Neighbour's noisy kids- options

[Gumby]

The house next door has been empty for about 6 months, until it was sold recently and has been rented out to a family.  This wouldn't normally be a problem, the house on the other side has a family living there and I don't have any issue with them. The new ones though make a lot of noise in the evenings, which last from about 10pm until midnight (sometimes it starts up again about 3am), just when I'm wanting to get some sleep before work the next day.

It's usually their kids running up and down the stairs, screaming and knocking on the wall (you can hear it all quite clearly as there is sod all sound proofing in the joining wall).  When everything else is quiet, you can't help but focus in on it.

 

My options to deal with this appear to be:

1. Ignore it (tried that)
2. Write them a letter reminding them people have work and to keep the noise down
3. Record the times/durations of the noise and present it to the Council to deal with it
4. Retaliate with some equally annoying noise

Any other ideas? The house on the other side of them must be hearing this too and I don't want it to get any worse or I might have to consider moving.

[kelling]

i feel your pain.

[Richf]

How about option 5 , go around and mention to them that the walls are very thin and you would appreciate if they could be aware of the noise ?

[Defenderben]

I like option 5 think its the first and most appropriate route to take the others will alienate them straight away IMHO.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Option 5 here too, try to be polite and friendly about it, they're more likely to assist if you're tactile about it

[cnc]

Whatever you do don't do anything to annoy them, things could get much worse and you really don't want to be going down that route.

 

I once had a neighbour that I didn't get on with for various reasons and they eventually began to move their car at 3:00am deliberately blocking me in when they knew I had to leave early for work - it's not a nice place to be in, and eventually we moved house because of them. 

 

Option 5 first.

 

Try to befriend them in a minor way, just saying good morning/evening etc, then drop it into the conversation one day soon, something along the lines of 'I hope we don't make any noise, the walls are rather thin and I wouldn't like to annoy my new neighbours'. Hopefully they'll take the hint.

 

If that doesn't work you could then have a word with the letting agent/landlord if you know who they are.

 

Good luck, I hope you get it resolved soon.

[T. Spark]

Kill them.

 

Problem solved.

[AlanRHB]

Kill them.

 

Problem solved.

I like Sparks solution, but play it by the book as if they are antisocial enough to do this in the first place, I would guess that you will end up taking some sort of legal (council enforcement) action eventually, and your behaviour needs to be reasonable to have the authorities on your side.

This current trend of absent landlords who do not vett tenants, as local authority's used to for council housing really pee me off, just in it for the money rather than community spirit.

I would take advice on the correct procedure from someone like C.A.B, they will probably tell you to approach them nicely as a first step, before making official complaint to authorities ... keep records of every communication.

Alan .

[hooter]

I had a similar problem many years ago.  I decided to go nuclear and borrowed a tuba:-)  

 

8 hours of bass parts one Saturday sorted it out.  The drunken idiot next door singing songs at all hours of the day and night (particularly night) didn't enjoy the sound and vibration from the tuba which rattled through the house, neither did his parents.

 

The son of the house stopped the drunken singing and I stopped the tuba playing - a fair result all round.

[VRS Mike]

Option 6 build an extension moving the main part of your house away from there's. This is what we did lol.

My next move will be to a detached house for sure.

[Gyp]

We had a problem with noisy neighbours in an upstairs flat a few years ago.

The way the house was converted, there was little soundproofing from us to them, and the stairs to their flat ran across the corner of our bedroom ceiling, so when the woman upstairs bounded down them early in the morning to go to work we were always woken up.

So we explained the problem and asked them to keep the noise down and not run on stairs.

Three times.

As that didn't work, we put the Birdy Song on repeat, wound the volume up and went away for the weekend.

They were as quiet as a church mouse after that :-)

[VWD]

Before doing anything, have a chat with council env health ( noise ) for advice on how to proceed. I must admit the retaliatory route gives satisfaction( I once had a thoughtless teenager next door decide I might like her music. I didn't and put on a bagpipe CD in the PC.I ONLY GOT THROUGH ONE TRACK ) , but some of this lot can use this to their own ends, by complaining about noise from you.

Edited 24 May, 2015 by VWD

[skomaz]

had this some time ago at the old house - tried option 5 and being nice and it fell on 'deaf' ears - not a nice couple - so we moved to a detached!

[Jigger72]

They're more likely to assist if you're tactile about it

 

I agree. Just go round there and start touching them.

[VWD]

I make light of it, but I've had years of thugs both noisy /abusive etc threatening that they will "get me out"

.Some noisy folks don't generally realise the problems they cause. others couldn't give two cusses. Then it becomes a battle of wills.ME- they've learned that I don't back down and know how to deal with problems. But in fact after a couple of attacks which they won't win ,they give up and go knowing that  they won't/can't win.

I'm in a council place, so neighbour problems wouldn't make my moving problems any worse, but for those who own, then the problem of dealing with a rented house next door with noise history might impact on the sales pact.

[Gumby]

Cheers for the advise. I known option 5 is the preferred option, but my only worry is that it will make it worse. I've just got this feeling that if I do go round and be tactful they'll just deny it and try and turn it back on me.

I'll give it a go though and if not it will be the council option.

[kit]

I feel your pain....i'm in the same situation....my neighbour has decided to move his son, son's wife and their two young kids (3&5) into the house. 7 years of peace and quite shattered overnight!!!! Now its crying and screaming, doors banging and general pain in the ears! I've dropped a few hints but now it might be time for a wee word with a big smile on my face!!!

 

K:)

[Aspman]

Couple of these

 

http://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Yamaha-DBR12-Active-PA-Speaker/1387

 

One of these -

 

 

or if it's really bad

 

[djswivel]

It's rented?

If the chat doesn't go anywhere then I'd suggest the letting agent as first point of contact. The residents will have signed a lease which will cover this sort of behaviour...

[gadgetman]

Yup, try the rental agents.

[Richf]

I agree. Just go round there and start touching them.

 

 

Yep excellent , go around and touch their kids , either way one of you is moving out

[RobClubley]

We had a guy move in behind us in a back-to-back in Leeds. Music so loud you could feel the bass by putting your hand on the front door of our house, before going in. Same track over and over for hours, running up and down stairs, weird scraping noises, then he got a punch bag installed in the cellar. Nightmare.

 

We spent 18 months with the council's noise people calling them, having visits, making reports, installing microphones, the whole thing. No progress. Drove us mad.

 

Eventually we bought a report online to find the house owners, found out it was a solicitor, wrote them a letter describing the problem with times, dates, full history. After a few weeks he was evicted. Result! Turned out his mum paid his rent, presumably to remove him from her vicinity.

 

It's exhausting when you don't want to return to your own house.

 

If I was you if they seem approachable I'd have a friendly word first. A letter is a bit passive-aggressive and could be taken the wrong way.

[DGW]

Do you own or rent your house?

[Loz]

I had a similar problem many years ago. I decided to go nuclear and borrowed a tuba:-)

8 hours of bass parts one Saturday sorted it out. The drunken idiot next door singing songs at all hours of the day and night (particularly night) didn't enjoy the sound and vibration from the tuba which rattled through the house, neither did his parents.

The son of the house stopped the drunken singing and I stopped the tuba playing - a fair result all round.

Hilarious!

We had issues with music next door when I was little, it is annoying.

A friend at work is currently going down the police and council route for a woman in the flat above his who deliberately stomps around at 4am. She's admitted doing it on purpose in mediation meetings, he's recorded her using the council equipment and they got loads of recordings, but still not much has been done.

They have to 'prove intent' apparently, even though she's admitted it!

He rents the flat from his brother (who moved out because his missus couldn't take any more) and the nutty woman owns her own lease I think, but is probably breaking some of the terms of it by causing so much bother!

Tricky situation.

[Gumby]

Do you own or rent your house?

Rent at the moment, but looking to buy it soon.

They've been ok for the past few days (haven't said anything yet) but if that doesn't work I'll try and find out who their landlord is and speak to them instead.