To agree to upstairs wooden floors

[Unsurethings]

We live in the downstairs flat of a victorian terrace, with a young family living in the flat above. They recently told us they want to replace the old carpeted floor with wooden floors and mentioned soundproofing. Impact noise is already an issue and whilst we rarely complain some of our windows and furniture shake when the kids play at chasing each other or stomp around. Should we agree to this? Can the noise actually get better if they change the flooring?

If you want the noise to be worse, sure.

I wouldnt agree but can you insist that they don't?

Nope. The noise would be awful.

I’m not sure you actually have any kind of final say, they don’t need you to agree, but if you did have final say I wouldn’t agree unless you love noise

No it will get worse,
They're trying to trick you into agreeing,
That being said, if you say no, can they just do it regardless?

No no no

Just refuse

The noise with young DC will be unbearable

Most flat leaseholds dont allow wooden flooring because of the noise

They want you to pay for soundproofing

It doesn't matter if you agree or not, I'm not sure why you think it does? They can and will floor their place as they choose.

Lots of flats have a no hard floor in the deeds for this very reason.

No they're not allowed to in flats

They're asking you OP because otherwise they're probably not allowed to because of their leasehold etc

They wouldn't bother asking otherwise

Do not agree to this, the noise will be unbearable. The sound proofing doesn't work, in fact there was a legal case about this quite recently.

Check the lease. There is almost always a a clause forbidding wooden floors in any flats not on the ground floor anyway.

The noise will be much worse with a wooden floor, and can breach the terms of the lease.

We have wooden floor in DS' room and a big rug, sounds like he's going to come through the ceiling sometimes. I wouldn't.

Just say NO

If you have a choice then absolutely don't agree. I'd be putting all my efforts into persuading them to keep carpets and implying how often I'd be complaining.

I spent one year living beneath an uncarpeted flat and I may as well have been living with them

A lot ( mine included ) of leasehold flats will have a clause in the long lease specifically not allowing wooden floors.
Check your lease, say you don't agree to wooden floors, and point them politely to the specific clause.
It will be much, much noisier.

@KittenPause

No they're not allowed to in flats

They doesn't seem to matter to them as they have suggested to OP they are going to

Read your lease. (If you dont have it you should be able to get a copy from the land registry for a fee.) There should be a clause about floor covering, or if not about not making unreasonable noise.

You would be made to agree to their request. Not only will it impact on your ability to have quiet enjoyment of your flat, but it could make the flat effectively unsellable.

I wouldn’t agree to that, but if they insist I’m not sure there’s much you can do. I’d be asking a lot more questions about this soundproofing and doing some research.

Impact noise is already an issue

it will be far worse with wooden floors! They make a room more echoey too which isn't going to help.

Absolutely not in a Victorian conversion. You’d be absolutely daft to consider it.

In a modern new build of good quality it could be fine (we lived in one and never heard a peep from our many neighbours)

Check the leasehold

Talk to the freeholders in person and state you do not want the noise and to ensure this does not happen

Also check your home insurance. Are you entitled to free legal advice on issues relating to your home. Many policies include this cover. If so phone them.