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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Noisy neighbours in mid-terrace making life miserable

23 replies

NuttyGemini · 13/04/2018 08:53

Hi everyone.

Really at the end of my tether with my neighbours and don't know what to do.

We're mid-terrace and the neighbours are renters. They've always had the occasional noisy night - sometimes all-nighters - but because they weren't that often we just ignored it.

Since the landlord's put their house up for sale, they've gone totally wild. Always having friends over. It's been going on for at least a month now, but has been particularly bad during the Easter break.

It's a group of young lads in their 20s, one girl and two small children. They have parties every other night. A dog that barks at all hours for ages and ages without relenting. Their kids seem to go to bed at around midnight and scream the place down. The music is really loud and can start at any hour. At the start of the Easter break it started at about 11pm and was nightclub volume until around 2:30am, then it lowered to a volume I could still easily hear through the walls, but at least was less, until about 4am. A typical music night would be music starting at about 11pm and finishing around 2-3am. If it's not music then it's loud lad's voices. Shouting up and down the three flights of stairs (we're in terraced Victorian townhouses), swearing, screaming.

Last night was the worst so far. We had loud lad's voices from about midnight until about 4am. At which point the music STARTED! and music continued for about half an hour then stopped. Then it was loud voices, laughter, etc, until about 5am-ish. They've gone totally nocturnal!

There are often arguments. We hear frightening fights in the streets right outside. A week ago someone put a brick through their front window. It was boarded up for 3 days then repaired as though nothing happened. I've heard shouts that someone is pulling out a knife before.

I know they do drugs. I think they're dealers (although this is just a hunch) and that's how they make their money without going out to work.

To be honest I'm frightened of them. I'm afraid of confronting them. I'm frightened even of phoning the landlord (not that I have the number). I'm worried it would be obvious that it's me that's complaining and there might be repercussions. It might get worst, or there might even be violence against us. I have three young children. I wish DH would say something to them but even he is afraid of what might happen and he keeps saying the landlord will sell soon and then we'll be rid of them. But that could take forever - the landlord's set the price really high.

No idea what to do and I feel like I'm going mad. I'm getting no sleep with the constant worrying of when it's going to start. My only hope at the moment is that it might return to semi-normality when the Easter breaks ends.

Thanks for listening.

OP posts:
StormcloakNord · 13/04/2018 08:55

And you haven't called the police, why?

SurfnTerfFantasticmissfoxy · 13/04/2018 08:55

That's not just noisy neighbours - that seriously antisocial behaviour. I wouldn't normally advocate reporting them to the police but I think that's what I would do in this situation. Report that you have seen activity that you believe is related to drug dealing and that you are concerned for the children in the house.

Sarsparella · 13/04/2018 08:56

Sounds awful :( if theses stuff going on in the street then call the police, I did once on my neighbours for fighting in the street and the police camd out

Mightymucks · 13/04/2018 08:59

I’m with your DH here. If it’s selling anyway just ride it out. You don’t want them turning on you.

MinisterforCheekyFuckery · 13/04/2018 09:14

If the landlord is selling anyway then hopefully they'll be gone soon but I would still contact the Police each time a potentially violent incident occurs. I would also be very concerned about the welfare of the children living in that house and would be contacting social services.

SporadicSpartacus · 13/04/2018 09:23

Sounds like my ex neighbours. I looked up who owned the house via the Land Registry and wrote to him. He ignored me, but your neighbours might have a more conscientious landlord.

Report the drug use/dealing to the police, definitely.

Haberpop · 13/04/2018 09:25

I would imagine the op hasn't called the police because she is scared of the repercussions but I really do think it is an option here.

You cannot be the only neighbour who is affected by their behaviour, so who is to say it wasn't someone else who reported them?

angemorange · 13/04/2018 09:46

We have a rented terraced house in the middle of seven owned houses and have had similar problems every couple of years or so when the tenants change. I would keep ringing the police if there are very noisy parties/violence - even calling in to your local station for a chat is worth doing.
It might be ages before they move so doing nothing only a good idea if you think you can stick it.
Your local Council might also be able to help re anti-social behaviour. If there are several adults living in the house who are not related that means the house is a HMO (House of Multiple Occupation) and the landlord requires a special licence for this - if he doesn't have one then he can get fined. Your council should also be able to help and will stop him renting out to large groups in the future in case the house doesn't sell.
Definitely don't confront them or put yourself in harms way.

dingdongdigeridoo · 13/04/2018 09:54

You poor thing OP. Noisy neighbours are the worst. I think I’d be most concerned about the kids living in that environment. We had neighbours like this once and they did indeed turn out to be drug dealers, with social services eventually getting involved. We ended up moving at great expense just to get away from them.

Any indication when they might piss off?

Coolaschmoola · 13/04/2018 10:00

Fights in the street? Knives being pulled? All night parties?

Whether or not you want to ring the landlord or pilice you have a moral duty to contact social services. Those poor kids!

bastardkitty · 13/04/2018 10:00

I wouldn't 'ride it out' because if they don't leave when they are supposed to, it could be a long road to eviction. I would involve the police and be very clear about the presence of young children. It sounds really concerning and if the police understand it's a frequent occurrence, they may notify social care. I am in a similar-ish situation and also tracked down and messaged the landlord but didn't get a reply.

NuttyGemini · 13/04/2018 10:48

I am so relieved to hear all your messages. Thank you. I was beginning to feel really isolated worrying about it. My nerves are shredded!

You're right about the children in there and now I'm feeling ashamed that I didn't think of their welfare before. Thanks for kicking me into action on that one.

I don't think I can phone the landlord about the noise & violence because I can't guarantee he'll keep me out of it, but I'll try the council and police. I really want to stay anonymous because honestly I'm worried about my own safety and my children.

Thanks for the tip off about HMO. I hadn't realised that was a thing. The house used to be split into two and the couple on the top moved out. Then the landlord turned it back into a single property and the couple on the bottom now have free reign over the whole house while the landlord is selling. I think with all the extra space they've got a lot of sofa-surfers there, so that's how it's happened.

OP posts:
BlankTimes · 13/04/2018 11:06

You can phone Crimestoppers anonymously. 0800 555 111

Otherwise agencies could say they have received a complaint from [you]

dingdongdigeridoo · 13/04/2018 17:24

NSPCC take anonymous reports. Might be worth having a chat with them about the children and your concerns.

Chrys2017 · 13/04/2018 17:31

Your Council's Environmental Services Department can take action on the noise, issue an abatement notice and seize audio equipment if the noise continues. Normally the first step is to keep a two-week log of noise 'incidents' so to avoid delay I would suggest writing down all of the incidents you have described in the following format:
date
type of noise [music, barking dog, loud voices shouting, etc.]
time noise started
time noise finished
effect on you [couldn't sleep, had to leave the house, etc.]

flubdub · 13/04/2018 17:33

What do the neighbours on the other side of them think?
If the noise is loud enoigh, record some of it on your phone - it can be played to the police if you ever ring them.
I would also get a cheap security camera, maybe front and back, in case anything of yours ever gets damaged. I got one for about £11 off amazon and it plays straight to my phone via an app (don’t point it towards anybody else’s property though).
Email social services. You don’t have to say hat you live next door. You could say that you just “know” them and are concerned about the children.
Do the children go to school? If they do, chances are, SS are probably already involved.
And ring the police. You can do it anonymously or you can tell them you are scared of repercussions and ask to remain anonymous when the police speak to your neighbours.
Keep a diary of things that they are doing.
And if you can, write to, or email the landlord. Again, you don’t have to say that you live next door. You could just say that you live on the street - therefore you could be any number of people.

problembottom · 13/04/2018 17:34

Complain to the council about the noise and the police about the drugs, you'll remain anonymous. I had this problem last year with nocturnal druggie neighbours and they are now about 10% as bad as they were. I sympathise it's truly awful having noisy neighbours.

hjublen · 13/04/2018 17:39

angemorange a house with several unrelated adults renting isn't automatically a HMO requiring a licence, it depends on the local council.

These neighbours sound horrendous OP, please call Social Service and the police. Hope they go soon.

NuttyGemini · 13/04/2018 18:06

Thank you all so much. I've written a diary of events as detailed as I can for the last two weeks and it doesn't make for great reading.

OP posts:
NuttyGemini · 13/04/2018 18:07

Will continue to record events and details and will phone the council and police. Can't thank you all enough for taking the time to reply. It means a lot. x

OP posts:
NotAgainYoda · 13/04/2018 18:20

My advice would be to do all of the above in conjunction with other neighbours. If you know any of your neighbours well enough to talk to, tell them what you are doing and ask them to join you.

Chrys2017 · 13/04/2018 18:24

The council will most likely come round and install a recorder in your house for two weeks to get official evidence of the noise.

bellabasset · 13/04/2018 18:25

Sounds horrific tbh.

NSPCC is anonymous and leave them to phone social services. Phone police or pop in if you have a local station and get their advice. Is their noise or behaviour having any impact on other neighbours? Call police if there are late night disturbances. Are they being evicted for non payment of rent?

Landlord may be unaware of the no of people in the property, the tenants may say they are temporary visitors.

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