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?

I'm amazed that the sound of a washing machine travels so that you can hear it but if it's due to cheaper rate (we put ours on at night too) then they could do a shorter cycle at 10.30 maybe? It's worth asking them. Or perhaps they need to ensure their washing machine is firmly fixed and not vibrating the units around it?

Economy 7 means my electricity between 6.30 am and 11.30 pm costs about three times more than it does overnight. So running the machines at night is a complete no brainer. Obviously checking the fire alarm batteries regularly too! Sorry OP. But worth suggesting to neighbours a soft, noise and vibration absorbent mat under their machines.

@daisypond

How is their kitchen below your bedroom when you both live in separate terraced houses? I can’t picture it at all.

I'm struggling a bit with that tbh!

I think that all you can do is have the noise "measured" Op-it'll either be too loud or not!

It's common courtesy if you have attached neighbours to not use washing machines or dryers at night. I wouldn't dream of using them or vacuuming up late as they also have young kids. I'd mention it to them again.

Yabu
Have a for the social housing dig

[quote SurferRona]Looks like @GoldieHelen isn’t wrong @FunnyInjury. www.charnwood.gov.uk/files/documents/how_to_be_a_good_neighbour_fact_sheet/Being%20a%20Good%20Neighbour%20-%20Advice%20Factsheet%20%282%29.pdf[/quote]
That’s incredibly sensible guidance!!!

I wish my council would publish something similar so I could print a copy and give to my neighbour who likes to share her music with the whole street!!!

They have done what you asked and no longer run the washing machine between midnight and 3am, they now put it on at 10pm instead. They probably get cheaper electricity at night so to complain again and expect them to spend more money running their washing machine at your convenience is unreasonable.

You are not being unreasonable! I was the noisy neighbor, I had no idea it was a problem (I'm abit hard of hearing) and was notified when the neighbours told me I'd been disturbing them for months.
I didn't find it hard to just change my routine a bit (mornings, hanging up when I got back from work rather than overnight)
I can't stand it when people say you can't expect others to change what they do - why not? If it's something that's not hard to do, then I don't mind doing it. I find it bizarre not to.

How is their kitchen below your bedroom when you both live in separate terraced houses? I can’t picture it at all

Very common round here as back to back houses are built on hills. It's called a flying freehold. In our old house we had someone's kitchen under our living room.

If it’s relevant we own our house and their house is social housing.

No it's not relevant. But you had to get the dig in.

Of course it's relevant. If they own their house, there's pretty much nothing you can do! If they rent privately, their landlord MIGHT be helpful or might not. It if social housing, the councils tend to be better to deal with neighbours issues. Not enough, but some are.

@unbotheredbutbewildered

If it’s relevant we own our house and their house is social housing.

Would it be okay if they weren’t social housing then?

Unfortunately, that’s the peril of living in a semi or terraced. You should just suck it up and buy earplugs - they aren’t expensive

Obviously the op meant, if she was not being unreasonable there was a landlord element to consider if she was putting in a formal complaint, so it is entirely relevant to the question.

It's probably more the vibrations than the actual sound. It might be unbalanced. What is the sound like, OP? It may be fixable.

@Cabinfever10

Yabu Have a for the social housing dig

get that chip off your shoulder and read the thread to see WHY it is relevant

YABU. Living close to other people can be difficult, but it isn’t unreasonable for them to use their appliances when it suits them.

If you can’t reasonably change other people’s behaviour, then you must change yours. Since you own your own home, changing insulation, wearing ear plugs etc.

Needing total silence to sleep or read is a recipe for trouble, you need to work on accepting some background noise. Either that or get RAF Luton on the blower and order an air strike.

Yes this would get to me OP its partly the reason that this time we chose an apartment over potentially noisy house..Id spent a year living in what seemed like our ideal house ruined by dog noise intermittently throughout the night..
I used soft earplugs, noise cancelling headphones (and valium when i had to).
Ended up horridly anxious anticipating broken sleep and noise, nearly drove me mad.
Our new apartment complex is fantastic and has strict body corporate rules!. Nothing hanging from balcony, no noise before 7 and after 10pm. No-one in the pool before 7am ..nothing moored to jetty..a few people complain but most move here to enjoy the peace!
In your situation its hard a washing machine is normal family business-and in such close confines as a terrace i imagine the sound does carry. I think pick your battles though-this may not end well for you..

YANBU

When people decide to live in close proximity to others, they accept to be reasonable.

Night noise is not reasonable, and it's not acceptable to put the machines on or hoover at 3am. You can make noise complaints for exactly that reason, but you have better chance of a quicker resolution with social tenants, not much is done with private owners.

You shouldn't have to sleep in the day because of their night noise , especially when their noise then makes it impossible anyway

Most leases have a clause prohibiting noise audible outside the property after a stated time, usually, but not always, 11pm. If next door is a housing association let, they will have this in their tenancy agreement.
However, as another poster said, they might not be aware how loud it sounds in your house. Ask them round to listen to it. They are clearly willing to adjust to some extent, so it may be that once they hear for themselves how bad it is they'll be more likely to stop doing it.
Otherwise, I'd be knocking on their door at midnight asking them to stop. Every time.
Btw, I'm wondering why their washing takes 3 hours? Mine takes 1 hour.

Just have the groundskeeper shoot them if they come onto your lands, your Ladyship. Bloody peasants.

YANBU. Do people really put their washing machines on at night? It sounds very unreasonable.

"but it isn’t unreasonable for them to use their appliances when it suits them."

Maybe it is if it disturbs the neighbours though?

I am really sorry at those who thought I’m a making a dig at them because they are social housing tenants - I really wasn’t. It’s just I wondered if I could speak to their housing association for advice on whether I’d be doing the right thing by speaking to them again

I honestly didn’t realise that so many people use their washing machines/tumble dryers at night. It wouldn’t have ever crossed my mind as personally I wouldn’t dream of making a noise that could disturb neighbours at nighttime and I honestly thought that any noise after 11pm would be classed as a nuisance due to everyone deserving a good nights sleep. If I knew I was disturbing either of my neighbours sleep I would feel terrible!

I guess I will need to look at purchasing some earplugs!

I don't think putting a washing machine on at 10pm can be considered antisocial although I get it's causing you sleep deprivation.

Can you move your bed so it's against a different wall? Lay down thicker underlay? Try meditative practices to help you fall into a sleep state or try earbuds?

YANBU I have been there with my ex neighbour and it was very annoying. I don’t know how people can say YABU if you haven’t had to deal with this. Remember everything is quieter at night.

I often wonder how many of the people who say 'use earplugs' have actually had to use them or tried to use them. I tried because I was in a similar situation to the OP and found them really uncomfortable and in the end gave up.

My brother sets his machine to go on at 6am I think as he has economy 7 so it costs more to do washing during the day. Would you be more amenable to an early morning wash rather than a late at night one?