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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour reported us to the council

216 replies

EchothatICreated · 07/12/2023 21:45

We moved in 18(ish) months ago (semidetached) and we’ve been renovating the whole house. The last weekend we had builders in who worked until 8pm.

They worked that late as this was the last day of completing all the big jobs in the house. Apart from that one day we’ve only had work done between 8am and 4pm. Just one night we didn’t and she reported us. Aibu?

OP posts:
Hiddenone123 · 08/12/2023 09:55

But what is the actual restriction and on whom?

Ilikeblacklabsandicannotlie · 08/12/2023 10:53

@Hiddenone123 according to DM's council (our council website is diabolically bad and contains no useful information) it applies to DIY as well as contractors and professional builders.

DIY (Do-it-Yourself) handy work should be carried out:

  • Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm
  • Saturday from 8am to 1pm
  • Sunday and public and bank holidays (only for emergencies)
2jacqi · 08/12/2023 16:30

ActDottie · 07/12/2023 22:06

It’s not about whether it’s a reasonable time… it’s what the law states and 8pm is past the time that works can be carried out and quite rightly.

Show quote history

it looks like councils can set their own times! I have just looked at Carmarthenshire. their time to stop diy on a sunday is 5pm but 7pm on a saturday. only three hours so not much

Daphnis156 · 08/12/2023 16:50

You are terrible neighbours with work going on forever and at all times.
Just buy something you want to live in as it is.

grandehorizontale · 08/12/2023 18:06

I have reported my neighbours for being similarly inconsiderate. Do you realise what it is to come in dog tired to hear the sound of stone-cutting or whatever until 8 pm? Show some consideration to your neighbours please.

NewNan21 · 08/12/2023 18:08

Damage limitation; you should have let them know. A small gift would have been good for relationships.

BreatheAndFocus · 08/12/2023 18:30

After all these months, they probably thought you had now decided to add in weekend work so their brief two days of peace were being destroyed. I’ve had building work going on next to me for weeks and it’s driving me mad.

Sorry but you sound thoughtless.

Sleepytiredyawn · 08/12/2023 18:38

I currently have new neighbours doing this and they haven’t fully moved in yet. This has been ongoing for a good month or so. We’ve had full weekends with banging, even weekdays. We’ve understood that they just want to get the place sorted to move In and we haven’t said anything. We have young kids and know they’re noisy so we’ve just let it be. But recently, possibly due to their work schedule, they’ve been starting late in the evening and banging around 7pm ish onwards as I’m trying to put the kids to bed and this has really pissed me off. Other than this, they’re quiet with the other stuff they’re doing. Like I said, we understand they want to get it right to move in but if this continued for an extra 16 months words would definitely be had.

MMAS · 08/12/2023 18:39

YABU 18 months of constant renovations next door or nearby that causes noise is too long. It sounds like you have moved into an neighbourhood of mostly elderly people who have the right to enjoy peace and quiet. Even if that is not the case, you could have asked nicely if ok just to get things done but sounds like you didn't. Entitled or possibly Narcissistic springs to mind. As someone else mentioned, the Council NEVER identifies who makes the complaint so you could well be blaming the wrong person. By the mere fact you post here after 18 months of renovations with no mention of previous complaints, smacks that you know you were in the wrong in the first place.

KnittingSister · 08/12/2023 18:59

After so long with neighbour's renovations and a child who didn't sleep, at 9 o'clock at night, I was threatening to put the drill through the head of the guy doing the work, reporting to the council is probably better...

Pinkelephant66 · 08/12/2023 19:00

Some people with literally moan about everything. It was a one off. Who cares!

Barney60 · 08/12/2023 19:21

Living next door to people who are renovating, its as annoying as f*, law states building work is 8am-6pm weekdays Sat 8am-1pm no work allowed on Sundays.
We are all busy people and deserve a bit of peace and quiet in our own homes especially on a weekend.
You should of had the respect to go round and ask if it was ok.

MrsMarzetti · 08/12/2023 19:30

What the hell have you been doing for 18 months ? You are in a semi not a mansion.

MaybeImbad · 08/12/2023 19:33

If my neighbour came round with a tin of biscuits or bottle of wine (or even empty handed) and said ‘look, I’m sorry we’re nearly there - but we’re trying to get it done by Christmas so going to go on til 8pm tonight. Thanks so much for your patience.’

I’d be fine with it.

If I’d not seen or heard anything from them apart from constant building works and it went on til 8pm then damn straight I’d complain. For all I knew that would be the new pattern of 12 hours a day for the foreseeable.

Which approach to your neighbours did you take?

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 08/12/2023 19:35

Hiddenone123 · 08/12/2023 08:46

For those who are saying 18 months is a long time, it’s not as if it’s constant noise. That’s the average time period that a home owner takes to complete self managed renovations.

You don’t know that.

My neighbours renovation was constant noise - if there wasn’t drilling there was banging and if there was neither there was sawing or builders yelling to each other up and down the drive.

it was literally constant for 8 full months

Peaton · 08/12/2023 19:42

Why are you doing all that work to a council house cos i certainly wouldnt and if its a bought house then there is nothing the council can do

PeachyPeachTrees · 08/12/2023 19:45

YABU The workmen didn't just go over by half an hour, but by 7 hours. The neighbours didn't know it was a one off and were probably at the end of their patience.

OldPerson · 08/12/2023 19:57

You sound like a nightmare neighbour. They've had to put up with your renovations for 18 months??? That's longer than most prison sentences, which don't include torture. How much advance notice have you given them, when a weekend won't be quiet? How much thought have you given to the quality of their lives? What have you done to keep them informed of plans and set their expectations? You're happy - your house is improving. They're not happy - the enjoyment of their home has been shattered. They'll probably only want to kill you the day you have a big, loud party to celebrate all your home improvement achievements - and I bet you wouldn't even think about inviting them. Stupidest thing in the world to make enemies of your neighbours.

jannier · 08/12/2023 20:04

18 months awful....we could hear our neighbour sanding plaster in the bedroom it was awful especially when I had a migraine so 18 months of even quiet jobs can be disruptive let alone builders.

pollymere · 08/12/2023 20:10

We renovated our own property. We were frequently working when we got back from work or at weekends. It seems unfair to me unless they are doing very loud work late at night.

jannier · 08/12/2023 20:11

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 07/12/2023 23:30

I have learned through my several decades of life that there are a lot of intolerant people in this world!

You could have had builders working until midnight 7 days a week and I wouldn't complain - not even to you, let alone the council.

YANBU

Your either deaf live in a detached house or never had months of banging on the party wall and thumping around in steel toe cap boots on bare floorboards let alone at weekends

riceuten · 08/12/2023 20:24

You are being unreasonable. If they’ve worked at home, they’ve presumably also been disturbed over the last 18 months. I find it hard to believe - from multiple personal experiences - that the builders you employed worked strictly 8-4 every day. That doesn’t sound like any builder I have encountered.

All of this said, the LA will (possibly) write to you and ask you to cease and desist, and if it never happens again, you have no reason to worry.

TheDogIsInCharge · 08/12/2023 20:39

Mrsttcno1 · 07/12/2023 22:10

YABU. In my local area the council states building work must be 8-6 Mon-Fri, Saturdays is 8:30-2, and not allowed at all on Sundays.

So if you had people there working entire days Sat & Sun, you were massively outside of these times and I’m not surprised that they have complained. You can be fined for this if they have proof of work being done outside of those times, we had to do this a couple of years ago as our neighbouring house was having work done but they weren’t living there at the time. The builders just made their own time rules up and after being reported with photo and video evidence of them working outside of hours a fine was issued, rightly so

Our council states 1pm on a Saturday. And after dealing with excessive noise every bank holiday this year up to June, during a five month build that actually took 11 months, I complained to our neighbours and reminded them of the rules and to make sure their builders were aware too or I would complain to the council.

Went out to my car and found tons of tiny screws deliberately thrown in front of the tyres. I wish I had reported it as malicious now as it was in a private parking area and despite thinking we had got up all the screws, I am on my third slow puncture in what was a brand new car. My other neighbours who also share the parking area have had punctures too. I genuinely don't think my neighbours who built their extension really care about the anxiety and financial cost their traders caused us, despite me emailing them all the issues when they happened (and this was just one of them).

8pm on a weekend is taking the piss and you know it. Especially after 18 months of disruption.

Dutch1e · 08/12/2023 20:39

I live in a terrace row and am so used to everyone communicating very clearly what reno works will be done (and at what times) that it was unsurprising when our neighbours ACROSS THE ROAD dropped a note in our letterbox that there would be building work for 3 days. They gave 2 weeks notice too.

Eighteen months, with no communication about when it would end, my god.

Hiddenone123 · 08/12/2023 20:44

If they work from home, unfortunately that’s not the OP’s problem, its theirs.