Please help! I think I may kill the students in the house opposite if they don't allow us to get to sleep tonight!

[ziopin]

I live opposite a student house, on a very quiet road full of families and professionals.

Every day this week the students opposite (all girls) have been coming in at 4, 5 & 6 in the morning and sitting outside smoking, taking, screaming, swearing and f*ing laughing. (It doesn't help that the street is all victorian terraces, all with original paper thin windows!)

My daughter has had a really bad ear infection and has been sleeping in my bed, and she had been woken up twice.

I'd finally had enough at 3.40 this morning and opened the window and said 'Excuse me, is there any chance you could either go inside to chat or maybe go into your garden, I've got children in here trying to sleep'

They completely ignored me and carried on taking, so I repeated myself. They did get up at this point, but not before one of them had said to another 'You should go and hit her!'

I was bloody fuming, and was ready to go over to the house, thankfully my husband taked me out of it.

What can I do about this? Any suggestions. I'm definately going to go over there this evening, but would stance should I take?

I know they will be leaving soon (hopefully the end of the month) but I cant put up with this for 3 bloody weeks!

Not much advice but do you know who the landlord is or letting agent? Can you complain to them? Perhaps get some support from your neighbours!

phone the police,dont go over yourself if youve already been threatened with violence.

i had noisy neighbour issues last year and i rang the police about 5 times in all.they always asked the neighbours to turn the noise down,not that it ever worked for long.i had to go to enviromental heath in the end.

they are breaking the law though

I bet if you spoke to them individually or even together but during the day (if they're not asleep ) they'd be understanding. Stress what lovely neighbours they've been but that your daughter isn't well at the moment.

Take a nice, friendly stance.

DON'T go over there and 'tell' them what to do.
DON'T act like their mother.
DON'T make them feel like they are getting a row
DON'T threaten them

Talk to them like adults. Explain that the noise is keeping your little girl awake, and if they don't mind, could they maybe sit out the back, or inside?

But act like you are asking them for a favour, not like it is expected of them. They are obviously young girls, away from home for the first time. You can't expect them not to come in late, they are as entitled to do that as you are to go to bed early. They will not appreciate being told what to do. They may not act like adults, but they do expect to be treated like adults, and if you do this, they will have respect for you.

Hum, not sure I agree with Divastrop.

I would guess is that they will be a bit more sensible if you talk to them this evening, as I assume that they were drunk before. Also I guess that you will only talk to one or two of them as they won't all be in, so they will be less likely to show off (eg. the "hitting") thing.

Thank them for going in last night, explain the impact it has on you and that you are perfectly happy if they go inside or in the garden. Do the "stuck record" thing of repeating yourself if they go off on one.

If it doesn't work then yes, involve the police or council.

Many universities have policies about students and the "community" (god I hate that word), so you could always complain to them. What uni is it BTW, do you know?

I would go over in the day and say I am sorry I shouted at you last night. Then say I remember what it was like to be a student and come home late at night. Please can they be a bit more considerate and be quieter - and tell them about your daughter being ill and getting woken up.

We had the same problem a few years ago with music going on to all hours of the morning. We found out the letting agent and complained they sent someone round and the music stopped over night. It did start up again a couple of months later so we complained again. This time it stopped forever.
I hope this helps.

well i would have suggested the reasonable approach first but if theres already been a threat of violence then they dont sound like reasonable people.they are already adults,so they should behave as such