Did I do the right thing? Noisy neighbours.

[ColdBrewInSummer]

Hi there,

I live in an apartment block with a building manager. We can put noise complaints into them if needed. We moved in 3 months ago and have been very happy here. We were also assured that we wouldn’t hear our neighbours - we both WFH, have busy jobs and need quiet. I don’t mean silence of course, we live in a shared building. But just quiet and consideration.

Ever since we moved in, we’ve had banging from next door every afternoon when the kids get home from school. They are hitting balls against our walls, slamming themselves on the floor etc. It shakes our apartment, all the glasses and crockery in the cupboard shakes and rattles. I’ve tried shutting doors, putting headphones in, but you can still hear/feel the vibrations of the slams on the floor/wall. as you can imagine, very disturbing when you are trying to work or on a call. We’ve also been woken up on weekends to this noise.

We also have a door communal door directly outside our apartment door. For the first few weeks, it was fine. Obviously we are going to hear it opening and closing, people coming in and out. But yesterday afternoon there were kids playing in the hallway and running up and down the stairs, slamming the door every 5 seconds - so much so, the floor was shaking etc. It was dreadfully loud.

I feel bad because I am essentially complaining against kids but I couldn’t take it anymore. I complained to management and today it has been deadly silent (yipee!) but I feel so bad, feel like I’m taking fun away from the children etc. I don’t have children so I don’t understand how hard might be to keep kids entertained in a apartment!

Have I been mean? I feel like everyone will know it was us that complained!

I think you did the right thing. The mechanism to report disruptive tenants is there for a reason and I hope that it stops for you. There's nothing worse than shitty neighbours who let their kids run riot like that.

I hate the whole noisy neighbour thing, if my neighbours start it really annoys me.
however, you’ve moved in and seem to expect nobody else to live their normal life.

you need to take the issue up with whoever told you that you wouldn’t hear your neighbours! They lied. You were very naive to believe them that an apartment in a shared building would be very quiet!

I do see what you mean.

But I have stated I don’t expect silence and living in an apartment block means there will be some noise and that’s life. I can hear dogs barking, children playing etc. I don’t mind that but it’s the slamming and shaking of the walls/floors!

also the door says ‘please shut quietly’. That just doesn’t happen, it just gets ignored. Also the building rules clearly state that no children should be playing in the hallways. I don’t mind if they do, they are all very sweet. It’s just the slamming of the heavy fire doors!

The building managers really need to put those spring-loaded door closers on the fire doors. Of course people forget to close them quietly. The sensible solution is not more nagging signs. It's using clever and easily available engineering to close them quietly.

I’ve had nightmare neighbours over the years. The party until 4am kind. It made my life hell so I can empathise. Although it’s difficult because these are children I know I’d be conscious of my children disturbing others and I’d keep it in check. There is also a possibility that mum didn’t realise how loud they were being and that you could hear it so much and now it’s brought to her attention she won’t let it happen again. I know I’d want my neighbours to tell me if my pets or kids disturbed them so I could fix it.

I think it also doesn’t help that neighbours may not have realised because they have larger apartments with hallways etc. We have a one bed - front door leads into kitchen and hallway. There is no way to shut out the noise from the hallway for us.

I feel really bad!

I've always lived in attached houses and I was brought up to be considerate of neighbours and brought my kids up the same. Of course kids play and make noise but letting them kick a ball against a wall indoors and slam doors and cause the floor to shake and crockery in cupboards to rattle is ridiculous.

I'm totally on your side. Noise pollution should be taken far more seriously. We live on a crowded island. In fact, we live in a crowded world – and it's getting more crowded all the time. Because of that, we ought to be much stricter about noise. It can (and does) ruin lives. I have known people driven to suicide attempts by noisy neighbours. In both cases, the neighbours began a campaign of noise torture – doing everything they could to upset and disturb them.

Personally, I think there ought to be more places with super strict laws. I mean apartment blocks, or housing estates, where you must sign a contract promising to keep the noise down. If you break it, out you go.

Even as I type I can hear little twats racing round the country lanes in noisy cars. They drive me insane. All weekend I can hear the screaming and exploding sounds of their cars. They sound like planes coming in to land. No doubt I'll be woken at two in the morning by them. This has been going on for years, but the police do nothing. (Sorry, just needed to rant.)

Don’t feel bad OP. Shouting, ball games, crashing about, running etc are all outdoor things - they should be more respectful inside.

Children shouldn't be playing in hallways it isn't safe and isn't good for them.

They should be playing outside. Some buildings have communal play areas for this reason.

Don't feel bad! Kids can have fun without making huge amounts of noise! That's part of being a child, being told occasionally (or not so occasionally, as the case may be) to be quieter. They'll be fine. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if the noise level gradually climbs over the following days or weeks.

Well I spoke too soon.

the neighbours are in their flat, child is hitting ball against our wall. Repeatedly.

argh!

Did you have a conversation with your neighbours before going straight to the management company?

No. It says all noise issues to be dealt with via them. (We aren’t in the U.K. btw!)

So selfish. That's not something I'd have allowed my kids to do indoors

Brendabighips - Did you actually read the op? Coldbrew clearly said she expected there to be some noise but also expected consideration from the neighbours - as would anybody.
Kids throwing balls against the walls and slamming themselves on the floor isnt reasonable or considerate behaviour. Vibrating the floor so much that coldbrews crockery is rattling. No one can be happy in their home with that happening.

You did the right thing in having a word op. It must be tough for your neighbours living with kids in a flat but that doesnt mean your life should be intolerable just because you live next door.

I sympathise with all parties and would note that very few apartments blocks are built with suitable sound insulation and then the solution seems to be that everyone should be quiet. The materials and methods used in construction are very significant in how sound and vibration move through rooms and floors. I realise this cannot be changed now but it is worth mentioning in terms of reasonableness. It won't take much to be loud next door if the construction isn't robust. They may not be kicking a ball against the wall, the message about your complaint may not have got to the parents yet, hopefully a compromise can be reached. ..

it’s made absolutely no difference. They are hammering a ball against our bedroom/bathroom walls as we speak. I’m sat on the sofa in the living room and can feel the thumping and the shaking.

we pay an extortionate amount of money to live in a luxury building. Very very irritating!

record it so you have evidence @ColdBrewInSummer , they knew the rules when they moved in

You've done the right thing.
It's crazy some people find it appropriate to have their kids kicking balls against flat/house walls!

Complain again OP, it sounds more than the usual noise of children playing if your glasses and crockery are shaking.

I really feel for you OP, that was us a few years. Our next door neighbours' 4 and 9 years old would run, jump, bouncing the balls to our joint wall, doing somersaults inside their flat and out in the common areas. They got up as early as 7 am until as late as half 11pm. I don't understand how the parents could allow them to stay up so late.

I don't think you are mean to report them but I would try talk to them or send a friendly letter before brining it up to the management again as the formative complaint letter from management might feel cold and harsh which could make things worse.

Sorry you are going through this, hope it will be resolved soon.