Noisy neighbours making life hell

[Minouche241]

Just wondering if anyone has any advice for dealing with noisy neighbours? We live in a downstairs flat (me, my husband, our child and my mum). Recently a family moved in upstairs with twin toddlers and two other young children and, as a result, our property has become unliveable. The noise from running and jumping and screaming and playing with balls is horrendous and to make things worse they have wooden floors. They also get up around 5.30am every morning, which means that we are now awake at that time every day.
I have spoken to the neighbours, but they say that we need to just live with it and they are very rude. I have spoken to the local council and they say that because it is an older building, there is nothing we can do about it. We don’t have the option of moving because my mum is ill with Alzheimer’s and needs a downstairs flat and familiar surroundings. The noise is having a real impact on us and we are at a loss as to what we can do about it. Any advice would be gratefully accepted. Both parties own the flats, so there are no landlords involved.

Approach freeholder and ask them to enforce the (presumable) clause of soft flooring ?

Sounds really difficult situation. Can you record the noise levels between 5.30 and 7am as I think people are not supposed to make noise between 11pm and 7am. Then try to get council involved for that. Or ask first if if they can try to keep them quiet until 7am. (Milk/quiet tv/ screens)
beware that if you sold you would have to declare any formal neighbour dispute so factor that in perhaps in how much you want to make a formal complaint.

Is there anything in the lease re wooden/uncarpeted floors, my friend had that in one first floor flat she lived in, both owner-occupied.
If you can afford it and you have enough ceiling height you can get ceiling soundproofing fitted which should muffle it, and likely to be cheaper than moving. I guess the twins will start to sleep later as they get older, hope you can find some solution

If they've told you to suck it up already and aren't happy to communicate and solve/mitigate the problem I think you're on a losing wicket.

Thank you. It didn’t occur to me that this might be covered in the lease. I’ll check it out.

Did you try a white noise machine, or playing sounds of nature to yourselves?
I am interested in your post as I too have noisy neighbours.

My problem is a little different as we are in detached houses, but still can hear them screaming at each other, plus smoke sometimes blowing in.
Also them being loud in the garden until 1am quite often.

My daughter uses meditation music sounds of nature to block out the sound.
Our next step is to involve authorities.
I am sorry for you I do understand.

Thank you for the advice. We’ve tried everything, but it is just so loud that you can’t hear yourself think. It is awful when we are trying to have dinner together as a family or do homework. I just can’t believe that people are able to do this with no repercussions. My mum is really hard of hearing, but even she sometimes gets distressed by the noise because it is so loud and with her having Alzheimer’s, she doesn’t know what it is.

Oh no this is so miserable for you. I lived with noisy neighbours and it broke my health.

Have another word with them, tell them about your DM and invite them in to listen to the racket. I'd go spare at them (this tactic worked very briefly for one side of my horrible neighbours). But in my experience noisy neighbours know they are being noisy and the don't care but they also hate anyone else being noisy.

Then contact noise abaitment at the council again and keep calling them out. Keep a log. Unfortunately our council is next to useless and did nothing to help but yours might be better. Maybe your MP can help? Maybe all go out and leave really loud music on all day so they know what noise feels like?

I don't understand why people are ok doing this. And yes there are no repercussions from authorities in my city either.

I have spoken to the local council and they say that because it is an older building, there is nothing we can do about it

This is bollux. The council are trying to fob you off. Go back to the council and keep complaining. Keep a diary, log every interaction. Take videos,

The council have an obligation to help. Getting the neighbours to put put down carpets would help enormously.

Do you own your flat?

What about offering to pay for rugs etc ?

"Nuke the site from orbit, tis the only way to be sure"

I'd definitely check the lease as that may have something in there about wooden floors. If you both own the property then there's not much the council can do if it's objectively quiet and just is the transmission of noise through flooring.
I'd suggest inviting neighbours to hear the noise if possible and then the only other thing you can do is soundproofing. You can get companies around who will remove the ceiling and pack insulation in. It's not perfect but helps

I had this, the upstairs flat had carpet but the noise-voices and appalling impact noises and vibrations at a mere footstep- was unliveable. Noise cancelling headphones, white noise, talking to the people, nothing worked.
Destroyed my sanity, sold the place as soon as we could.

I'd keep calling SS to tell them I can hear DC upstairs screaming in pain

I'd do this constantly till they get the message

They're rude and clearly don't care about you so that's what I'd be doing

They sound like they can't be arsed to take their DC outside to the park or anything like that

Fight fire with fire

In fairness I wouldn't be up for taking toddlers to a park at 5:30am

It sounds like it's the property that's the issue. It needs proper flooring and maybe op should look at ceiling insulation.

This is the trouble with poorly sound proofed flats. Not much to be done if you don’t want to spend a fortune on sound proofing.

Thank you. This is useful advice. Sorry that you have experienced this too.

Unfortunately because its children a noise complaint will go nowhere. I remember trying to help a man suffering from noise upstairs and when we listened to the recordings it was children running. Nothing we could do.
The noise was horrendous. He was broken and I understood why.
I begged the housing association to help him but they had zero empathy.

I would just cut my losses and start looking for another ground floor property or another with a lift where you could live on the top floor, so not have to hear others above you

I cannot see this getting better given their attitude. Save yourself even more grief. Good luck

I've been battling with noisy neighbours all year. We can only sleep from 12/1 to 4/5 because of it, and even that is interrupted. Nobody can do anything.

I sympathise with you ... for a long time I heard my upstairs neighbours having loud sex. Insulate your ceiling with noise insulation

I too have issues with obnoxious neighbors. I've tried animal control and the cops and both are products of the environment and did or will do nothing. They also harass me by driving by and honking their car horns as early as 4:00 am and as late as 10:30 pm. I've collapsed from sleep deprivation and nervous system harassment. I am doing everything to get packed up, sell and move. There are some very rotten people in the world. In a prior situation I had below stairs neighbors spray obscene amounts of perfume. It incapacitated me and I was sick for days. I bought some spray called "Liquid Ass" and gave them a dose. Maybe your situation could do with a strong unpleasant smell? Also may send Scientologists to their door? Wishing you a very happy and speedy resolution.