How to apologise to neighbours for noise complaint?

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Just found out that my neighbours think we are evil loud monsters (we are) and I want to apologise.
I am torn between
YABU
knocking their front door with a box of chocolates and apologising in person
YANBU
knock door running and leaving the chocolates and a note saying sorry

what would you prefer?

Only apologise if you plan to stop being noisy. If you can't (or won't), you'll just make things worse. If you go ahead, I'd just write a note and drop out round..

What’s the source of noise?

I'd prefer you to ring the estate agents and put your house on the market.

Wonder why op hasn't returned? 🤔

I wouldn't apologise just try hard to be quieter in future.

If you are apologising with the intent on stopping the noise then I would say go and speak to them. But you sound incredibly flippant OP - the use of the term "evil loud monsters" is testament to that, as though you really don't think you are a problem at all. If you are aware that you are loud, did it not enter your head before now to be considerate of others? I have lived with noisy neighbours and it makes life hell. Whether it's noise through the walls of the house or constant screaming/shouting/music/loud parenting in the garden it's a source of great stress. From your post, it sounds like you would be going round there with a "oops my bad" type attitude and personally if I were your neighbour it would make me more angry. Assuming you have been duly bollocked by the Council, just crack on with being quiet & considerate. That's worth infinitely more than a half-assed apology and a box of chocolates.

A bunch of flowers with an apology on the doorstep. Followed swiftly with a promise to keep the noise down going forwards.

And make sure that you do.

An apology means jack shit if it isn't followed with a sincere effort to correct the situation. If you're going to continue to be 'loud monsters', then don't bother to apologize because it means nothing.

If there is a reason why your noise cannot reasonably be contained (newborn, a person with special needs, etc) then that's a different matter. But if you just figure "Oh well, we're 'loud people'" with a shoulder shrug, an apology would be hypocritical.

I think it depends on the circumstance.

Last summer I heard our upstairs neighbour bitching about us to our next door neighbour after we sat out in our garden (which is overlooked by her flat) one afternoon chatting. We had no music or screaming kids and it wasn’t late at night.

I didn’t do anything because I’m not going to stop using my garden and I also spend most of the day listening to either her dog barking or her foghorn voice shouting at her poor husband.

The op has (facetiously) admitted to her family being "evil loud monsters", I think we can safely assume they're not just chatting in the garden.

I think it depends on the circumstance.

Of course it does. I love threads like this were we just have to guess the context, so here goes:

YWBU to have fireworks twice a week (on average) for the last year. Find a quieter way to celebrate when little Stella gets 8/10 on the spelling test. I don't think you should go round in person because your facial tattoos ate quite intimidating

OP YANBU. Chocolates are a lovely thought but I think you are being a bit of a pushover about once hour of piano practice a week. I would have been quite upset about how they told you- that spray paint will need sanding off your front door.

No useless gifts just man/woman up, offer a sincere apology and stop being a nuisance.

Totally depends on the circumstances. Newborn baby, child with additional needs etc isn’t just going to be quiet so a note and chocolates is meaningless but a proper conversation about how you can mitigate it (like moving the noise to a different room) would be appreciated.

If it was a one off then an apology and assurances it wouldn’t happen again (and then actually making sure it doesn’t happen again!) would be fine.

I think it might require more than chocolates for your downstairs neighbours, OP. It's lovely that your DH has a new hobby but could he not practice outside. If he must be indoors I really think he should change his routine of practicing after the 10 o'clock news and forgo the wooden clogs.

Do you realise that very few morris dancers need such a large amp for the music?

'Noisy monsters' implies children running a bit wild in the garden. The lack of further detail hints at something more akin to anti social behaviour. Gifts will be totally pointless unless you actually change the things that is causing the noise nuisance. A gift is ok for a one off event that you know was over the line but won't be repeated.

Did the neighbours hear you having wild screaming monkey sex?

She didn’t say “noisy monsters”, she said “evil, loud monsters”.

Which doesn’t suggest kids playing to me.

I don't think their only problem is the noise, OP. I just think a vulture is quite an unusual pet for a student house, even before it ate their cat.

You must admit you've used their fridge shelf for the rotting meat a few times now and you are their last yoghurt.

Well, if your posts haven't smoked op out to tell us the real story, donquixote, we can only assume it was very bad indeed

Did the neighbours hear you having wild screaming monkey sex?

Close but it wasn't a monkey.

Forget chocolates or an apology. Just don’t be so loud and alter your ways. Easily resolved.

She didn’t say “noisy monsters”, she said “evil, loud monsters”. Which doesn’t suggest kids playing to me.

Sounds just like my kids playing.

OP, go around in person and apologise maybe take chocolates or some flowers if you want to but the really important thing is that they know you understand the issue and you are going to do something about it.

It's nice that you recognise that there is a problem, I'm sure they will be relieved.