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?

If you are in touch with the landlord id speak directly to them, i agree the easiest thing to do is move when you have twat neighbours but the landlord may have another property they can arrange for you.

This makes me so angry! There should be a campaign to better support people in this situation.

We are moving in part because of horrendous noisy neighbours. They work late, get home at 11pm and start partying. I had to sleep in the kitchen one night on the other side of the house, as it went on until 4am. More generally I agree with the poster who said playing music for the ‘enjoyment’ of the whole neighbourhood is such a selfish thing to do. I have got to the point where certain sounds set of my anxiety even if that evening actually turns out ok.

It’s a shame you have to move OP, I hope you find somewhere calm. The impact on mh of this situation shouldn’t be ignored.

Noise nuisance is extremely stressful. Fortunately the unemployed teen who subjected us to his 'music' when his mother wasn't around, grew up and got a job.

It was one of the hardest issues to try and resolve when I was a local authority housing worker. Some people are just arseholes, and use intimidation to stifle genuine complaints. Others complain maliciously about neighbours they don't like, and without actual evidence it can be a 'he said she said' situation.

So sorry OP, people like your neighbours are a different species. Everyone should be entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of their home.

It is a shame that all the NNs don't go and live somewhere together where they can make noise and party to their hearts' content and leave the rest of us the fuck alone.

@Jennifer2021

Do you and the nightmare neighbours have the same LL? Surely that would present am opportunity to grab, squeeze and twist.

@StarCat2020

It is a shame that all the NNs don't go and live somewhere together where they can make noise and party to their hearts' content and leave the rest of us the fuck alone.

I agree. Preferably in a ditch somewhere remote.

@Cosmos45 @catfeets I am sorry for both of you. DH are very noise intolerant and moved from our last house due to what most people would class as normal family noise, but for us listening to children cry and hearing music in our garden isn’t what we wanted. It used to be a single older lady who was so quiet. Before that house we lived on an average sort of street and there was a guy who would spend the day tinkering with his car with the music on so loud that the whole street would have heard it

We moved to a house where the nearest neighbour is nearly two miles away and we are surrounded by fields. Sometimes it feels too remote, but then we pop into a local town and the noise just isn’t for us.

Homes need to be better insulated against noise and there needs to be better ways of mediating and enforcing issues on this subject as the easiest solution is to move and that just gives the noisy sods the idea that they can drive people out of their homes and whilst I understand why people do it, it isn’t fair on them or their buyers/new tenants

I agree. Preferably in a ditch somewhere remote
Good idea

@Gothichouse40

Thing is, if you move, you have absolutely no guarantees your next neighbours won't be the same or worse. Personally, Id bring in a law that nobody can play music in gardens at all. I don't know why but as soon as the sun appears, other people think you want to listen to their music. NO,we don't. I'm fortunate my neighbours play it fairly low, but all it takes is a change of tenant. I'd keep a diary and then complain to the Council. Definitely complain to the landlord. I would ignore neighbours from now on. Perhaps it differs from place to place but Im sure there is a no noise rule between certain times. Like another poster Im late 50s and cannot remember such selfishness and inconsideration from neighbours. I also think Lockdown has played a part as I know noisy neighbour complaints have increased to our Council. It's very difficult, Ive had inconsiderate neighbours and very sorry for anyone going through this.

I don't think people should be allowed to play music above a certain decibel level in any garden or attached home at all.

EVERY day there are threads featuring cunts who do this.

And some people actually don't deserve a home at all.

@TomPinch yes we do. Ideally she should have been thrown out the last time she caused everyone a headache but I remember the agent telling me she didn't want to cause offence by asking them to keep the noise down and the surrounding neighbours all seem to be scared of reporting too. Understandable when the whackjob she has already had her mother threaten me through the cctv workmen.

Thankyou for the @StarCat2020 it's so draining isn't it?
Agree with the pp who said they all need to go live in a ditch somewhere!

Perhaps there should be a law to say tenants (with proof of) noisy neighbours can move with no notice. If a LL is continually losing rent because no one will live there they would soon sort it!

@stillcrazyafterall good idea!

@stillcrazyafterall I like that suggestion. Our street is renowned for it to the point no one wants it if you paid them and in spite of the fact it has the two most sought after secondary schools on its doorstep. Wish someone had forewarned me before I moved in.

@stillcrazyafterall

Perhaps there should be a law to say tenants (with proof of) noisy neighbours can move with no notice. If a LL is continually losing rent because no one will live there they would soon sort it!

What do you expect LLs to do? Genuine question? It is very difficult for a LL to do anything about a noisy tenant in their own property. It is impossible for them to do anything about one in the property next door.

Tenants are protected. At the moment it is 6 months notice to ask a tenant to leave, and if they refuse to go, the eviction process is protracted. As PP said upthread it takes about 2 years.

The only thing that you can do is make a report to environmental health.

government link

If there is an on-going nuisance they will install monitoring equipment and serve a noise abatement notice if the case is proven. I'm not sure of the process if they do not comply with the noise abatement notice.

Personally I'd move.

Move. The type of person who turns music up, when you have politely asked for it to be turned down, isn’t someone you can reason with

Totally agree with this. This reaction tells you everything about what a low life scum this person is and you cannot reason with them because they have no reason/logic/empathy. Their entire interactions are built on conflict and hatred/bitterness and getting one over on people. Moving is the only solution that will instantly stop this escalating.

@stillcrazyafterall

Perhaps there should be a law to say tenants (with proof of) noisy neighbours can move with no notice. If a LL is continually losing rent because no one will live there they would soon sort it!

Sorry but this is ridiculous. Its hard enough evicting your own tenants when they have trashed your property let alone getting rid of tenant neighbours who live in someone elses house!

Have you never seen the programme nightmare neighbours? people who OWN their own houses can do nothing to stop their neighbours threatening them and doing all kind of anti social things- its not as easy as you make out. Its incredible stressful and problematic.

There's nothing worse especially when he has a previous charge for an offensive weapon.
I'd go down the landlord route over police the police can anger him and you won't get protection unless he physically assaults you.

I would ask the landlord if any previous tenants have ever mentioned noise or problems with neighbours, and if they have say it was inequitable for them to lease to you without warning, give them all the details and see if you can negotiate out of the lease.

They are unchangeable selfish pigs. Move.

One of the benefits of renting is being able to move relatively easily.

It's always a shame when the neighbours spoil it.

I don't think people should be allowed to play music above a certain decibel level in any garden or attached home at all..

I agre, it's anti - social behaviour. How to enforce it though...

I would ask the landlord if any previous tenants have ever mentioned noise or problems with neighbours, and if they have say it was inequitable for them to lease to you without.
Good idea, tell LL you're requesting information of any previous complaint through the council.
If this is a previous issues I'd want my deposit plus compensation or alternatively the LL can get involved in sorting out the noisy neighbours.

If you do decide to move make sure the LL is aware he is setting tenants up for failure and leave a note somewhere for the next tenants.

[quote Jennifer2021]@TomPinch yes we do. Ideally she should have been thrown out the last time she caused everyone a headache but I remember the agent telling me she didn't want to cause offence by asking them to keep the noise down and the surrounding neighbours all seem to be scared of reporting too. Understandable when the whackjob she has already had her mother threaten me through the cctv workmen.

Thankyou for the @StarCat2020 it's so draining isn't it?
Agree with the pp who said they all need to go live in a ditch somewhere! [/quote]
Where I live, tenants are contractually entitled to reasonable peace, comfort, or privacy in the property and the LL is not allowed to permit a breach of this. It's also a standard term that neighbours have the same right against the tenant.

I'd be tempted to say this means that the LL is obliged to sort their noisy tenants' shit out for my benefit.

I've no idea if that's true or not, but it's the sort of thing that can make LLs decide it's easier to sort out their ratbag tenants than ignore you.

We learned to fight a bit dirty

OP, if it turns out that you have a 12 month contract you may still be able to move as they normally have a 6 month break clause, so check your tenancy agreement for something like that and how much notice you would have to give.