I live in a semi detached house with two DC aged 7 and 5. Have been here about 18 months. Last week next door neighbour came round about 8:30 - older DC had jumped off my bed a few times and neighbour was cross. DC immediately stopped.
On Tuesday night somewhere between 8 and 8:30 neighbour came round. Older DC had been bouncing a ball in the kitchen; had been doing it for a few minutes. XH was here at the time and he spoke to neighbour as I got upset. XH then went round to neighbour's house and spoke to him. Turned out his wife does shift work (I had not known about this) and was asleep and the ball bouncing had woken her up and naturally she was upset. When XH spoke to him he came up with a list of things including crashing up and down the stairs, ball bouncing, using scooters in the close where we live including it once being left on someone else's drive in the summer, slamming doors, using the Wii (television fine which is good as we don't seem to get a freeview signal any more and so hardly watch any television).
I got a bit more upset when XH told me about the things and worked myself up into being arrested for noise abatement type things or at least being evicted. Have obviously now spoken to the children and we are making a big effort. Ball playing inside house now banned. Some of the things I don't know what we can do about - the front door needs to be slammed a bit to shut it but am trying to do it more quietly. The children don't go up and down stairs that much and the stairs are on the opposite side to the adjoining one IYSWIM but they occasionally jump from the third step up so I am stopping that. Was worried yesterday as I was getting things out of the attic with a pull down ladder and worried this will have disturbed them.
Got a call from the letting agent this morning and on Tuesday after speaking to XH the neighbour called our landlord who naturally got in touch with the letting agent to speak to me. Spoke to her this morning and I think I explained it but am obviously worried that our tenancy won't be renewed (I pay 6 monthly in advance and am paid up until April but worried we could be evicted before that).
Does anyone have experience from either side of a neighbour complaining about a tenant? And are the DC and I being unreasonable in what we do? I agree they sometimes make a bit of noise, but I am not wanting to invite friends round etc in case they are too noisy and on Tuesday night was dreading next week when the children are off school as we might be too loud :(
Sorry for length of that (am regular by the way but using one of my (many) rarely used names).