AIBU to complain again about neighbours talking loudly in the communal yard?

[EmptyTheFrickingBins]

My neighbours have taken to sitting in the communal yard and having loud conversations and video calls. It literally sounds like they're in the room with me and it's seriously starting to effect my mental health and quality of life.

I work shifts including overnight and got in at 6am. I managed to get maybe an hour's sleep before they started. I'm currently absolutely exhausted and I'm back at work this evening so really need sleep.

They also leave the security door wedged open which makes a really awful high pitched sound that cuts through earplugs and white noise.

They both have very strong accents that really carry and they genuinely might as well be in my bedroom with me right now. They have access to a nice garden outside of the flats but have decided they'd rather sit in the yard where the bins live.

It was the same last summer and it reached the point I was so exhausted I booked a hotel near work because I wasn't safe to drive home. I have asked them politely several times if they could use the garden rather than sitting directly under my bedroom windows but if anything it made things worse because they started also playing loud music.

I have tried white noise, various earplugs, audiobooks, and they don't block the voices. I honestly don't know what to try next!

I agree. I use these:

Q Zone earplugs

They're really effective.

But they’re just talking at a reasonable time of day. Can you honestly approach neighbours and tell them when and where they can talk? It’s beautiful weather, people are chatting to neighbours more.

I don't think you can tell other tenants not to use communal spaces during normal social hours. It depends upon how your lease is worded. There is usually some catch all about causing annoyance to neighbours. You could try speaking to your housing manager or agent. However they may well point out that what your neighbours are doing does not qualify as "anti social behaviour" for which the bar is quite high. Rightly so. What they are doing is not being specifically done TO you so would not qualify as harassment. Landlords and agents are reluctant to get involved in tenant disputes unless they affect the security of or damage to the building. The wedged open fire door might be worth pursuing.

Ive tried various kinds of ear plugs but I find the wax ones the most effective. Silicone ones do not do it for me. A box will last about a month and you can mould them to your ear. I can sleep through people knocking on my door and phones ringing just fine.

That seems like a spectacularly bad idea to me. The risk of escalation (this turning into a genuine fight) is just too high imo.

OP needs to sleep during the day. She therefore truly can’t win that fight / will always be the one to suffer.

Oh don’t be silly. They clearly prefer the space that the op has said they’ve been using for at least a couple of years now. The op can’t move into an apartment block and then start dictating what areas other residents are allowed to use because she’d prefer her own peace and quiet. The op is clearly not suited to this type of accommodation. They’re literally just chatting

How big is the communal yard? If it is really small and they just like the tucked in feel, could you perhaps buy a couple more big bins from the council to make the space less accessible? Put your bins where they sit, so as they have to move them each time? Install a bike lock and add an old bike which makes things trickier? Is there anywhere to sit in the communal garden, would you consider buying a picnic bench table for that - at least you could get a bit of respite yourself with minimum bother even if they don’t use it?

Perhaps your main hope is to leverage the wedged open door position. That is a safety hazard and you were recently disturbed by someone knocking on your door then trying to open it, I understand. A letter of concern to the block’s managing agent about it should trigger a notice to all flats. Should.

I go to bed frazzled and angry because over the road have loud arguments each night and they speak absurdly loudly and at great length at the best of times. Dog is left out all evening in a tiny yard, barks at everything and nothing. So I feel for you.

I don't think it will turn into escalation necessarily, depends. Just act oblivious to them. Not aggressive. Just be a bit more noisy and act like it's just as much your space. Security door closing is something you should be doing anyway

They're already deliberately making more noise after I asked them not to stand directly underneath my window and have loud conversations.

They're not just chatting though. One of my other neighbours takes her dog into the yard and talks to him and it's not intrusive at all.

They are having long, loud conversations including playing loud music and doing video calls where they yell and scream at the phone. They both also have genuinely awful heating accents that make everything sound so much worse.

My flat is in the blue area. Security doors are the red dots. They could use any of the garden which surrounds the property but they'd rather be in the yard with the bins. It makes no sense to me.

The building is split in half with five flats in each. We don't have access to the other side of the building.

I've tried both wax and silicone. The silicone ones don't work for me and the wax ones gave me a bad ear infection so I'm now wary of sticking anything else in my ears.

In the end OP, it is not their fault that you work shifts. You can't expect people to live silently because you are a light sleeping shift worker.

Why do they chose to sit in the yard rather than the garden? If it's the other side of the building I guess one is in shade and one is in the sun. They are entitled to use either. Certainly they could keep their voices down but you've asked and that hasn't worked.

All you can do is keep asking politely. And close the security door.

Or move.

Start removing the wedge. And ignore the buzzer if they want let back in...
Our ndn having been twats for 18 months now play loud music. So I started singing along. We came back from walking the ddogs and it was turned down. Which floor are they on?

Definitely remove the wedge and when they complain remind them it is a security door for all of the flats. Can you place your bins directly under your window? Buy some planters and plant things there and water them through the window? If they get splashed its their issue for being too close to your home.

Yes vile. They have been asked not to do it and given reasons. They have then escalated the behaviour.

I'm not asking anyone to live silently.

I'm asking that they don't stand directly underneath my window at 8am having loud conversations, yelling at their phones and playing music.

I'd be tempted to say to them that you had seen something scurrying across the yard yesterday and ask them if they'd noticed any rats or mice near the bins. This might make them move away to the garden without you mentioning the noise.

Google Loop noise cancelling earbuds. Far superior to any ear plug I have ever used.

Remove the wedge and then get the hose.

I'd remove the wedge and close the door every bloody time. They sound like arseholes to me, leaving a security door alarming.

I'd say the landlord just been round and it looks like a poisoned flubber worm nest is right where they are standing. Advice is to stay clear of it for a few weeks while the chemicals do their job.

Some well timed stink bombs would also do the trick.

OP have you spoken to the landlord? If they won’t be quiet or move then you will have to try reporting them. Have you spoken to any other neighbours to see if it’s bothering them? If so you can all make a complaint to the landlord

I’d complain about the door being wedged open - that’s a safety risk. Talking during the day is not unreasonable, and your complaint about their accents ‘carrying’ is definitely unreasonable if not a bit racist. They can’t change their accent so you can sleep during the day.
You work unsociable hours unfortunately, this is down to you to solve.

Can you start devising ways to make the bins less appealing (or at least enjoy planning)…

• allow your rubbish to go a bit smelly before throwing it into that area
• Remove any benches or perching areas
• get a motion sensor water pistol as used for cats / foxes
• keep reporting the security gate as broken to management til they affix an auto-shut
• call them ‘Bin and Ted’ hereafter and make the nickname stick