Breaking a lease

[RobinSucks]

I'm currently renting my first ever flat. I'm one year into a 3 year lease, with no break clause. For a year it was fine, no noise from neighbours, no problems!

About 6 weeks back some new people moved above me, and since then I just really hate being at home! They are so noisy- TV blaring all day, all night, lots of 'everyday' noise that I just can't complain about- I can hear them talk, argue, walk around like a herd of elephants! I can hear them use the toilet, every night at midnight or so they use a hairdryer or something with a motor. I haven't slept in ages! i think they have changed the flooring as there was no noise at all before they moved in- literally, now I can hear whether it's a one or two when they go to the toilet, before I never even knew when the neighbours were in!

Basically I want to move, as soon as I can. My landlady's only advice was to confront them- for one, I live here alone, no friends or relations live near me and I just don't feel safe talking to a stranger in this way. And for two, the noise is 'everyday'... it's just persistent, and so much of it! Constant TV, constant slamming door, slamming round. I can't decide to have an early night, or have a lie-in, I can't sit in my living room and read. This doesn't feel like a home anymore, it's just a place to store my stuff!

The reason I write all that is to ask..... about breaking the lease, do I have a leg to stand on? As it is, the rents on the area have increased a ton since I moved in, there is no way I could afford to rent a similar property now so I'm looking at renting a room. But the rise in rents, hopefully will be in my landlady's favour. I'm worried that she will hold me to the 3 year lease, I'm terrified that I have to remain in this flat for two more miserable years. I lost my job in June, I was unable to find one with similar hours so I'm working part-time now and can only just cover my rent- bills etc are coming out of my savings, and any babysitting work I can get.

I just really need to move. Any legal advice? Should I keep pestering my landlady? Help, please!

I imagine she will do everything she can to make you stay. She will not want to take the risk that she won't find another tenant quickly. It always costs money when you change tenants.

We rent out our house and rent somewhere else. I think it's in our contract that we have to pay the rent until another tenant is found if we want to leave early. I wouldn't do that though.

thanks. This is what I worry about- in this area, just renting a room is up to £1000 a month! No way I could afford a room and the rent here. There is a room right now, that I really want, it's big enough for my furniture and en-suite and SOUNDPROOFED! Big, big plus. I'm finding it hard to think strait, I haven't had a decent, normal night's sleep since they moved in. Right now they are watching a documentary, in the living room it is so loud I can't hold a conversation, here in the bedroom I can still hear when it goes to ad break!