by the way.

That all sounds horrendous. I don't know how you have kept going through all that. People are so selfish with their noise. We live next to a rented property. Not all tenants who rent are noisy of course - posts on here are from renters. I rented quietly for years. But there have been 5 different groups of residents in the time we have lived here and I am so tired now of having to approach people over noise that I tend to just fight noise with noise when I think it might get a message over. I feel really immature doing that, but my ability to keep politely asking different people for reasonable manners has worn thin...

Any update on your situation? Been living next door to an elderly lady for the last few months with a loud TV. However her family are on my side, I think. Only problem is when they leave the house, she turns it back up. Hope your problem has resolved itself.

PJ80

Well done - brilliant 🥇 🏆

@PJ80 I felt sorry for her for the first few lines of your post but MY GOD! I'm so glad you found such a simple solution sounds like she put you through hell.