Please help :( Neighbours intentionally banging and slamming doors

[BeitMay]

Hi, i hope someone here can help with my situation or at the very least relate to it. This is a long story but one i hope will give a clearer picture.

My partner who has a disability moved into this property via the council after we were served a section 21 as the landlord wanted to sell the property. Once we were offered a council flat, the housing officer broke the bad news to me - your neighbours next to you have a active police investigation going for drug dealing. I was told to not knock on their door or to interreact them incase the police believe we are intending to buy said drugs.

Long story short - every night, every week - police would be out as the neighbours above would call the police on them (we never did) as they would fight, throw things at walls, throw each other at the damn walls.

Well, in the end the people above us moved out, then new neighbours moved in - they too heard all the fights, walls being hit and people being hit by the walls. They too moved out. So far 3 neighbours have moved out of the same property, for the same reason.

Finally, the drug dealing neighbours move out (dont know if through their own accord or not)...

But a family member lived below them, i dont even know how that is possible. To be moved into a property above your family member by the council.

Well, that family member believes it is us who complained and since their family member moved out - they have tried to make our lives hell. Why do they think it was us? Simple - council demanded next time police are called - i need to get a crime reference number. Well they saw me approach the police...so yeah they think it was us who called them.

At first they started banging on the walls - i recorded it, called the police next day and filed for harassment. I got a call back by the officer and he told me, yes they could take it forward but even if they prosecute them - they will get out and take it out on you more - told me our best bet was the council.

We went down the council route, they like children went quite for a short time until the case was closed. Then they invited their little frins on motorbikes to park in their garden, right next to our window and rev their bikes as much as they could, this went on for a few weeks.

Then they started to tap on the walls, play music from 1am to 4am soo loud you could hear it outside. My neighbour above thought it was us as they could hear it. But it was not us.

Then they started slamming their doors (all of them). Until one day i went "wow" and i could hear the person shout something but i could not make out the unknown human language they were speaking but it was directed at my "wow".

It's important to note we did previously get the MP involved and after back and fourths - they just advised us to move. But there is one big problem with that and the only reason i am making this post -

I brought up my wife has a disability as this place has been specially adapted for her. And if you have been on the housing register before - you prob know how hard it is to bid and get a new place.

So This is a freaking long message and i apologise. Maybe i needed to vent, maybe i needed advice or maybe i wanted to share this so that if any others have been in the situation - you are not alone.

If you do have any suggestions, please do. I understand door slamming might not be the worst thing to experience. But when you know they are 100% doing it to ruin your sleep or to get you to leave - it can add a lot of stress to your mental state.

Hope you enjoy my short novel and i do appreciate any help you can provide.

Thank you

If this is a noise issue then note down each time you hear it and once you feel you've got enough evidence go to the Council's Noise Team. Audio/video evidence is also good. You will have to provide at least a month's worth though. Be prepared for a long slog.

How would you feel about trying to get moved? I can't believe they put you there in the first place knowing the history.

We’ve been through similar, although we had it on both sides and from the back.

Very long story short, we moved. It’s not worth the toll it takes on your health, it’s really not.

Best of luck to you.

Hi Whatever2023, thank you for replying and your support!

We have indeed spoken to our neighbour above and he has written a statement he has heard the harassment through banging and slamming doors. I have also contacted the MP requesting a face to face meeting and my neighbour wants to come along.

I have started to keep a log now, i have brought some recording equipment to provide extra proof.

One thing i did not mention is that they do this intentionally during the early hours. During the day, which i can only assume is when they sleep, they are quite. But come the night, 2am slamming / banging. 4am slamming / banging.

There is no use me knocking on their door as that is prob want they want. To force me to confront them so they can play victim if anything happens.

My neighbour above me is thinking of moving out because of it.

I have ignored it, ignored it, and ignored it. But when someone is doing this to keep you awake or to wake you up - it becomes stressful.

Thanks again for your reply and i hope mine offers more details

Hi PoseyFlump,

Being moved would be an option, they i fear for the next person who moves in. This would be given to someone with disabilities as it has been fitted for my wife.

But being moved is really hard as we would need to either go for any flat and then hope to get funding for new adjustments to be made. Or wait for years to win a bid on the housing register. This is an option and maybe the last one.

Hey ChiefAdjusterOfRubensShorts,

I feel your pain and i am sorry this happened to you too. But i am happy you were able to move and get peace of mind at last.

Sadly, moving is really down to the council. When we moved into that private property - it was all our savings we had. I had to give up work to care full time for my wife. So our income is low. Therefore we rely on the council to rehome us. And seeing as they won't see us as a priority - we will have to bid and our place on the register will be low as we have a home atm.

Unless there is another way to be rehomed or to get up on the list higher?

Thanks for replying!

Hey JacobsCrackersCheeseFogg,

We have begun recording and documenting the noise. Though i don't know if the council will do anything. But slamming doors at night can not be allowed? I mean past midnight onwards?

I don't want to be petty and annoy the other neighbours being doing it back to them.

Oh OP! I'm so sorry. This sounds awful. I would personally go on the list to be moved and wait as long as it took for a suitable place to come up. I understand that will be a long time but it might make you feel like there is a chance of getting away?

The only other thing I can think of is asking someone - perhaps the housing association? Or the police? To tell them that it wasn't you who complained and got their family moved so could they leave you alone. I don't know if that will work though.

Could you ask the housing association for better carper with thicker underlay?

I think going on the waiting list maybe our only option. It will take a long time but maybe a good thing will be knowing it will come within a set time. My main concern is my partner having the facilities she needs.

We were given the option to wait until we got moved and apply for grant for the adaptions. But my partner needed them asap. So we folded and went with staying so she could have a shower and not hurt herself or me trying to get in and out of a bath. Lifting someone in and out of a bath is soo tough, because she can not hold onto me. Had a lifting belt but everytime it was soo hard to get her in. and getitng her out of the bath took a long time as had to stop and make sure i had her securely.

In terms of the carpet - i dont think they even have one. I could ask the council to install some kind of door frame to prevent doors slamming on their end. That would then show if they started to slam them to make noise - it is proof of intentional noise. Prob wont be as loud, which even that would be a relief.

Ah if they don't have a carpet that won't be helping.

Perhaps they could put those soft close self closing fire things on all their doors!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this shit.

The extremely petty side of me would want to encourage all of the neighbours who have been affected by their noise to develop a love for thrash metal and start blasting it out at about 9am and go out for the day! I bet not many doors would be banged during the night if they had, had no sleep.

The more practical side of me would contact the ASB Help charity for advice as they will have probably dealt with this situation before and have some better ideas. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=asbhelp.co.uk/%23:~:text%3DASB%2520Help%2520is%2520a%2520registered,suffering%2520from%2520anti%252Dsocial%2520behaviour.&ved=2ahUKEwjI7dWkiYj-AhUXS8AKHS6VDGUQFnoECA8QBA&usg=AOvVaw0Yus5SL2ijvGdGAZ4tjVnv

Good luck OP.

Hey JacobsCrackersCheeseFogg

Thank you sooo much for the info and link. I too thought about getting out my electric guitar that i have not played on the amp in years (i use headphones so not to annoy others) and play that during the day. See how much sleep they get then.

But then like you, the other side of me tells me that is prob going to just given them something to complain about.

That being said, i am going to do some of the tips that website offered. I am going to ask for noise monitoring device to be installed. That way they can slam their damn doors as loud as they like - the recording will pick it up and i will have the evidence i need. And hopefully a notice can be served.

I really dont care what noise they make in the day. I have lived using headphones so not to annoy people with my tv sounds or music. Yeah i never had to do that but i always believed my day to day life should not impact others. So both myself and my wife have used headphones since we moved in.

Again, thank you for the link and the advice. I am more hopeful now.

Sorry my reply was to you TheUnicornsGoHawaiian.

You know that might be an idea. One i will suggest to the council.

Thank you and also for your support and your wishes.

Hi Beitmay,

how did you get on with this issue? I ask because I’m currently in the exact same situation. My neighbour below me is slamming his door as hard as he can all night and because I have PTSD it triggers awful panic attacks. My housing association are useless, they’ve been telling me to collect evidence for four years- I’ve sent in hundreds of recordings etc yet they still do nothing. They simply don’t care who they house you next too- in fact, I’m of the belief now that they do it deliberate and it’s all a game to them. I’m at my wits end and all areas of my life are affected by lack of sleep. About six months ago the degenerate below me had the gall to say hello, and I spoke to him very cordially and said can he stop the door slamming and he tried to blame it on someone else going in and out of his property. Well, I was annoyed at myself for saying anything because since then he does it even more. I just don’t know what to do and I’m in no financial position to move and it would be extremely difficult to find a landlord who would let me keep my cat. It’s funny, we’re not allowed to have pets but the antisocial scumbags can do anything they like.
I hope things have resolved for you, but if you have any advice I’d really be grateful. 🙏

The problem with winning g a bid on a new home is that you may get housed next to similar tenants. I’ve already been rehoused four years ago because of asb and they put this degenerate underneath me knowing I had a disability and ptsd. They just don’t care. I bet they’d care if it were them being kept awake every night. It’s just so wrong!

That’s such a good idea! I’ve already asked my HA to do something like that to his door but they’re not interested. This neighbour of mine has smashed his window and broke his own door four times by slamming it, and yet they just keep coming out to fix it and don’t charge him money or a breach of tenancy for wilful damage! I bet if I damaged my property I’d be slung out! All they keep saying is this “there are complexities involved and we don’t want to set him up for failure”- can you believe that?! My blood boils.

Hmm, sounds like and I could be wrong substance abuse, or alcoholism!? Hence the council stating 'There are complexities involved.' That is really I sensative and cowardly of the council. May I ask is it council or Housing Association,?
I know most Housing Associations (HA) have a policy whereby after being with them for a set amount of time (1year) best check! You can request, put in for a move. Trey and find other HA in your area and if your not already check your on the Housing Register, up here it's called 'The Property Pool,'. It's crap tbh but has its advantages especially as there is a disability in the family! That should give you a higher priority.
Seriously, yes, hell we've been through the exact same thing! My story is long too., but he got evicted!! After 5 years of hell!!
It destroys you mentally, emotionally and impacts on your everyday life, yes... It's a living freaking nightmare!

Our HA our offering us a move to a bungalow I'm 60 hubby 76 so it's a waiting game tbh.
But This other option might interest you. Contact Anchor (if you or your partner are 55 or over). But, don't let age discourage you because there is disability involved they may well just help you, it's worth a try, speak to them, I will try and pop a link on... Try, she says OML.
Seriously though it sounds to me as if these flats are used for first timers on the council/HA ladder and they have a policy to house those with 'issues,' not knocking people with those issues, but they don't make good tenants!

Think of yourselves here... Start looking to get out, as believe me as on flat becomes vacant they are just going to put yet another nightmare in!
Claim your life back and try to get out
https://www.anchor.org.uk/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmt24BhDPARIsAJFYKk3bkpHMP_BUsVXAnOpLxY2Lt4_upiPAPKenhNv9mQxTZX4-VfaaVRMaAr_JEALw_wcB

My daughter and me are going through the same thing for months now. Thought we were getting on OK with them then something changed. I did try and speak to the couple next door but the husband was evasive and even gaslighted me that it was not happening, even though it was very loud banging starting any time between 10:30pm to 04:30am, several times a night and door banging in quick succession extremely loudly. Shocked us out of our sleep to the extent I have lost sight in right eye due to eye stroke after one very loud and prolonged session. Local Council do not deal with slamming doors because they say it is hard to prove. Police refer you to the Council. Am keeping a diary of times and noise level and may be able to get case heard privately (though I doubt I can afford that) at Magistrates Court. They are obviously trying to get us out. I have told a couple of my neighbours. One the other side and the lady next door to him, who is sympathetic. Am hoping neighbour disapproval will stop his psychotic behaviour.