Noisy child in garden and light blocking

[DayMoth]

My DBro recently moved into a studio ground floor flat. His windows back onto a small garden belonging to house next door (courtyard type garden). His wall is effectively their garden wall! Their toddler plays in the garden a lot, screeching and shouting and kicking balls (as toddlers do). He complained to his landlord, who had a word. They own their house. They were apologetic but said child has a right to play. The noise hasn't diminished and he finds it hard to study and work. He's getting very stressed about it. Now they are saying they will put up a fence in their garden! This will block his view of their garden (I appreciate they want privacy) but will also block most of the light into his flat. Is this legal?

I can see both sides: they want privacy in their garden and for toddler to play, he wants light and quiet to work.

Honest opinions please?

Don't most people buy a house for a view that doesn't belong to them?

there's not much he can do unfortunately. Normal parents would try to avoid unnecessary noises. You don't stop children to play, but they don't have to make a racket either when you have neighbours. I couldn't study or work with my own kids being a nuisance, let alone other children!

The parents are very lucky he's a reasonable man. I saw a local post complaining about neighbours who started to listen to completely inappropriate music and smoke when they thought the children next door were too noisy.

not of someone elses private garden, no. He sounds very precious indeed. He will need to talk to his landlord about making an early departure.

Our neighbour modelled their house and moved their kitchen window so they had a lovely view.....of our garden. We put up a large fence and they complained as it spoilt their view. Sadly your db has chosen badly.

Small children do not run around their garden making lots of noise 24/7 and as one pp said at least it's not noisy students or a barking dog til all hours of the morning.

He chose a flat based on the view of someone else's garden? that's pretty creepy I'm not surprised they are considering a fence now!

He could get some headphones or earplugs for when he is studying? Unfortunately if you live in a built up area you are going to get Day to day noise from other people.

the music and smoke could be seen as antisocial behaviour though, a toddler playing is not.

strikhedonia the op said the toddler was just making normal toddler noise, so not being a nuisance.

He's being ridiculous.
We live in a 5 bedroom house on a naice estate. We can hear next door's children from both sides, and the kids on their bikes in the road.
One day it will be his kids that the neighbours can hear....

there's not much he can do unfortunately. Normal parents would try to avoid unnecessary noises. You don't stop children to play, but they don't have to make a racket either when you have neighbours. I couldn't study or work with my own kids being a nuisance, let alone other children

There are some near me who I don't think can talk normally. All I hear is screaming and sometimes shouting :(. I can't help living in a high density area and I do think that parents should teach their children to moderate their voices somewhat. So it's not just about those who might be sensitive to noise (includes hearing-aid wearers, form whom screams are often painful) being 'aware' they are living near those who might make noise, it is also about those making noise to respect neighbours and the fact that they have chosen to live in high density areas.

He should offer to get privacy film on his windows (the etched glass effect which gives total privacy) and tell the neighbours that he now cannot see into their garden but has the light he wants.
When our new build houses were built, Planning insisted on privacy glass in 2 of our neighbours side windows that overlooked us.

Considering he started this issue off by complaining about a small child making a noise, he can't really moan can he??...........

Was the window always there, or was it put in specially when the house was converted to flats? It seems such an odd arrangement to have been planned that way, I can't imagine the neighbour's are happy to have their gardens completely overlooked either?

I think you might be better off posting this in legal - there may be something he can do about the light issue, I'm sure there is a right to ligh - www.rics.org/uk/knowledge/consumer-guides/rights-to-light/

Goldfishjane - I live in the middle of nowhere, there is no child noise (except from my own, but they're older now).

The privacy film sounds like a good compromise.

Not much you can do about noise in the day time. If the ball kicking is against his wall I can see his point but general daytime activity noise is not going to change.

The light is a different matter - if the only source of natural light is being blocked off then that is something I'd raise with the landlord because its going to turn a potentially attractive and light flat into dark and lightless unit. Your DB can escape it at the end of the year but it will affect the sale/letting potential and so landlord may want to pick that up with the neighbours to look for alternative to a fence.

Maybe he's been glowering at them through the window. I'd put a fence up if that was the case.

Sound blocking ear phones

Screen window

Study in library

Move flat

He chose the wrong flat unfortunately. He could ask the landlord if he would be able to leave if he helped find a new tenant/stayed until he got a replacement. It sounds horrible for him but with hindsight he should've thought it out more.

I think any fence over 6 feet needs planning permission. Your brother sounds a bit unreasonable

screeching and shouting and kicking balls are not normal toddler noises.

I think your DB should be grateful the haven't got a trampoline

oh fgs. Your db sounds very precious.

He rented a flat with a view of someone else's garden and has now moaned to the landlord who has mentioned it to the people's garden and now they are putting up a fence because clearly they are concerned about your brother staring at their toddler or something.

Toddlers kick balls, they shout, they screech. They make noise. It's what children do ffs.

We have dc who are older. However, next door have a 2 yr old and a 6 yr old. The racket that comes from next door is sometimes so loud that I think they have 10 kids in there. But it's normal. I would never, ever complain!

Noise cancelling headphones, library, coffee shop. Tell him to get a grip. And probably never have kids if he thinks they all stay silent 24 hours a day.

I second the idea of offering to put up frosted glass effect film, at least on the lower 3/4 of the window to give them privacy but so he keeps his light. he needs to speak to them about this now before they order the fence.

with the noise as long as it's not outside of the hours 8am to 10 pm he needs to work around this with going to the libary/ putting music or noise cancelling headphones on.

It's normal child noise. He needs to get used to it or move. Does he not have a break clause in his contract at 6 months? Or he can try to find a new tenant himself and the LL may issue a surrender.

Is he joking?

He picked a flat based on the view of someone else's garden