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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that NO level of music/socialising noise is acceptable after 11 pm?

20 replies

MsGameandWatching · 10/09/2017 13:03

Neighbour plays loud music that pounds down into my home every weekend, she's usually relatively quiet during the week - kid noise but I would never complain about that, unavoidable and I have two noisy ones of my own. The music and shouting and stomping about though till the early hours on the grounds that she is "entitled to a social life" is not really on though surely?

Does right to a social life trump my right to be peaceful in my home after 11 pm?

OP posts:

danTDM · 10/09/2017 13:07

YANBU
Unfortunately my reality is like yours.

mummymeister · 10/09/2017 13:07

This could be a Statutory Noise Nuisance - something which would be dealt with by Environmental Health at your local council. to be a SN they take into account the level of noise, the duration, the time of day and the frequency. from what you are describing this could be a SN and the council could deal with it for you. However, before you get to that point I would suggest you go and speak to her. explain how loud it is in your property (if you can hear song words or if you have heard bits of the shouting/words etc)

she is indeed entitled to a social life but equally you are entitled, by law, to the quiet enjoyment of your property.

speak to her during the day a bit more formally first. see if you can work out a compromise on level of noise and times. in the meantime, keep a noise diary- time level duration write down words etc.

as a last resort go to the council. if she has a landlord inform them as well. but do it knowing that noise disputes can turn nightmarish.

Original poster

MsGameandWatching · 10/09/2017 13:13

Thanks for that mummy. Unfortunately I have spoken to her multiple times and sent texts so have a record of how ongoing it is. This has finally culminated in a tantrummy message about how I won't be happy till she never has friends round and how she's entitled to a social life . The social life aspect makes me though as I have heard this in other situations and I wonder why people feel so entitled to keep others up all night while they pursue their right to a social life?

I am going to take it further, no choice now really, which I hate as I avoid bad feeling in RL where possible.

Sorry to hear you're going through it too dan, it's just so stressful.

OP posts:

EdmundCleverClogs · 10/09/2017 13:22

I feel for you, I dread the weekends myself. If I wasn't pregnant we would have moved by now (we have an excellent midwife surgery and the hospital it 10mins away at the moment). Can't believe we're being driven out of our home by selfish arseholes, but it's unbearable every weekend. Sadly, we have it during the day as well - the screaming and shouting starts from before 7am, I have no idea when these people sleep!

Her 'right' to a social life doesn't get to trump your right to a restful night. If she wants to have a social life with loud music, they have pubs and clubs for that.

ChelleDawg2020 · 10/09/2017 14:12

YANBU at all. Unfortunately there are a lot of selfish scummy people out there, just like your neighbour, who don't give a damn about anyone else.

Ironically, those sort of scummy individuals are often the first to complain when someone infringes on their right to a good night's sleep.

ItsAllAboutThePace · 10/09/2017 14:51

What time doesn't go on til though?

user1497357411 · 10/09/2017 15:39

Get a pay as you go telephone, not in your own name. Start calling her early in the morning. Or when you wake up in the middle of the night.

Urubu · 10/09/2017 15:57

I disagree with "no level of noise is acceptable". Noise level that will prevent you to sleep / hear your own tv at normal level / etc is not acceptable. Hearing people talk (not scream) and walk in their flat (not stomp or jump) for ex is annoying but acceptable.

JonSnowsWife · 10/09/2017 16:00

YNBU. Contact your local council. They should have a local noise nuisance unit.

specialsubject · 10/09/2017 16:09

Call the council. Those who live out of earshot of anyone else can shriek and stamp all night. Everyone else needs not to be a selfish dickhead.

expatinscotland · 10/09/2017 16:14

YANBU

Purplemeddler · 10/09/2017 16:33

YANBU though I would say 10pm! It's worse in summer - people decide to go outside and party and be as loud as they possibly can be, just to make sure the neighbours know what a fantastic time they are coming.

Please: go inside, turn the music down and talk at normal volume.

Purplemeddler · 10/09/2017 16:33

time they are HAVING!

Bluelonerose · 10/09/2017 16:39

I'de be waking her up with my own music at 6am for my social life

mummymeister · 10/09/2017 16:43

MsGame - you need to start keeping very accurate records as of now. date, time, how long it goes on for and things like what songs you can identify, what words you can hear. you have to make as detailed notes as you possibly can. You need an awful lot of really good evidence to prove residential noise nuisance and ultimately its down to you as the complainant to collect it and make it the best that you can.

do be aware, if you own your own home and are looking to sell it in the next 5-7 years there is a paragraph on sellers form where they ask if you have ever complained about a neighbour in the last 5 years. if you say yes then it could put people off. if you say no they will find you out when you do the searches.

if her property is rented you must contact her landlord. he might well have a liability at law for "permitting the noise nuisance". message me if you want any more details. very happy to try and help.

AppalachianWalzing · 10/09/2017 16:49

How regular, how late and how loud?

11pm is very early at the weekend: I think one late-ish night at the weekend when you can hear some music/chat from next door seems perfectly reasonable. I used to live next to a single mother, every second weekend when her dc was at his dads she had friends round and they were chatting and dancing to music till about 12.30/ 1am. I honestly used to think it was lovely she got the chance to let her hair down.

If it was every night and going on until 2 or 3am that's different, but I don't think a blanket ban on any noise after 11pm is reasonable.

Original poster

MsGameandWatching · 10/09/2017 16:50

It's both weekend nights till around three in the morning, starting at around four in the afternoon.

OP posts:

mummymeister · 10/09/2017 16:53

Then this sounds like a Statutory noise nuisance MsGame. are you in houses or flats? only ask because if its flats there might be an issue of whether the sound insulation is up to current building regs standards or not. if it isn't and the works need doing then you might have to contribute.

Original poster

MsGameandWatching · 10/09/2017 16:59

Flats. That last post of yours is VERY interesting. I might have to start making some noises about that! Thanks mummymeister

OP posts:

mummymeister · 10/09/2017 17:11

so if you are in a flat the environmental health team can come and do noise testing. they would do impact and airborne. the impact is with something called a foot tapper and the airborne plays pure frequencies which are then measure in adjoining flats to see what the attenuation of the noise is by the structure.

first thing they will look at is what insulation you have and also does your neighbour have carpets with underlay? some flat leases require you to put underlay and carpet down - no wooden floors or linos.

if you both own your own flats as leasehold then the freeholder might be required to pay for all of the works or there might be something in your lease about you having to contribute. you would need some good legal advice about this.

are they owned or rented flats?

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