Nuisance neighbours
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm looking for a little advice on dealing with nuisance neighbours.
We have a small house in milton Keynes that we own, and one of the houses next to us is a rented property with a single occupant.
Our nuisance problems started long ago when she would consistently have people over, drinking seeming large amounts and becoming extremely loud quite literally all night. We have on many many occasions been woken up at all times of the morning. In general, about 3 times a week we will be woken by them between 12am to 5 am. Usually on multiple occasions on the same night.
The sounds themselves are multiple voices shouting, swearing and laughing through the night, presumably (though not provably) whilst intoxicated.
Thus far I have been over to the house to speak with the tenant, who apologised and then promptly returned to general loudness. At this point I contacted the landlord company, who gave her a final written tenancy warning and asked me to let them know if there are any further disturbances so they can take appropriate action. When I did contact them again they told me there was nothing they can do and to contact the police.
Over the course of the last four days, I have contacted the police on three occasions. Two of these were last night, when I was woken at 2am by the same shouting as usual. The police were good and attended within 10 minutes, but no sooner were they back off the road the tenant was straight back to it. I contacted the police again who politely explained there was not much they can do either. They told me the neighborhood team would contact me.
I believe if I contacted the council i would then have a marker on my own property when it comes to selling. Is this correct?
Does anyone have experience dealing with this situation? What would you do?
Thanks
I'm looking for a little advice on dealing with nuisance neighbours.
We have a small house in milton Keynes that we own, and one of the houses next to us is a rented property with a single occupant.
Our nuisance problems started long ago when she would consistently have people over, drinking seeming large amounts and becoming extremely loud quite literally all night. We have on many many occasions been woken up at all times of the morning. In general, about 3 times a week we will be woken by them between 12am to 5 am. Usually on multiple occasions on the same night.
The sounds themselves are multiple voices shouting, swearing and laughing through the night, presumably (though not provably) whilst intoxicated.
Thus far I have been over to the house to speak with the tenant, who apologised and then promptly returned to general loudness. At this point I contacted the landlord company, who gave her a final written tenancy warning and asked me to let them know if there are any further disturbances so they can take appropriate action. When I did contact them again they told me there was nothing they can do and to contact the police.
Over the course of the last four days, I have contacted the police on three occasions. Two of these were last night, when I was woken at 2am by the same shouting as usual. The police were good and attended within 10 minutes, but no sooner were they back off the road the tenant was straight back to it. I contacted the police again who politely explained there was not much they can do either. They told me the neighborhood team would contact me.
I believe if I contacted the council i would then have a marker on my own property when it comes to selling. Is this correct?
Does anyone have experience dealing with this situation? What would you do?
Thanks
You cannot reason with an idiot. Constantly complaining and making your self more of a nuisance than the noisy neighbours is, unfortunately, your only option. It's a very long drawn-out and stressful place to be.
Years down the line, assuming you get some kind of success and they get moved out. you can almost guarantee that another knuckle dragging moron will move in and the process starts all over again.
Option 1
Play very loud music / make lots of noise at 7 am. When they are presumably trying to sleep. Having been up all night. See how they like it.
Option 2
Move.
Years down the line, assuming you get some kind of success and they get moved out. you can almost guarantee that another knuckle dragging moron will move in and the process starts all over again.
Option 1
Play very loud music / make lots of noise at 7 am. When they are presumably trying to sleep. Having been up all night. See how they like it.
Option 2
Move.
From personal experience, you've done all the right things. I used to have a similar neighbourhood problem, and in short if you are getting disturbed then so are all your other neighbours.
My approach was to go round at 7am every time and bang on the door until they got up. Made me feel better but didn't solve the issue.
My other neighbour made an appointment with the council noise officer and ended up with a noise abatement order. That worked.
Tip: you appear to be especially upset that they are drunk which, tbh, is immaterial. Don't go to the council with "but they are DRUNK!". Focus on your actual concern, the noise.
My approach was to go round at 7am every time and bang on the door until they got up. Made me feel better but didn't solve the issue.
My other neighbour made an appointment with the council noise officer and ended up with a noise abatement order. That worked.
Tip: you appear to be especially upset that they are drunk which, tbh, is immaterial. Don't go to the council with "but they are DRUNK!". Focus on your actual concern, the noise.
Start recording it with the noise app and contact the council.
Re having to declare if you sell - you’ve already called the police...
ETA for shouting it’s also possible to report it as a domestic if you fear for the safety Of your lovely neighbour
Re having to declare if you sell - you’ve already called the police...
ETA for shouting it’s also possible to report it as a domestic if you fear for the safety Of your lovely neighbour
Edited by Black_S3 on Thursday 30th May 11:12
I’ve not suffered myself, but I nearly have, and a friend definitely has. It took her ages (e.g. 6 months) to get it sorted with the council. Nothing happened until she started logging it. Hence...
Evidence is usually required, which means times and dates, type of noise and if possible, loudness values. Personally, I wouldn’t bother with phone apps, they are usually miles out -especially at 90+ dB sound levels. Maybe OK for domestic troubles like this though. A £40 decibel meter from RS Components will work fine.
This evidence gathering usually has to go on for some time, start at a month and increase it from there, and if you can get a responsible person (policeman, doctor, solicitor, councillor… etc…) to collaborate what’s going on, and say its all truthful, so much the better. Does the neighbour on the other side of the trouble maker feel the same as well? if there is one obviously...
Then as above, it goes to environmental health for assessment. Then you wait again.
Unfortunately its all on record now, and so house selling may prove interesting, unless your neighbour moves beforehand.
Or play “Ace of Spades” cranked up to 11 on the hi-fi at 06:30 and see if they like it!
Evidence is usually required, which means times and dates, type of noise and if possible, loudness values. Personally, I wouldn’t bother with phone apps, they are usually miles out -especially at 90+ dB sound levels. Maybe OK for domestic troubles like this though. A £40 decibel meter from RS Components will work fine.
This evidence gathering usually has to go on for some time, start at a month and increase it from there, and if you can get a responsible person (policeman, doctor, solicitor, councillor… etc…) to collaborate what’s going on, and say its all truthful, so much the better. Does the neighbour on the other side of the trouble maker feel the same as well? if there is one obviously...
Then as above, it goes to environmental health for assessment. Then you wait again.
Unfortunately its all on record now, and so house selling may prove interesting, unless your neighbour moves beforehand.
Or play “Ace of Spades” cranked up to 11 on the hi-fi at 06:30 and see if they like it!
donkmeister said:
From personal experience, you've done all the right things. I used to have a similar neighbourhood problem, and in short if you are getting disturbed then so are all your other neighbours.
My approach was to go round at 7am every time and bang on the door until they got up. Made me feel better but didn't solve the issue.
My other neighbour made an appointment with the council noise officer and ended up with a noise abatement order. That worked.
Tip: you appear to be especially upset that they are drunk which, tbh, is immaterial. Don't go to the council with "but they are DRUNK!". Focus on your actual concern, the noise.
This is good advice and should work.My approach was to go round at 7am every time and bang on the door until they got up. Made me feel better but didn't solve the issue.
My other neighbour made an appointment with the council noise officer and ended up with a noise abatement order. That worked.
Tip: you appear to be especially upset that they are drunk which, tbh, is immaterial. Don't go to the council with "but they are DRUNK!". Focus on your actual concern, the noise.
I had a very similar issue about a decade ago in an old flat I used to rent in London.
Music came blaring out from the downstairs flat at 5am every morning, first few days I knocked and asked her to turn it down but she never actually answered the door, she would just shout through the door, apologise and turn it down to a little less than deafening. After a week of this I complained to the council who said they would come round and have a word, I got a letter to say they'd done this.
Unfortunately the loud music continued but it came at a time when I got a new job earning more money and my mate needed somewhere to live so I moved out and in with him. Not ideal but circumstances helped me out.
I went back a few weeks after I had moved out to collect some things. As I left the flat, a guy came up and complained that my flat had sprung a leak and had flooded his mums flat. I said "that's a real shame but not my problem anymore" and left him to it. Nice little bit of payback.
Music came blaring out from the downstairs flat at 5am every morning, first few days I knocked and asked her to turn it down but she never actually answered the door, she would just shout through the door, apologise and turn it down to a little less than deafening. After a week of this I complained to the council who said they would come round and have a word, I got a letter to say they'd done this.
Unfortunately the loud music continued but it came at a time when I got a new job earning more money and my mate needed somewhere to live so I moved out and in with him. Not ideal but circumstances helped me out.
I went back a few weeks after I had moved out to collect some things. As I left the flat, a guy came up and complained that my flat had sprung a leak and had flooded his mums flat. I said "that's a real shame but not my problem anymore" and left him to it. Nice little bit of payback.
Jasandjules said:
IIRC the Landlord is still responsible for his tenants. Therefore a nice letter before action to him threatening litigation may persuade him/her to actually do something......
Depends on the nature of the nuisance. They're not liable for noise nuisance caused by their tenants.The landlord is being evasive in saying it can't do anything though. It can serve a section 8 notice to quit on the basis of the nuisance (ground 14, from memory) and then pursue possession proceedings. It has no incentive to do so though, of course, as long as the tenants are paying the rent.
EHO is definitely the way forwards. A noise abatement order has teeth if they flout it.
M666 EVO said:
I went back a few weeks after I had moved out to collect some things. As I left the flat, a guy came up and complained that my flat had sprung a leak and had flooded his mums flat. I said "that's a real shame but not my problem anymore" and left him to it. Nice little bit of payback.
How terribly unfortunate lol.A relative of mine is currently renting a shared flat with 3 other university students. They have been doing studenty type things, like late night partying, which one of the roommates has got cross about, as she needs to get up early to work. She complained to the roommates, who told her to f
k off. She then got her mum & police involved, who politely told her there's nothing they can do. She then approached the landlord, who threatened them all with eviction if they continued the anti-social behaviour. According to the rent agreement, they can actually do this....
k off. She then got her mum & police involved, who politely told her there's nothing they can do. She then approached the landlord, who threatened them all with eviction if they continued the anti-social behaviour. According to the rent agreement, they can actually do this....m_cozzy said:
"Depends on the nature of the nuisance. They're not liable for noise nuisance caused by their tenants."
Are they not? When I used to rent, there usually was a clause in the agreement that basically said not be be a dick or make a nuisance of yourself.
That's a contract (tenancy agreement) between the landlord and the tenant. Are they not? When I used to rent, there usually was a clause in the agreement that basically said not be be a dick or make a nuisance of yourself.
It doesn't create obligations on the landlord to the neighbours in the tort of nuisance.
As I said above, the landlord could serve a notice to quit based on the tenant based on the breach of the tenancy in causing a nuisance to neighbours. That's separate and distinct from rights that the neighbour has against the landlord.
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