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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

New neighbour from hell

74 replies

Aliceinunderland · 22/04/2025 19:03

We have had a new next door neighbour since January. He hasn't actually moved in yet and is currently doing a complete renovation on the house itself. We are a row of 1950's terraces but he is the end house, we live next door.
He introduced himself to us and brought a bottle of wine and some fudge round to apologise in advance for the work. I said that was really thoughtful and that he shouldn't worry as we are out working during the week. So far so good.
After this it turned into a living hell.
At first it was the drilling and banging until around 8pm at night. We said nothing because he's young and clearly excited about having his first home and as anyone would, wants to get it done quickly. This then escalated to all day Saturday and sometimes Sundays. I had a quick word and asked for him to let us know when he planned to work outside reasonable hours.
Then came the third party wall agreement that he tried to make us sign with 3 days notice until the work started. Unfortunately for him we rent so once he found this out, things escalated even more.
I had to go round again on a Sunday when there was continued banging to have him smirking in my face. He agreed to let us know when work was taking place in unreasonable hours and so I left hoping that my strong words had finally sunk in.
Well no. In short this Easter weekend was beyond anything I have ever experienced. Good Friday we were woken up by a company using a pneumatic drill to dig up his front path. I believe they were replacing the water pipe but it wasn't an emergency as when I asked the workmen why they were working on a bank holiday, they said the job had been booked in for weeks!? This went on until late afternoon. Easter Sunday we had banging as the neighbour was obviously (from the sounds) trying to board the walls. I went round at 3.30pm as we had family round and asked him to stop which to be fair, he did. Bak holiday Monday comes and yet again I am woken up at 9am by drilling, banging and general noise from the house. He had booked plasterers to come. I thought it would be one of the quieter jobs but no! I lost my shit. I couldn't even go round to say anything as I knew I would not be polite so my partner went and said any more noise in unreasonable hours would be reported. His reply, I'll let you know when work is being done on a bank holiday.
But we have two more bank holidays next month. The house looks nowhere near complete (I'm assuming he's planning to extend as he has boarded up the kitchen door) and I physically and mentally can't take any more noise. I have a stressful job and like to relax at home but that's impossible now.
Do I just go ahead and report him to the council? How are the companies allowed to do work on a bank holiday and who do I complain to about them? Am I just being upright and need to relax? I just can't take much more.

OP posts:
Motnight · 22/04/2025 19:08

What are the council regulations for building work re times etc? Sounds horrendous.

ThejoyofNC · 22/04/2025 19:08

I don't understand why you haven't been more blunt before now? Tell him he needs to stop working on weekends and in the evenings and that you'll be reporting him each and every time he does so.

JackieDaytonaLuckyBrews · 22/04/2025 19:11

I'd be absolutely fine (well, accepting anyway) of any noisy work between the hours of 9-5pm in the week and Saturday. It's easy enough to do quieter accepts of the work out of hours. We've done multiple builds and there is ALWAYS quieter work to do if you plan correctly. Not everything is hammering and power tools. He's just being a cock annoyingly. I'd have no hesitation about reporting him.

Original poster
Aliceinunderland · 22/04/2025 19:23

Our council doesn't specifically state reasonable building hours but has taken someone to court previously where the newspaper said the hours were 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8 to 1pm on Saturdays. No work on a Sunday or bank holidays.
I have tried to reason with him as we still have to live next door to him but he just seems incapable of being considerate. My partner just said his excuse for doing the work this weekend was that he didn't know when the bank holidays are?? He's just mugging us off now

OP posts:
Iamtired123 · 22/04/2025 19:30

Can your landlord do anything about this ?

CharlotteStreetW1 · 22/04/2025 19:38

Motnight · 22/04/2025 19:08

What are the council regulations for building work re times etc? Sounds horrendous.

They are usually guidelines rather than laws and utterly useless. I speak from bitter experience.

I think with this kind of thing there should be another emergency service that can come round straightaway and tie the perpetrators up. Or threaten their house with a water cannon through the letterbox. Or something.

Tricho · 22/04/2025 19:40

It won't be forever.

For the sake of what will be probably 10+ years of neighbourly relations I'd grit your teeth.

You were told work was happening in advance - and this is part and parcel of living in a terrace!

Stickortwigs · 22/04/2025 19:43

I just see it as part and parcel of life. I never minded the joined neighbours doing DIY. I did very much mind them paying Luther Vandross in the garden on sunny days.

SendBooksAndTea · 22/04/2025 19:43

Some councils allow work between 9 and 3 on Sundays and bank hols. However, I think these are just suggestions anyway rather than actual laws if it isn't a construction site as such. Perhaps he's trying to do it around his normal job, not that that makes it any better for you. Hopefully it will be over very soon for you.

alcoholnightmare · 22/04/2025 19:47

I’d start planning plenty of kids parties and early morning play dates the second the bastard moves in. I’d literally loan my house out to kids classes to do same

Cookiedoughsundays · 22/04/2025 19:47

I think it's pretty normal for a home owner to do DIY on a bank holiday. I wouldn't get upset about daytime noise.

Ilovemyshed · 22/04/2025 19:47

DIY hours are different to trade, so aadly not a lot you can do.

User32459 · 22/04/2025 19:48

People just don't give a fuck anymore sadly.

It's short term at least (I have to live with constant noise nuisances).

But chances are he'll be a pain in general.

Tricho · 22/04/2025 19:49

Cookiedoughsundays · 22/04/2025 19:47

I think it's pretty normal for a home owner to do DIY on a bank holiday. I wouldn't get upset about daytime noise.

Exactly

When else do you propose the work is done if he works full time?

Limeandbasil90 · 22/04/2025 19:51

He’s probably trying to get work done around his normal job. I don’t think day time hours is particularly anti social, even on a weekend

Motheroffive999 · 22/04/2025 19:52

We have had this in the past , but our neighbours are just generally noisy all of the time .
Previously I have used my phone to video the noise and did a diary.
One day I went absolutely crazy and luckily I was able to show them recordings and times of disturbances.I was fed up with having to go out to avoid the noise.
I asked for one day at the weekend to be able to sit in my garden.
It improved but I did have to speak to the council and they were very helpful.
Your landlord would be very interested to hear that the noise and disruption was unbearable to live with.
As a landlord myself I would be going round to speak with them as it would be my responsibility if my tenant was upset.

Iudncuewbccgrcb · 22/04/2025 19:57

alcoholnightmare · 22/04/2025 19:47

I’d start planning plenty of kids parties and early morning play dates the second the bastard moves in. I’d literally loan my house out to kids classes to do same

I'm going to guess the OP doesn't have "kids party' age children if she is annoyed at being woken up at 9am by DIY on a bank holiday Monday.

Bababear987 · 22/04/2025 20:13

Hmmm this is a tricky one and is what happens and is to be expected living in a terrace.
Tbh I dont think it being a bank holiday matters, it's only Easter, not a big deal for many people and if he can get people to do the work then why wouldnt he? I'm not sure why you would expect him not to be doing renovations/DIY on a bank holiday or weekend? The only time I wouldn't expect it is Christmas but all other bank hols or weekends are fair game.

Not great to live beside obviously so I totally feel your pain but I dont think there's much you can do.

Original poster
Aliceinunderland · 22/04/2025 20:23

Cookiedoughsundays · 22/04/2025 19:47

I think it's pretty normal for a home owner to do DIY on a bank holiday. I wouldn't get upset about daytime noise.

Having a pneumatic drill digging up a path is probably not considered DIY. Also drilling and banging all day into a shared wall is hardly putting up a few shelves. There's a reason he had companies doing the work so it's reasonable to assume it was more than DIY

OP posts:
johnd2 · 22/04/2025 20:24

Sounds totally unreasonable to me, anyone who's being paid to do work that's audible outside the property can only do it working hours on working days plus until 1pm Saturday.
Our next door did loads of noisy building work last year including drilling loads of steel beams into the party wall,I tried to work with them at first (we have 2 kids that needed naps) but they just fobbed us off every time so I got good at going out guns blazing and also reporting them to the council every time. The actual neighbours didn't seem to think they had any choice in the matter and the builders just didn't care. And the head builder seemed annoyed that I was disrupting things by stopping them causing a noise nuisance.
So my advice would be to go round and get annoyed every time. Not that it helped much, I didn't realise how stressed I was at the time until it was all over.

Original poster
Aliceinunderland · 22/04/2025 20:26

CharlotteStreetW1 · 22/04/2025 19:38

They are usually guidelines rather than laws and utterly useless. I speak from bitter experience.

I think with this kind of thing there should be another emergency service that can come round straightaway and tie the perpetrators up. Or threaten their house with a water cannon through the letterbox. Or something.

Show quote history

We think alike! I'd already envisaged waiting until his house was all freshly painted and squirting indelible ink through his letterbox with a water gun.
That is a joke btw. I would never do it. But it helps with the stress.

OP posts:
Original poster
Aliceinunderland · 22/04/2025 20:29

alcoholnightmare · 22/04/2025 19:47

I’d start planning plenty of kids parties and early morning play dates the second the bastard moves in. I’d literally loan my house out to kids classes to do same

Haha yes but then I'd annoy our lovely neighbours the other side of us! I might have to give my son back his gaming headphones and let him stay up all night once they've moved in!

OP posts:
Original poster
Aliceinunderland · 22/04/2025 20:32

johnd2 · 22/04/2025 20:24

Sounds totally unreasonable to me, anyone who's being paid to do work that's audible outside the property can only do it working hours on working days plus until 1pm Saturday.
Our next door did loads of noisy building work last year including drilling loads of steel beams into the party wall,I tried to work with them at first (we have 2 kids that needed naps) but they just fobbed us off every time so I got good at going out guns blazing and also reporting them to the council every time. The actual neighbours didn't seem to think they had any choice in the matter and the builders just didn't care. And the head builder seemed annoyed that I was disrupting things by stopping them causing a noise nuisance.
So my advice would be to go round and get annoyed every time. Not that it helped much, I didn't realise how stressed I was at the time until it was all over.

It's super stressful, I'm glad you're the other side of it now. I just can't understand how companies get away with it. There is little protection for people affected by inconsiderate neighbours during renovations. I'm happy to compromise but I can't if he isn't interested in being considerate.

OP posts:
Walkden · 22/04/2025 20:33

"Sounds totally unreasonable to me, anyone who's being paid to do work that's audible outside the property can only do it working hours on working days plus until 1pm Saturday"

Don't think that's true. This depends on your council policy as they are the ones that enforce it...

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 22/04/2025 20:50

I thought most people did DIY stuff in evenings, weekends and bank holidays. When else is he supposed to get it done?

l understand it’s awful, but when people buy a new house they want to do it up. I just think it’s normal.

We had pneumatic drills at 8.00 am a few months ago from across the road. It’s not for ever.