AIBU to post a note through neighbours door?

[sleeeeeeepy]

We have recently got some new next door neighbours who are a group of uni students. They seem nice enough in passing but we haven’t had much chance to properly speak to them.

Since they moved in 3 nights ago, they have been incredibly noisy in the middle of the night. As in, shouting outside in the garden, banging on the internal walls etc. Last night at 4am one of them did a blood curdling scream!

It’s partially an issue as its terraced houses, so it’s hard to know where a noise is coming from sometimes. Every night it’s woken me up I’ve panicked there’s someone in my house and had to get up to check to realise it’s coming from them!

It’s also just (obviously) very annoying!! We both work full time and I leave for work at 8am, so being disturbed sleeping has a massive impact on my day. I’m a bad sleeper at the best of times and really struggle to get back to sleep after being woken.

I’d like to stress this isn’t normal terraced houses neighbourly noise, it’s very very loud boys messing about and being very disturbing! We’ve had students next door before and not been disturbed like this.

I want to put a note through the door on the basis that they may not realise they’re disturbing us and therefore can’t try and be quieter. DH thinks that will aggregate them and be passive aggressive and that they’ll calm down after freshers.

I don’t mind if they’re noisy occasionally (on a weekend!) as obviously everyone is, but I really can’t cope with another night of no sleep like this.

AIBU to post a note through the door?

My idea was to say along the lines of:

Hi,

Sorry to be awkward but for the last few nights we’ve been woken up by you in the early hours of the morning. We both have to leave for work quite early so it’s really hard to lose out on sleep!

Is there any chance you would be able to try and keep it down overnight during the week? Totally understand you want to have people round but it’s very noisey when you’re all shouting inside as we don’t have the thickest walls!

Thanks,
Neighbours

If I woke up to a blood curdling scream from my neighbours at 4am, students or not, I would ring the police and say I was concerned about the safety of someone in the house.

That would hopefully put a stop to it too.

Were you the type to scream at the top of your lungs at 4am?

I did consider ringing the police but it was swiftly followed by howls of laughter and more yelling so I assumed it was clearly not any actual danger. I agree it might have made them think twice but I equally don’t want to waste police time

The "wrong students". What happens if the next lot are worse.

Think police have better things to do

People have very low expectations of students.

The majority are nice and considerate. My sons would be devastated if someone complained about them keeping them up all night.

They would be incredibly apologetic and not do it again for a long time. Not at uni yet, but one is close. He also values his sleep. Loads of youngsters are into healthy living these days.

I think screaming and hysterically laughing at 4AM would be rare, not the norm.

I’d go straight round in my pj’s, hammer on their door & tell them to shut the fuck up, & prob add that I’d be having a word with their uni/ landlord if the thoughtless noise & behaviour didn’t cease.

Uni might have a student liaison team who deal with issues like this (certainly my sons Uni did)

THIS.

probably me too. I have actually done this (yes in pyjamas) when fuckwits started letting off fireworks at 2am in my quiet street. They ran off.

I don't think your note is too nice. You can always get more firm if they ignore it.

Absolutely. If they like you they may respond favourably by trying to keep it down. I vote for the nice letter. A letter IS good, because they all will see it, whereas if you get chatting to only one of them that mightn"t have the same impact.
A nice letter is a good first step. Hopefully the only one you need but if not you can follow it up with other actions, as other posters have given examples of.

Happy to turn more stern if it carries on, but I agree that it just seems to set off on the wrong foot to be really stern and grumpy from the get go!

Also, you can start your letter without an apology while keeping it nice. Welcome them to the neighbourhood etc.
Then the complaint. Then finish it nicely.
If it sounds all officious they may just take the piss!

Most universities have policies about their students expected standards of behaviour if living in rented houses off campus. They can be threatened with various disciplinary sanctions including fines and not being allowed to graduate/progress to the next year of their course if they are antisocial.

Responsible landlords will also have clauses in their contracts about being a good neighbour - they are unlikely to be able to evict the students for breach of this contract within the timescale of the academic year but they can let their tenants know that they won't get a good reference, and will therefore find it difficult to rent anywhere next year, if they don't behave. Landlords do talk to each other.

Find the contact details for the student accommodation office.

Good luck, I'd keeping knocking and do my best to have a firm but polite conversation with them. Noisy neighbours whatever their age are hell and let's hope that yours are just like this because they are young and will soon realise that they need to show some consideration for others.

Blimey, they are 19/20 - this is just going to antagonise them!!

OP - If it were me, I’d start off with the nice note (maybe adding in that you did try to call round), and then you can progress the sternness if need be. Better to try and keep good relationships than get off on the wrong foot because that sure isn’t going to help.

Agree. It's not a note likely to make me want to comply. The original note is much better. Although I'd first welcome them etc.

Don't knock after work. Knock before work. 7am. Every time it happens.
bright and breezy 'sorry to disturb but I'm sure you'll be out at lectures when I get in from work, please keep the noise down at night, as you can see I need to get up early for work!'
being woken up after 3 hours sleep every time they do it should get their attention.

Probably. I was a total dick at that age. Now I am very considerate to all my neighbours and have never had a cross word with either of them that i've lived next door to for twenty years.

afraid being stern to start was what the most ‘respected’ teachers were….you can easily lighten up later on, it doesn’t work other way around.

Don't put a note through the door. It would probably make things worse, as they would have it as a joke.
Either you or DH go round, be polite but assertive, mention the landlord, explained what you said in OP, occasional noise at weekend etc is OK but otherwise keep it down after 10pm (or whatever).

My YABU vote was based on needing to speak to them rather than send a note.

Send a note saying "Yo, keep da noize down - Thuggy Muscles and the Wrecking Krew" 😉

I liked the suggestion that you knock before going to work - they will definitely be in then after being up till 4am!