To not expect neighbour to use washing machine overnight

[BornInTheWrongCentury]

Just that really. Over the last couple of months our neighbours started using their washing machine/tumble dryer overnight, it was going on on at about midnight and stays on till around 3am.

My husband asked a them politely a few weeks ago when he saw them outside if they’d mind changing the time they have it on as it really disturbs us. We’re in a mid terraced house and they are the end of the terrace. Their kitchen is below our bedroom. The previous occupants took out a wall in their kitchen that separated the kitchen from their hallway so it’s open planned now so all sound from their house is amplified now anyway and noise seems to travel up the wall into our bedroom.

After my husband mentioned it to them they stopped for a couple of weeks but now the noise has started again as they are putting a wash on at about 10pm and it finishes at 1am.

It’s really upsetting me that I can’t go to bed and read/fall asleep in peace until at least 1am now.

If it’s relevant we own our house and their house is social housing. They are the end of the terrace so if I complain to the council or their housing association they will know it’s me. They are the kind of couple who seem ok as long as you’re on the right side of them but they are rather loud and look very intimidating and to be honest I don’t want to make things worse or get into an argument with them.

They are pretty good neighbours apart from this issue as in the only other noise we hear is their children (they have very screechy, door slamming children but I can cope with that during the day!) They don’t have parties or play thumping music - it’s just the issue with not being able to go to sleep when I want to. I don’t know if I’m just being over sensitive where I so tired.

What would you do?

YABU - just be grateful it’s nothing worse than a washing machine and try to ignore it/go to bed later when you know you’ll fall straight to sleep

YANBU - be brave and speak to them again asking them to not use after 11pm and complain to the council if they refuse?

The world is 24/7. There is no such thing as 'standard' hours any more.

What absolute utter nonsense. It is is standard to sleep at night

If there was no such thing as acceptable hours, there wouldn't be clause about them in most lease 🤷

There is no such thing as 'standard' hours any more. Except there are. You are still not allowed to have a garden party at 3am when it disturbs your neighbours.

It's entitled, selfish and rude to be inconsiderate and you know it.

experienced enough poverty to be able to speak from experience, cheers. I'm still not a selfish cunt.

But clearly no shame buiuuuut that says far more bout you than it does me so I’m fine with that!

If you actually read the thread you’ll see my original post is I’m on the fence because personally I don’t think using any type of noisy electrics between 11 -and 6/7 is acceptable!

However the lack of understanding the cost differences are outstanding

Oh and by the way you are being selfish because just cos you got out of it you think it’s ok to belittle and bully those that haven’t great

YABU. Buy ear plugs.

It’s a washing machine so a normal household appliance. It’s not classed as a nuisance in law.

You should try living in some areas where people think nothing of partying and playing very loud music at 4am most nights of the week.

We have solar panels (our houses are fully electric in Australia and have been for several decades) and combined with Solar Rheem hot water service which is also electric in case solar isn't enough, and we get rebates for using more power overnight than during the day, and get credits back for the amount of off-grid solar energy we use. Cheaper, and better for the environment as with the panels we rely on the grid less. Roughly about 45% of homes in Australia have solar panels on them.

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

If there was no such thing as acceptable hours, there wouldn't be clause about them in most lease 🤷

There is no such thing as 'standard' hours any more. Except there are. You are still not allowed to have a garden party at 3am when it disturbs your neighbours.

It's entitled, selfish and rude to be inconsiderate and you know it.

I think there is a difference with a 'garden party' (do you mean party out in the backyard?) and a clothes dryer operating inside someone else's home. You're clutching at straws now, and I think you know it.

@MagpieSong

My ds used to have stomach problems due to medication for kidney problems and often vomited overnight. We’d have to put a wash on then as sometimes it was more than one wash. Considering there could be any number of reasons to wash clothes in the middle of the night, I’d say it’s fine.

Couldn't you do it the next morning and have soaked the items?

Yanbu OP

YANBU
it's inconsiderate/entitled of them.

@Cokie3 I like to listen to music at a volume which would be fine during the day but unacceptable at night. I'm a nurse, so I work unsociable hours. Does this mean that on my nights off - when I'm still awake due to my sleeping pattern, it would be ok for me to have my music on, washing machine on and hoover away at 3am above my downstairs neighbour in the flat below? Just because these are my hours? Of course not. I get paid an enhancement for working unsociable hours, because that's exactly what they are, unsociable hours. I get compensated for this. Because we as a society recognise what are and aren't unsociable hours.

@RizzleDrizzle

experienced enough poverty to be able to speak from experience, cheers. I'm still not a selfish cunt.

But clearly no shame buiuuuut that says far more bout you than it does me so I’m fine with that!

If you actually read the thread you’ll see my original post is I’m on the fence because personally I don’t think using any type of noisy electrics between 11 -and 6/7 is acceptable!

However the lack of understanding the cost differences are outstanding

Oh and by the way you are being selfish because just cos you got out of it you think it’s ok to belittle and bully those that haven’t great

You are making zero sense. The post comes across butthurt because you think I'm rich and because I can afford to put washing on through the day without worrying now, I therefore should be ashamed?

No ta. I'm not selfish and think I'm more important than my neighbours, and neither did I when I was poor. And I'm hardly rich, I can afford to live, with some struggle, like most of the rest of us, now. There difference is stark though yes, between that and not eating a fucking bean for 6 days in a go.

I'll let you into a little secret about being in poverty. When you're so poor you've no food and no way to buy it, and you're counting 2ps and 1ps for a can of beans (and asking the shop if you can pay the few pence missing next time) then washing clothes unfortunately is not the priority, or even a concern, when you're starving and first thoughts are food.

Your argument is completely flawed.

The fact is a lot of people will put a wash on during the night to save money, poor and non-poor. Being in a council house doesn't automatically mean you are poor. Unless the neighbours have said they can't afford to put it on during the day, this is all a nice big mental story of the OP being selfish because maybe her neighbours are poor..

I’m with you Op. Common courtesy should be enough . Second, using tumble dryer in night is potential fire hazard. Third, a drying rack would be even cheaper

poor that they can't afford to eat if they do a wash during the day then washing would be done by hand in the sink - as I've had to do when my meter ran out of electric before. Your statement is just whataboutery.

Ah you know what I think your outstandingly oblivious for some one who claims to have been there!

You’ve washed your clothes in stone cold water?! Excellent well done you do you want like a medel?!?!

Not sure how clean the clothes are going to get! Especially at the moment when some people are insisting their children and themselves strip off and their outdoor clothes go in to the washing machine ASAP! (It’s covid don’t you know) unless of course your washing them in 70% alcohol.

But I don’t even run a bath after about 10 or before 6/7 because yeah the sound of running water the sound of the pump from the boiler is loud and I live in flats so that’s my personal choice one my neighbours are equally entitled to have.

My neighbour works 12 hour shifts, (yeeeep HA) when’s he meant to do his washing?!?!

Your electricity ran out but you didn’t think to put your five pound credit on huh?!?! Excellent well done you what a martyr you are!

Interesting isn’t it how two of you have both responded going I was there. Yet now your not there it’s a case of I’m alright jack screw everyone else!

@RizzleDrizzle I have no idea who your "Oh and by the way you are being selfish because just cos you got out of it you think it’s ok to belittle and bully those that haven’t great" statement was directed towards as you didn't state who. However if it was in reply to me then yes, I got out of poverty. However that still doesn't change the fact that when I was on the bones of my arse, I still didn't think it was acceptable to disturb neighbours at 2am with washing machines etc. Nowhere in my statement have I bullied or belittled poor people and nowhere in my statement have I been "selfish". I've simply countered your ridiculous point about folk not being able to afford to eat if they put the washing machine on when it's a few pence dearer.

You're getting a little hysterical now.

YANBU

I can only assume that most people saying YANU have very quiet washing machines. Ours sounds like a jet engine taking off at various points in the cycle.

Don’t be put off by some of the reactions. Mention it to them nicely. They have already shown themselves to be considerate in that they stopped for a while, and then moved the time. They probably think the problem is sorted. Different people go to bed at different times (we don’t go to bed until 1am, so noise finishing at 11 would seem reasonable unless someone pointed it out).

If it were me I’d pop round to their door with some nice chocolates and a bottle of wine. Say how much you appreciate their having changed their routine, and you hate to be a pest but would it be possible ...

Op I wouldn’t listen to half the snobby fuck wits on mumsnet. If it continues I would contact the council. Any decent person knows this is unreasonable.

@RizzleDrizzle "Your electricity ran out but you didn’t think to put your five pound credit on huh?!?! Excellent well done you what a martyr you are!"

You are astonishingly clueless about poverty, aren't you? Did it ever occur to you that I didn't put £5 on credit, maybe because...erm...I didn't have £5 to put on credit...? As opposed to trying to be "a martyr"? Or wanting a "medel"? - as you call it.

You are coming across as utterly ridiculous.

In regards to people saying being in a rented house or social housing is relevant because they will have signed the lease which says no household applicable noise after 10pm, I have to disagree....my tenancies have never ever stipulated this. What a ridiculous idea that you should be permitted from using their appliances after a certain time. People work all times of the day and if it meant I had to Hoover or use my washing machine at night then tough. Not a massive disturbance.

I think choosing to run a washing machine at night is incredibly inconsiderate, but they actually recommend that you do now because it's cheaper. Of course the people doing the recommending probably live in detached properties.

I'm pretty sure you can't do noisy work on a house at night even though that saves electricity too.

*household appliance

[quote AwaAnBileYerHeid]**@RizzleDrizzle* I have no idea who your "Oh and by the way you are being selfish because just cos you got out of it you think it’s ok to belittle and bully those that haven’t great"* statement was directed towards as you didn't state who. However if it was in reply to me then yes, I got out of poverty. However that still doesn't change the fact that when I was on the bones of my arse, I still didn't think it was acceptable to disturb neighbours at 2am with washing machines etc. Nowhere in my statement have I bullied or belittled poor people and nowhere in my statement have I been "selfish". I've simply countered your ridiculous point about folk not being able to afford to eat if they put the washing machine on when it's a few pence dearer.

You're getting a little hysterical now.[/quote]
I think the poster clearly thinks their experience of poverty is the only one, and therefore their mindset is completely right.

Completely missing the point that when we were in poverty, we still didn't put washes on in the night.

Being poor does not entitle you to be selfish, and is just perpetuating negative attitudes toward people who are in such a position. Utterly silly and over the top responses.

I agree with you, their responses are hysterical (and becoming incoherant the more they post for some reason).

The issue isn't noise because the the neighbours are doing their washing at night; it's that the H.A. or council should have put the wall back up which the previous occupants removed (and charged them for it I guess).

Am shocked at the responses too!! You are not being unreasonable

My neighbour did this, she was a nurse on nightshifts and that was the only time she could do it. I can't use earplugs so just download a free whitenoise app and used that instead.

Or, I should clarify, when I did in my case, as soon as I learnt it disturbed someone, stopped immediately. Before that I couldn't even afford the washing powder, nevermind the electricity to run the washer, at one point. I do remember having to ask a friend for a cup of washing powder though - and not because I'd ran out and simply forgot to buy more.

It interests me how some people use an excuse of being poor to be inconsiderate of others. It's most often far from the case.

YANBU

They will have a condition in their tenancy not to cause a nuisance to their neighbours. This would include noise nuisance.

Ask them again politely. Make a note of date and time you asked them.

Keep a noise diary then complain to the housing association in writing with times and dates of the noise if they keep doing it, and when you asked them not to do it.

Also in your complaint point out the structural alterations that caused the issue and ask the housing association to put the wall back in.

YABU about times. They probably would have to be quiet from 10.30pm or 11pm until 7am.