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AIBU?

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Original poster

To potentially get my neighbour's evicted?

47 replies

indianburritode · 12/05/2019 20:15

I own a flat in a block of 6. One of the flats is owned as an investment property by a lovely woman.
We've never had any issues with noise and have happily lived here for 14 months. 2 months ago, one day I suddenly heard so much noise.
The noise is loud running footsteps across the ceiling. It was irritating but I thought it was a one off.
I soon found out a new family had let the flat above us. I haven't met them (they seem to themselves and have never said hi when I've tried to) but there seems to be mum, dad (30s?) And two young children.
EVERY DAY there's loud loud running, footsteps. This never happened before or was an issue with the previous tenants. It wakes me up, it's irritating, they also run past my front door and set my dog alert as brush past our front door screaming (our flat is a maisonette so own front door on the ground level).

I've already spoken to the owner and she was lovely but wanted me to go through the letting agent. A complaint was raised to ask them to keep it down. Nothing changed.
I called up the agent (as asked by owner) and they said they want me to send a complaint in writing, they will then he classed as breaching the contract, and potentially kicked out.

On one hand I feel guilty as they're a family and have just settled.
On the other hand, they have had a chance, they're not even trying, it is consistent and it's affecting my life now.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Original poster
indianburritode · 13/05/2019 10:40

@specterlitt there is nothing spiteful about going to the woman who I know that owns the property to ask her to mediate.

The lease states no noise / disruption between 11pm-8am, they are in breach of this.
I am not the only tenant who has complained. The flats above are also struggling so I know it's not just me being underneath them.

There are plenty of ground floor flats to rent in the area, they should have considered their neighbours.

The noise a breach of their contract with the letting agents. So they can be evicted, the letting agent said I am not the first to raise the complaint.

OP posts:
Original poster
indianburritode · 13/05/2019 10:42

So they've been warned by previous complaints so that didn't have an effect.

We share no common areas, and I don't have access to their common halls to be able to knock on the door. So my only method is to ring the outside bell, ask them to come down and let me in, to have a moan... I've already tried saying hi to them before and they blanked me so I'm not sure they are the friendliest.

The point of my post was because I don't want them to be evicted, I want them to shut up.

So I think I will leave them a note explaining the predicament. If they do not improve I will feel nothing for getting them evicted.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 13/05/2019 10:46

I am not the only tenant who has complained. The flats above are also struggling so I know it's not just me being underneath them.

Well, that's somewhat of a drip feed. It's a bit pointless trying to avoid complaining to the letting agent if others have complained too.

gamerwidow · 13/05/2019 10:49

Normal living noise doesn’t count as making noise/disruption.
What is the lovely landlord doing to soundproof the floors to minimise this normal noise for you?

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 13/05/2019 10:53

The thing is though, how can you be sure the next tenants will be more considerate?

It’s a bit of a gamble.

woolduvet · 13/05/2019 11:03

Ask the estate agent to check their flooring. They might have taken up carpets etc.

SirVixofVixHall · 13/05/2019 11:06

You can always hear the people above far more than the people below. Toddlers and young children run around a lot, and depending on how the flats were built, this can be very noisy but it isn’t the fault of the tenants, this is just normal noise with a young family.
Thick underlay and carpets would muffle the noise somewhat.
I once lived in a middle flat. I never heard the people below, but the solitary woman above only had to move and I could hear it. I could hear her ironing ! Her kitchen was above my bedroom, I had never realised until I moved up into her flat a year later. The landlord then carpeted (uggh) my kitchen as the new people in the middle flat complained about the noise. I was very quiet, but they could hear my kettle boiling, telephone chats, everything.
So it is unfair to blame the family, the flat owner should be doing what they can to help minimise noise.

SnuggyBuggy · 13/05/2019 11:10

Depends on the time of day surely. Before 8 isn't unreasonable, I think you have unrealistic expectations of small children.

NannyRed · 13/05/2019 11:20

I’d get the broom out and bang, bang, bang, bang bang on your ceiling (their floor) everytime they are running around making noise.
They live in a flat, they must learn how to be considerate to their neighbours.

Eliza9919 · 13/05/2019 11:48

Is there a leaseholders committee? IF these people get evicted, can you get a condition put in the leases/rules that anything other than ground floor flats can't be rented to people with kids under a certain age?

Blueuggboots · 13/05/2019 11:58

Day time noise of footsteps and kids is to be expected.
I'm afraid you'll get nowhere unless you can prove they are making unreasonable noise. That's usually between 23:00-07:00 and has to be loud enough to be picked up by recorders provided by the council following repeated nuisance during the above times.
Been there, done it, got the grey hairs.

PamelaX · 13/05/2019 12:06

I wouldn't hesitate to complain.

If people decide to live in a flat, they accept that they have to be respectful of their neighbours and keep the noise down, not being CF.

You can't keep children quiet at all time, but you absolutely can keep the noise to a minimum and stop them from running and screaming! That's such a lazy excuse!

If people can't make a minimum of effort, who cares if they "risk" being evicted? Maybe they'll be more considerate next time. One of their neighbours might be sick and struggling, it's not fair and it's unnecessary to be antisocial.

MelonSlice · 13/05/2019 12:25

If people decide to live in a flat, they accept that they have to be respectful of their neighbours and keep the noise down, not being CF.

They also need to accept that if they don't want to hear any noise from neighbours, move to a detached property.

PamelaX · 13/05/2019 12:30

if the OP is only disturbed by ONE family, it's obvious we are talking about excessive noise.

running and screaming is never acceptable in a flat, is it to you, really?

sweeneytoddsrazor · 13/05/2019 12:31

Kids being kids are not CF ffs. It is just normal everyday life.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 13/05/2019 12:34

No we are talking about every day child noise. That is probably both amplified because it is in a flat and seems worse than it is to the OP because it bothers her. I have had children in a flat I have lived below young children in a flat. It sounds loud but it really is only normal everyday behaviour.

PamelaX · 13/05/2019 12:38

I have young children in a flat too. They didn't need to run and scream there, because I wasn't a lazy parent and I had some respect for my neighbours.

It's not the kids I blame, it's the parents who can't be bothered.

Mammatino · 13/05/2019 12:39

If it really is that bad and it has never been a problem before, contact your local environmental health (check website for info), they will inform you of your rights. You will need to record noise and dates and times. I really would try to have a word with them as they probably don't realise how awful it is. Maybe invite one to stand in your flat whilst the kids run around upstairs to help understand the noise. If they are normal reasonable people they will try to tone it down. If not take it further with the rest of your neighbours. It helps you that it isn't just you. Hope it all works out for you all.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 13/05/2019 13:02

Sorry but even with non lazy parents a couple of young children in a flat can sound like a herd of elephants in the flat below.

outvoid · 13/05/2019 13:07

They can’t be evicted for normal family noise. They aren’t drilling and hammering into the early hours or blasting music, having parties etc. They have young children who are doing what all young children do! I really can’t see how this could be helped at all.

I think you need to be less noise sensitive if anything or if noise is really such an issue to you, a flat probably isn’t the best place to live.

IratePanda · 13/05/2019 14:07

I think you have my old downstairs neighbours.. They moved out around the same time. You're not in South shields, are you?

Scorpvenus1 · 14/05/2019 11:46

oh my lord we had this, I let it go for 2 months then I just knocked on the door, if they had carried on would have took it to environment agency I think or it might be the council for noise pollution.

Id mention it first and that kids really shouldn't be running about indoors, they want to practice being a track star, then there is outside for that behaviour I say.

I feel your pain it drove me insane, every bloody weekend.

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