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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not expect neighbour to use washing machine overnight

583 replies

BornInTheWrongCentury · 17/01/2021 09:39

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?

OP posts:
EmmaWithTheGreatHair · 18/01/2021 18:46

YANBU!

I would never vacuum after a certain time the same as I wouldn’t run the washer/dryer overnight, especially if I’d been asked, politely, if there was any chance not to as it could be heard from midnight onwards!

It’s give and take when you live in close proximity!

EmmaWithTheGreatHair · 18/01/2021 18:48

And if the ndn are running it through the night to save money, perhaps they should lose the electric guzzling dryer!

alexdgr8 · 18/01/2021 18:48

i would never run anything that generates heat at night, for safety reasons. i think it is unwise to leave such appliances running when unattended; there have been several house fires started this way.
i understand your point and think it is reasonable, OP. but if the neighbours don't have the same attitude, it may be more hassle.
could you sleep the other way up, with your feet towards the wall. might help a bit.
if it is rented, how come the previous occupants took down a wall. and you say these ones have made many improvements.
are you sure it is rented. usually tenants do not/ cannot make structural changes.
all the best, OP.

Zelaidee · 18/01/2021 18:53

I’m pretty sure that the use of noisy domestic appliances are forbidden at night.

Overdale · 18/01/2021 19:03

Hi

As a Landlord, I would consider it unreasonable for a tenant of mine to do washing late evening and early morning
A tenant usually has a duty of "quiet enjoyment", that the landlord is obligated to enforce.
If they are not responding to polite requests and it is unbearable forvyou, you could contact the landlord (the Council) and they would be obligated to enforce the duty of quiet enjoyment
The same would apply if they became unreasonable

shehasglasses48 · 18/01/2021 19:06

YANBU unless you’ve lived with constant noise from inconsiderate neighbours you have no idea how miserable it can make life.

jigglybits · 18/01/2021 19:09

This is what's wrong with society- people having no consideration for others.
🙁
Asking once for them to not keep you awake with their racket should be enough. It is not unreasonable to want to be asleep before midnight.

sofiaaaaaa · 18/01/2021 19:10

@Overdale ummm, I think you have misunderstood! The right of quiet enjoyment means you as a landlord can’t intrude on your tenants, eg entering the property without valid notice. It has nothing to do with neighbours or noise. Wtf

MaLarkinn · 18/01/2021 19:14

you’d hate me op as i stay up late on sundays cleaning and as hoovering is the last thing i do i’m sometimes hoovering at three in the morning.

teachmehow14 · 18/01/2021 19:14

It is annoying but I think you’re being unreasonable. Growing up my mum worked until late and would only be able to get the washing done when she got in later in the evening. Sometimes this meant running the dryer throughout the night so that our school uniforms were dry. Neighbour lent out of her window one night and started banging on ours with a broom to complain about the noise, my mum made it clear that she was only doing the washing/drying then because that was the only time she could and actually the neighbour was apologetic and didn’t complain about it again.

Santatizer · 18/01/2021 19:17

Can't believe the amount of people who think YABU. You're not. It is totally unacceptable to put your washing machine on until 1am in a terraced house. Not ok.

Twillow · 18/01/2021 19:19

I do this as I have economy seven, but use a timer so it starts a couple of hours before I get up. I wouldn't want it rumbling away in my own house when everyone has only just dropped off. A lot of machines have this function.

woodhill · 18/01/2021 19:21

@MaLarkinn

you’d hate me op as i stay up late on sundays cleaning and as hoovering is the last thing i do i’m sometimes hoovering at three in the morning.
Why though?
EmmaWithTheGreatHair · 18/01/2021 19:24

Wow @MaLarkinn 3am! Confused

MaLarkinn · 18/01/2021 19:29

@woodhill i like everyone off the floor so they’re not coming behind me undoing it all. i have four children, did that.

MaLarkinn · 18/01/2021 19:30

@EmmaWithTheGreatHair i should mention i live in a detached house Smile

EmmaWithTheGreatHair · 18/01/2021 19:33

@MaLarkinn thank goodness you’re not in the middle of a row of terraces! Grin joking apart though, that’s fine if you’re in a detached house but it wouldn’t be otherwise.

MaLarkinn · 18/01/2021 19:36

@EmmaWithTheGreatHair wouldn’t dream of it if i lived in a terrace! i have lovely neighbours, we’ve lived together with no problem for almost 15 years Smile

PinkyParrot · 18/01/2021 19:45

I wonder if it is the vibration of the spin which is worst. Perhaps you could see if they could put some rubber (or similar) matting between the machine and the wall (this is probably the wall your bedroom adjoins).That might help.
Offering to put that in (or similar sound reducing stuff) might be acceptable to them.
It's not necessarily to save money - it might be they don't want the noise of the machine through the day if they are listening to tv etc so run it at night - they obviously can't hear it.

LovelyIssues · 18/01/2021 19:46

YANBU! That would be so annoying and so unnessecary

ERFFER · 18/01/2021 20:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Brockaslass · 18/01/2021 20:27

YABU

It's often far too expensive to run washers dryer if the house is on a two rate metre a d that's probably why they do it overnight. My lower rate kicks in at 10 and finishes at 6 I do all my washing drying etc at night. I couldn't afford to pander to a neighbour, a washing machine is an essential so evening you were to complain to the council or anti social behaviour team they'd tell you it's within their rights to wash at a time like that and it's not considered excessive noise. I know this from experience because our neighbour in last property complained, she tried all avenues to sort it out and stop us doing it but we couldn't afford too. Council and anti social behaviour team backed us all the way. We ended up moving and hard the last laugh when the property was bought by a private landlord and turned into a laundret. That family could be genuinely struggling and unable to wash at other times. Energy company's provide economical rates for those who wash at night. Eventually everyone will do this because it's cheaper to do.

bruffin · 18/01/2021 21:00

The economy rates for storage heaters not for washing in the middle of the night.
I had economy 7 and lived on a flat years ago, wouldnt dream of using a washing machine in the middle of the night if o new it disturbed my neighbours

pollymere · 18/01/2021 21:03

It could be economy 7 but often you realize you need stuff late and need to put a wash on. Whether they own their home or not is irrelevant here. It sounds like you just have ridiculously thin walls as we have a very thin wall between us and next door and I've never heard theirs.

user1467048527 · 18/01/2021 21:06

@Brockaslass - interesting. My council did intervene re washing machines on at night. It was part of a (much) bigger picture with our neighbours and I'd never have involved them about that alone, but when I told the woman from the anti-social behaviour team we were assured very clearly that it wasn't on and she spoke to them.