Neighbours called cops on me.

[Happyjoe]

For reference, I live in a terraced house, been here 14 years with no problems, though currently put an offer in another house far away, then need to sell this somehow.. My next door neighbours have been hell since they moved in about 14 months ago and are council tenants (which I think the council should be responsible for). They have a small 4 year old child that runs up and down some badly fitted laminate and screams her head off all day long, result is a loud banging on my wall/floor. Every footstep, from child or two adults is like someone is hammering next door. Can actually feel the vibrations through the wall.

The kid is up til the parents are up, as all sleep in same room. That can be anything from 10pm to 1.30am. I cannot sleep til they sleep and am up when they are up, as no option. I cannot read a book, I cannot watch TV. I've tried noise cancelling earphones, ear buds. Thump thump thump all day long.

They don't clean up their rubbish, recently had to get the council involved for them to clean their general waste that was full in their garden and blocking a shared alleyway at the bottom of the garden. Rotting, liquified food, been there over 6 months.. They smoke dope, it comes through the shared space under the floor. This is the point I contacted the council. Horrific. Started well with the council, next door said they would put a rug down for the footsteps. Of course, never happened. The council then just walked away from it all leaving me with my home completely destroyed by neighbours.

Anyway, the only thing that blocks them out is music. I put the radio on most days, just loud enough to cover the screams and shouts, but not loud enough to block out the bang noises. Occasionally, like today, I lose it as I've just had my fill for the day. I then put on the stereo, which is a very very powerful stereo and put some old punk music on loud, shake the ground loud. It's just an albums worth, about 40 mins worth but enough for me to feel better.

So about 30 mins ago they called the cops on me. 3 policemen came indoors. I explained, played them a video of the noise they create. All 3 were totally understanding, one of the policemen couldn't believe the noise I had to endure daily, another had just been through the same with his own neighbours. So they are going to write to the council, complain on my behalf, explain that I am at my wits end and that they do not appreciate the tenants wasting police time.

So kinda backfired, I don't suppose the neighbours expect that outcome? Best thing, I said to the police that I was going to put the music back up when they leave and they said totally understood.

Why is it that people are so bloody entitled these days that they cannot see the issue they cause others? Or do they just not give a toss?

YABU to keep playing more music, more than I normally would just to piss them off back?

They are council tenants.

That sounds terrible and like it’s past just being able to move quickly.

can you find out who their housing officer is? They usually cover certain areas.
housing associations are often becoming more like landlords and just taking the money, after having so many cut backs etc.

contact the councils Environmental health they have recording devices, and provide a diary f everything- even if it’s a week or two of constant noise.

when you’ve attempted each of these and explored options go to your local councillor if you don’t get anywhere- even your MP if need be.

you sound like your going through hell with it and I’d be pulling out all the stops to get them sorted one way or another. This is not fair on you.

Wait, they’re smoking drugs and you haven’t reported the child to social services?

Good for you. I’d report them to social services for smoking dope with a child in the house. Wouldn’t it be fab if we could ship people like this off to an island somewhere remote and just leave them there.

She really, really doesn’t sound as bad as them. She sounds like someone who has been treated like shit by her neighbours incessantly from the day they moved in and decided, once, to play some loud music for 40 minutes. Hardly equivalent.

I’m more surprised by the ‘How did the police turn up?’.
Ringing them where I live would be an exercise in futility, even if next door were massacring all the neighbours with a chainsaw right this minute!

I knew there'd be a po-faced priggish ridiculous comment like this.

No, she does not!

You could have written this about my family, minus the mess and drug use. My son is autistic, loudly vocally stims day and night, and runs up and down the room including into walls and doors for sensory feedback despite having a fully adapted sensory room (used to be a dining room) and outside play every day. He sleeps only 5 hours per night which is a very common issue for autistic people.

The noise issue isn't always bad parenting or badly behaved children. It might be hard for you to deal with, but if their situation is anything like my household, having a child with profound disabilities is a lot harder than the noise on the floorboards.

If my neighbour ever tried to complain about my son, or tried to make his life harder by blasting music to be a nuisance to us, I would 100% be calling the police and making complaints.

It’s getting very cancel the cheque isn’t it?

Tit for tat never works. It just escalates the situation

I sympathise op. I lived above the neighbour from hell for 7 years. He had his telly on full volume at all hours so it was impossible for me to watch anything. He would drill constantly on a weekend and bank holidays. Yet he complained if i made the slightest noise. He even hated me hoovering up at 11 in the morning. He complained when i had a friend round for a meal.

Not po faced or priggish. You couldn’t be more wrong. You simply do not do this sort of retaliation. Of course the wankers are going to call the police. That’s what people like them do

but… nothings happened has it? The police have just been and gone. What part of that is in line with “you simply don’t do this sort of thing”?? OP did, and no harm done.

Do you have rugs on wooden floors ? Does your child sleep in a room away from joining walls ? I’m sure you do your best to minimise the impact your child’s behaviour has on the lives of your neighbours. With respect your issues as tough as they are to live with do not belong to your neighbours.

I’m have to say if I were that poster I would be far too exhausted to worry about my neighbours.

Because the problem will now escalate. You can’t negotiate with neighbours like that

Keep doing what you’re doing op. They are arseholes.

Thats not a certainty. Besides, OP seems to quite want it to escalate

From personal experience. We’ve been here ten years and always got on with our neighbours on both sides - including very elderly neighbours in the adjoining property. They died within a few weeks of each other two years ago and the house was sold to a young couple. We’re both disabled - wheelchair users, getting on in years and vulnerable On the day they moved in we went round with food and offered whatever help they needed. They refused it and informed us that they had moved from rented property around the corner because the noise from their neighbours had been ‘unbearable’. Said they wanted to keep themselves to themselves and weren’t interested in being friends. Shut the door in our faces.

From that point on if we made the slightest noise they banged on the walls. If the TV volume was even slightly above normal, or we played music during the day, they would hammer on the walls. In the meantime they had a baby and we were subjected to screaming and crying during the early hours, knocking and banging as they were renovating - sometimes until very late at night. On one occasion we were watching TV at what I would describe as normal volume until around 11pm. The husband came round, hammered on the door and threatened us - all captured on ring doorbell.

We eventually found out where they had moved from and contacted their old neighbours. They confirmed that the slightest noise elicited unreasonable and threatening behaviour which they had had to report to the police and the council.

I hope I’m not considered unreasonable for saying this but thankfully financial problems meant their home was repossessed and they had to relocate. Our new neighbours are a similar age to ourselves and lovely. My point here is that you can’t choose your neighbours and some people are so wrapped up in what they want for themselves, they are incapable of seeing anyone else’s’ point of view.

Please anonymously report them to child services. A child deserves to grow up in a safe home free from drugs.

Did the neighbours admit they lied to the police?

Otherwise why would they automatically believe you weren't screaming and be annoyed at the 'lie'?

Do you own your house or are you also a council tenant? Is moving an option for you?
My elderly grandad was constantly complaining about his awful neighbours in the flat downstairs, they made him so upset it was heartbreaking. Loud music, parties, fighting, all sorts of noise at all hours. If he asked them politely to turn it down they'd give him abuse. Council kept saying they would do something about it but never took it seriously.

He died of a heart attack not long later and I really do think it was down to the stress of the neighbours. People don't realise the effect living with constant noise pollution can have !

Sorry for the awful neighbours and sorry for the people here who have zero comprehension skills, so you have keep repeating yourself over and over.

I don't have any solutions but have also lived in a terrace with awful neighbours so know how all consuming it can be.

Here's to a brighter 2026 for you

I would expect they realised when they pulled up to banging punk music and a perfectly healthy, safe and alone OP answered the door 😂

I'd have carpet with decent underlay. Laminate flooring isn't a great idea in your or OPs neighbours situation. I do sympathise, it must be very hard but I think carpet would help.