Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours guitar and singing

37 replies

User145655 · 12/01/2023 15:46

Is it reasonable for me to ask my neighbour (terrace) to play his guitar (and sing at the top of his lungs) in a room that doesn't adjoin our property and/or play his guitar/ sing after working hours (i.e. after 17:00)?

OP posts:
SummerWinterSummerWinter · 12/01/2023 15:47

No - because it's a house and not an office.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 12/01/2023 15:47

Not really. He can do that in his own house. I'm probably not the best person to say that though as we have a multitude of musical instruments in our house and song as well 🙈. We're semi detached though.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 12/01/2023 15:48

Sing not song

Tricolette · 12/01/2023 15:50

If you're wfh then you can't apply office rules to your neighbours.
If you can't go to the office then it's tough.

unclebuck · 12/01/2023 15:53

He might be wfh too - not everyone has an office job

LaFemmeDamnee · 12/01/2023 15:55

My neighbour in the flat upstairs used to sing and play from 11pm until 3am, even when I got up at 5am for work I just had to suck it up. At least it's guitar and not drums or bagpipes.

gogohmm · 12/01/2023 16:09

Perhaps he's a guitar and singing teacher! Yabu. DD's piano teacher was in a terraced house

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 12/01/2023 16:11

LaFemmeDamnee · 12/01/2023 15:55

My neighbour in the flat upstairs used to sing and play from 11pm until 3am, even when I got up at 5am for work I just had to suck it up. At least it's guitar and not drums or bagpipes.

I play the drums lol. Gosh if it was bagpipes I would have to move out 🤣

Dotjones · 12/01/2023 16:13

Surprised everyone says YABU. You should be able to enjoy your own home. If noise can be heard from another property, it's too loud. There has to be a bit of give and take regarding essential tasks and maintenance that generates noise of course - a washing machine is noisy no matter how you try to minimise the impact it has on others - but things like music shouldn't be heard outside of your property.

Unfortunately most people seem to take the attitude "I'm fine so fuck everyone else" as you have seen.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 12/01/2023 16:15

I will wear my headphones with my drums if I think neighbours can hear. Have you gone round to ask him to keep it down op?

midgetastic · 12/01/2023 16:21

You can ask if it's possible for them to use a different room, at the same time check that he's happy to let you know if the noise gets too much

You can also get noise cancelling headphones

Original poster
User145655 · 12/01/2023 16:41

Thanks - he doesn't work or teach music.

The problem is it happened today whilst I was in a client call (I had headphones but could hear it through my headphones as it was so loud he was literally wailing. The sound proofing is clearly terrible.)

OP posts:
Emmamoo89 · 12/01/2023 16:42

Yabu

TheSpottedZebra · 12/01/2023 16:46

User145655 · 12/01/2023 16:41

Thanks - he doesn't work or teach music.

The problem is it happened today whilst I was in a client call (I had headphones but could hear it through my headphones as it was so loud he was literally wailing. The sound proofing is clearly terrible.)

The sound proofing that you've applied to your room?

RedHelenB · 12/01/2023 17:18

SummerWinterSummerWinter · 12/01/2023 15:47

No - because it's a house and not an office.

This.

girlfriend44 · 12/01/2023 17:25

Oh just be happy he is singing and sing along. Could be alot worse.
If ppl want no noise at all they will have to go detached.
You will never get exactly what you want in a Semi. Humans make noise.

Fushiadreams · 12/01/2023 17:25

No you can’t ask that but you can ask him to reduce volume. You shouldn’t be disturbed to that level in your home, it’s not about you working, just he doesn’t have the right to make so much noise

Plumbear2 · 12/01/2023 17:31

It's not his problem that you work from home. My teens practise their instruments, as long as it's not to late or not to early than you carnt really complain. In my house it's not before 11am and not after 7pm.

Menopants · 12/01/2023 17:35

My downstairs neighbour used to play bagpipes. He once asked what time I put baby dd to bed as he had a friend coming round to play . Then they provided to commence playing at the exact moment I put her down.

old cunt

DDivaStar · 12/01/2023 17:41

You will hear some noise and he is entitled tk use his home all day and night. Yes you can ask if he could use a different room but ultimately its up to you to figure your environment is suitable gir work, could you move to a different room ?

EmilyGilmoresSass · 12/01/2023 17:42

User145655 · 12/01/2023 16:41

Thanks - he doesn't work or teach music.

The problem is it happened today whilst I was in a client call (I had headphones but could hear it through my headphones as it was so loud he was literally wailing. The sound proofing is clearly terrible.)

Not really his problem you're working from home though. Its his bloody house, he can do what he likes.

Original poster
User145655 · 12/01/2023 17:44

I think I have maybe just been way too considerate as I thought there was some kind of unwritten rule when living in terraces that you can't just make as much noise as you like. A PP above literally says though he can! I've been waiting for the neighbours to go out for example before doing DIY but it seems I shouldn't bother and will just start hammering and drilling as and when!

OP posts:
popyourcollar · 12/01/2023 17:56

I live in a terrace and I take the view that it's more about time of day - so no DIY at 7am but fine during the day. I wouldn't know if my neighbours are in or out, and if you have a workman coming round, you just have to get on with it.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 12/01/2023 17:57

Well yeah OP, you can. Drill and hammer away during the day.

You can complain if the music is too loud at unsociable hours (I think it's after 10pm maybe?) But during the day it's completely reasonable to make noise during the day.

Findyourneutralspace · 12/01/2023 18:03

If it’s a terrace, how does he have rooms that don’t adjoin? Or do you mean shift the problem to the neighbours the other side?

I love music. I wouldn’t have the heart to tell anyone to pack it in, especially not if they were making it themselves.