Nightmare neighbours

[RainbowBriteUk]

I have been in my current property, a rental, since October last year. It's been a tough year. Redundancy, cancer and a few breakdowns. I thought I was finally settled in life.

NDN's, a man and a woman in their mid-fifties are noisy fuckers. They don't think anything of turning their telly up and every nice day they play music in their back garden so it's been a fair few weeks now. Also lots of shouting, DIY and generally being loud. Difficult when I am WFH and I would love to sit in the garden without their shitty music. However, for the sake of a neighbourly relationship I say nothing. They get pissed in their garden which is fine but become very loud. I've said nothing so far.

Today, I was trying to work. I was irked that they'd had their music on fairly loud since 10am in the garden. They then turned it up. I calmly went out and asked the man to turn it down as I was working and on a work call and the music meant I couldn't hear properly and concentrate and thanked him. It went down for a few seconds and then he turned it mega loud, put the speaker by my back door (fence seperates) and it's still on now.

I have had a few difficult years in rentals so finally hoped I had found somewhere to settle :( I have emailed the agency to let them know what happened but I am scared this is going to be it for ever now. He's going to do stupid things in retaliation. The music has been on very loud for going up to two hours now. Surprised no other neighbours are going off their head.

I have also found out he's been in trouble with the law for carrying an offensive weapon so quite shook up now. What can I do?

Appalled the agents haven't got back to you. Keep on their case. And as PP have said, keep a note of the occurrences and if you can, record yourself at workstation so the volume is clear.

Good luck. Just takes one selfish lot to ruin a neighbourhood.

The only legal recourse is enviromental health, but that's pretty much the nuclear option.

@DadJoke I don't want to go down that route. I'll move instead.

@crosstalk They have now but there isn't much they can do. It's all for the council to deal with.

Unfortunately it looks like moving is my best option. Hopefully it'll be for the best.

It will be for the best! I moved and whilst my anxiety is still bad it's honestly nothing like it was before. Wishing you so much peace x

I think the only option is to move. Much as it pains me to say that... I am in a similar situation - I actually live rurally and my neighbours are a long way away but the proximity of their garden and the fact they built a massive brick wall all around it now makes the noise unbearable. It is a strange phenomenon but the brick wall acts like an amphitheatre and the sound is dreadful. We bought this house 10 years ago as our forever home (grade 11 listed chocolate box cottage in a peaceful location backing onto fields), spent an absolute fortune renovating to our tastes with no intention of ever moving out and then they moved in. Shrieking kids, music, bouncy castles, hot tubs etc. He is a solicitor as well, but obviously just entitled and arrogant and think he owns the road. We have tried to engage to no avail and the decision has been made to sell because I have come to the conclusion it simply will never ever end and my mental health cannot cope with it for much longer. The house was valued yesterday and will be going on the market in a week or two. Bastards..

@user1471538283 Aww, anxiety is awful isn't it? The best of luck in your lovely house!

@Cosmos45 That sounds terrible. People are just awful! I hope you find your forever home with the loveliest neighbours. Remember, karma will catch up with these bastards!

They're out there now doing never ending DIY. It's been happening every evening and all day weekends since i've moved in. They must love noise. Bastards.

Instead of feeling sad about moving, think of all the positives. When you do look for a new rental, make sure you check out the area, visit at different times and the usual things MN advise people to do. You’ll find another home to love and care for. The weather will be warming up and days getting longer and your current NDN will be even worse.

Be a squeaky wheel and get the agents to respond to your enquiry. Look for somewhere new so you’re doing something proactive and taking control, and preparing yourself mentally and emotionally to move. You’re lucky because you can move easily: it’s far harder for others

@Cosmos45

I think the only option is to move. Much as it pains me to say that... I am in a similar situation - I actually live rurally and my neighbours are a long way away but the proximity of their garden and the fact they built a massive brick wall all around it now makes the noise unbearable. It is a strange phenomenon but the brick wall acts like an amphitheatre and the sound is dreadful. We bought this house 10 years ago as our forever home (grade 11 listed chocolate box cottage in a peaceful location backing onto fields), spent an absolute fortune renovating to our tastes with no intention of ever moving out and then they moved in. Shrieking kids, music, bouncy castles, hot tubs etc. He is a solicitor as well, but obviously just entitled and arrogant and think he owns the road. We have tried to engage to no avail and the decision has been made to sell because I have come to the conclusion it simply will never ever end and my mental health cannot cope with it for much longer. The house was valued yesterday and will be going on the market in a week or two. Bastards..

This is so sad and heartbreaking

@starcat2020 I know it's not that simple but the point of ringing 101 is just to get the incident number. We have a new agent now who I'm still holding out judgement on appears to be more proactive than the last one and they advised me to keep a diary and log all noise incidents with 101 and when they tell me they can't come out just to tell them yes I know you won't but can I have the incident number anyway please?

I am honestly happy for anyone that gets any sort of neighbour nuisance dealt with effectively.

I spent a good few years doing the "Noise Diary", 101 logging, landlord contacting etc etc

In my situation nothing made any difference.

Some of the advice on here is naive to say the least but the main two things that are misunderstood are the after 11pm noise thing and contacting the landlord.

The after 11pm thing is ridiculous because even after logging records of constant breaches of this several councils do nothing.

Contacting the landlord of the noisy twats usually has no effect either because as long as the landlord is getting their rent money, they don't give a toss. They don't live there.

I did administrate a Noisy Neighbours forum for a long time so I heard so many stories just like these.

In the end I had to stop because I just felt so angry at how decent people were suffering and NNs were laughing at them.

I don’t understand this country. I found articles from the 90s, showing that the government were trying to do something about this as there were murders & suicides because of neighbour noise disputes. Yet now the police & council have completely left people to it. I just don’t understand. People have an incentive NOT to declare issues & just move so that another misfortunate person has to live with it. It’s a conflict of interests, it makes no sense. People say ‘move’ & that it’s easy if you’re renting, if you’re disabled & on minimum wage, it’s not easy. I my town there are 0 rentals because people from cities have flocked & taken over the few rentals usually on the market. My neighbours slam the door so hard it shakes my bed & sets my dog of barking & giving me panic attacks yet there’s nowhere to move around here, I walk to work & am disabled so I have to stay near my job. I’m really not surprised people are driven to suicide but I don’t understand why the situation is just left to fester by authorities. In Germany, the police have to come for every report of neighbour problems. Why don’t they do this here?

@StarCat2020 I really feel your pain

@Dashel exactly! In Germany the police have to come out for every report of neighbour issue. Here the authorities have just abdicated responsibility. I found articles from the 90s where they were trying to fix the issue because of murders & suicides caused by neighbour noise disputes & nothing since then.

I agree that it's easier to move. I would still log a complaint with the authorities as that might be a good turn to the next person who lives in your house.

I do have some good news stories about neighbours from hell, not in UK though. I had three separate lots - in three separate areas, when the kids were very young. It was miserable.

First lot turned out to be 'guests' of the actual social housing tenant and they were removed after a number of contacts and one of the shittiest letters I've ever written.

Second and third lot, we got hold of the LL's number, passed it round the neighbours, most of whom complained when the music was on at night. Second lot chucked out - I don't know how LL swung that one, second lot didn't have tenancy removed.

On each occasion the authorities were as much use as a chocolate teapot.

It was a formative experience for me, making me realise why the Daily Mail is so popular. It understands that some people are just feral and need a kick in the teeth.

My view is that laws should a) allow NFH to be sued by neighbours in small claims / tenancy court, and get damages from the NFH's bond - and allow LLs to require them to top up the bond or be evicted.

That would give NFH a reason to behave and LLs a reason to be interested in the behaviours of their tenants.

Last post but one should be "LL swung that one, second lot didn't have tenancy renewed.

So we have a 100% success rate from 3, but it was v stressful plus we have a kamikaze streak.

Many years ago I had a secure tenancy in a housing association which I had to give up because of a noisy neighbour. The HA would not evict him and in truth is is extremely difficult to evict on anti social grounds unless you have multiple complaints from different people, witness statements, diary and cctv evidence as well as police involvement. A year after I moved out I took revenge (nothing violent but nasty). I wont say what I did but there was a great deal of satisfaction in it.

Private LLs are very reluctant to become involved in neighbour disputes unless they involve an enforceable breach of the tenancy.

In my experience they don't get involved even if there is an enforceable breach (and loud music is generally one where I live). One has to get their balls in a vice, and that can be a problem if they have none.

@Cosmos45 that sounds awful. We've just moved away from a shitty neighbour to find almost exactly the same issues at the new house.
We're relatively rural and there's only 5 houses but the shrieking from kids is ridiculous. Massive bouncy castles and inflatable slides (those found at funfairs etc), loud music, hot tubs, shouting and swearing - it's awful.
Our attached neighbour appears to be deaf as a post as the tv and music noise blaring through the walls is unbearable. The floors actually shake it's so loud. We can't use the garden or open any windows and doors either due to the thick smoke pumping from his chimneys all day, even in good weather.

Don't make the same mistake I did and move in haste to get away from an awful neighbour. Sometimes it's jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

@StarCat2020 I really feel your pain
Thank you but I feel guilty now as perhaps I should have mentioned that my NNs went of their own accord after five years of hell.

BTW I totally agree with your other post about incentives to not declare NNs, it is a fucking joke.

Private LLs are very reluctant to become involved in neighbour disputes unless they involve an enforceable breach of the tenancy
As long as a LL is getting their rent money there is no reason for them to get involved.

It is fucking awful to write that but sadly it is true.

Getting involved is not only an admission that there have been neighbour issues (which can subsequently reduce the property value as it legally has to be declared) but also could affect their income due to a break in rent money received.

Also a breach of the tenancy is totally irrelevant to any one other than the LL and the tenant.

When a tenant breaches the tenancy it is the landlord who can seek to take action nobody else.

It is all so fucking wrong.

Have a talk with them again,they might of just thought it was only troubling you at that moment in time,to own there own house they must be working folks so if that doesn't work buy some earplugs & stick your own speakers out the door with classical FM blasting when they are having there own quiet time

I didn’t know the police didn’t actually try to resolve noise disputes in the UK. I’ve never had to contact them when I lived in England, neighbours have always been decent, but all other countries I’ve lived in, the police takes these things seriously. The reprimand will be more severe if they need to come out twice in a row, and you’re encouraged to call them again if the music/loud noise starts again after they leave. I don’t understand why the police or the council wouldn’t do anything here... It sounds unbearable

I’m sorry OP. You will find somewhere lovely to live and hopefully without such inconsiderate neighbours. It will improve your life so much, it’ll be worth it.

@Esquire3

Have a talk with them again,they might of just thought it was only troubling you at that moment in time,to own there own house they must be working folks so if that doesn't work buy some earplugs & stick your own speakers out the door with classical FM blasting when they are having there own quiet time

So when the OP asked them to turn it down because she was on a work call, they took it as if that call would last five minutes, then they thought the OP would enjoy them turning it up even louder? No, it wasn’t a misunderstanding. They sound inconsiderate and rude.

What’s working got to do with their noise levels?

First lot turned out to be 'guests' of the actual social housing tenant and they were removed after a number of contacts and one of the shittiest letters I've ever written.

Second and third lot, we got hold of the LL's number, passed it round the neighbours, most of whom complained when the music was on at night. Second lot chucked out - I don't know how LL swung that one, second lot didn't have tenancy removed.

@TomPinch thankyou re the contact details I find that interesting. I have had mine in my pocket for a little while now but hesitated handing them out as don't want to drag the neighbours into it. I've also found that I only ever get any action when I cc the boss of the landlords in to any emails. Unfortunately I've had a bad experience when the former agent came round after several noise complaints and told me off for not keeping the garden tidy enough (it was some bulky waste waiting to be collected and not hazardous at all). It made me reluctant to ever raise an issue again until said agent was promoted God knows how elsewhere. I showed them the drug paraphernalia being thrown over into our garden, she never even noted it down (considering the house had young children they really should have done) and to this day I still think she was just pissed they got a bollocking off the police because of the complete lack of inaction over the relentless noise nuisance.