Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

What are my rights noisy neighbour

43 replies

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 18:20

Neighbour plays drums in the garage next to our garden that isn’t soundproof for half an hour everyday in the evening for a few months now. The noise can be heard clearly in every room in our house. It’s very disruptive to listen to half hour of someone else’s drumming every single day in our own property. I’ve only spoken to them once (they used to play at any old hour and I asked them not to play during the day at least because my partner works nights), I haven’t spoke to them since and don’t intend to because last time I spoke to them they kept going on about their right to play this and that without really listening to my concerns much other than the fact that my partner works nights. So they play half an hour every evening and I’m forced to listen to it. I was wondering if I had the right to make complaint to council about it and if the council would do anything based on the noise being clearly audible in every single room of our property and their garage being barely soundproof? If anyone knows anything about noise laws could you give advice?

OP posts:

Chumleymouse · 27/01/2021 18:27

Seems reasonable to me 231/2 hours of quiet and 30 mins of drumming.

Stuckforlong · 27/01/2021 18:30

Download The Noise App , you can use app to record the sounds and there's a diary section to record how it's affecting you

earsup · 27/01/2021 19:13

If you do report to council, it may show up later as dispute when you sell....also council here in London are hardly doing any noise issues...i know one person who has rung them over 200 times plus emails and still the noise goes on from neighbours !

Original poster

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 19:37

@earsup ah, I didn’t think of that :( I wouldn’t want to disclose a dispute when we have to sell at some point in future. I feel for the person you know who has tried calling the council that a many times and no response from their local council!

OP posts:

ComtesseDeSpair · 27/01/2021 19:45

It’s annoying but I don’t think somebody is unreasonable to practice their hobby for half an hour a day during reasonable hours on their own property. My neighbours’ kids scream and shout for well over half an hour each day in the garden, but I’d be considered a right dick if I asked their parents to stop them playing outdoors or tape their mouths shut. Your neighbour has been considerate in keeping quiet when you’ve asked them to. The council are unlikely to be interested, it’s part and parcel of living in an urban area.

Comefromaway · 27/01/2021 19:48

I’d say half an hour a day is very reasonable.

SeasonFinale · 27/01/2021 19:51

Ooookaay - so you asked them not to play in the day because your partner works nights. They now play in the evening. When did you think they were going to play? They are playing then at your request.

Ginmaker · 27/01/2021 19:53

We have musicians next door. We get half an hour a day at 6pm of drums, trumpets, double basses.

Much prefer that over the 12 hours of screeching, crying and banging from the other sides children

CuppaZa · 27/01/2021 19:55

It’s only 30 mins, in the evening. They have listened to you and compromised. What do you want? Them to stop their hobby? To sound proof the garage?

Mosaic123 · 27/01/2021 20:02

Go for a walk during the half hour?

Chumleymouse · 27/01/2021 20:31

Sound proof your house ? Or noise cancelling headphones ?

ComeWhatMayKeepTheHope · 27/01/2021 20:31

Is their garage up against one of your house walls? Is so maybe you could think of putting some form of sound proofing on that wall.

The fact they play at the same time each day is a positive as you can plan around it and as tte PP mentioned go for a walk. I would find it harder if I never knew at what time they would play.

blue25 · 27/01/2021 20:33

They do actually have a right to practice music at a reasonable time every day. As long as it isn’t after midnight, you won’t have a case.

Original poster

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 20:44

It’s not the hours, of course they are reasonable hours unlike when they first started which was whenever they wanted several times a day (I have no idea why they thought that would be fine) but hours now are fine. It’s how loud it is. It’s not like the drum kit is kept inside their decently soundproof property. It’s in a garage that leaks noise heavily. Thinking about summer when we leave windows open having to listen to that...

OP posts:

Original poster

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 20:46

It’s so loud, we’re surrounded by properties with kids living in them who regularly play outside. The noise neighbouring kids make is Nothing compared to this drum kit

OP posts:

ApplePie86 · 27/01/2021 20:52

I remember you posting before about this. I absolutely feel your pain.

I am incredibly sensitive to noise and have had issues with the guy upstairs since moving. At first he said it wasn't late (like 7pm) or that it's not on for long.

My argument is that any noise is unreasonable if it can be heard in another persons home and that any noise you make should only be heard within your own walls. This should be law!!

To be honest this is why my next move will be a house in the middle of nowhere with no surrounding neighbours.

I really hope you can come to some compromise but I don't think the drumming will stop :-(

Original poster

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 20:59

@ApplePie86 I am the same in that I am quite sensitive to noise. I would never play music every single day loud enough to be audible in all my surrounding neighbours homes because I would think it’s inconsiderate.

OP posts:

Original poster

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 21:08

@SeasonFinale if they were playing at my request they wouldn’t be playing at all lol. I understand they have the right to play but would have thought that noise over a certain decibel level may be considered unreasonable.

OP posts:

partyatthepalace · 27/01/2021 21:16

@ApplePie86

I remember you posting before about this. I absolutely feel your pain.

I am incredibly sensitive to noise and have had issues with the guy upstairs since moving. At first he said it wasn't late (like 7pm) or that it's not on for long.

My argument is that any noise is unreasonable if it can be heard in another persons home and that any noise you make should only be heard within your own walls. This should be law!!

To be honest this is why my next move will be a house in the middle of nowhere with no surrounding neighbours.

I really hope you can come to some compromise but I don't think the drumming will stop :-(

This is impossible. Noise carries in flats and terraces.

OP I can see it’s annoying for you but 30 mins drumming at the same time each sat seems reasonable. Try headphones/earplugs - if that doesn’t work you could suggest going 50/50 on soundproofing their garage?

Chumleymouse · 27/01/2021 21:23

If you don’t like other peoples noise, then living in a built up area might not be the best place for you. I wouldn’t mind living next to a drummer especially if he’s a good one . 🤘🏼🕺🏻💃🏼

BeaSmithers · 27/01/2021 21:44

It's half an hour a day. They've already compromised to suit you. Go for a walk or stick noise cancelling headphones on.

You're being completely unreasonable.

Original poster

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 21:50

@chumleymouse we live dont live in a built up area and they are amateur with little rhythm.

OP posts:

Original poster

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 21:55

@beasmithers noise cancelling head phones half an hour every single day isn't practical for me. I need to communicate with my kids. It would stop us watching tv together. It would be a bit weird to eat dinner together like that. I am being unreasonable for not wanting to have to wear noise cancelling headphones for an entire half hour everyday because of somebody else's noise being forced on me ?

OP posts:

Chumleymouse · 27/01/2021 22:07

You said you were surrounded by properties? So you must live in a built up area ?

Original poster

1ronspaa · 27/01/2021 22:15

@Chumleymouse we are surrounded by properties but we are not city or inner city, nor town so we are somewhat rural. The surrounding noise levels here are very low compared with inner city. You may for whatever reason like listening to other people's noise but most people don't in all honesty. It's not the the odd party or fireworks. It's not the everyday sound of kids running about which we get here all the time. It's a full on drum kit. Why should I be expected to like somebody's else's amateur drumming ?

OP posts:

Flip

1 2