Noise Complaint - What to do
Discussion
speedyguy said:
Teddy Lop said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Police don't come for noise complaints. At best you'd get a PCSO.
Depends what strings you can pull - I've had one "instruct" me to silence a building site working well within prescribed hoursI would hope you put an official complaint in so the 'string puller' could be reprimanded and preferably sacked for inappropriate use of 'overstretched, underpaid, resources'
Lord Marylebone said:
I’m going to pile in with everyone else and say that noise after 11pm is generally not acceptable.
As said, sound really travels at night and even a couple of people talking in a garden can be loud enough to p
s off a load of people who are trying to sleep and have windows open.
Maybe it’s just me, and the fact I often sleep with windows open, but there isn’t much that is more annoying than ‘unnecessary’ noise being made at night on a housing estate/development.
Up to 11pm is fine, but once you get past that, there really will be people trying to sleep. Talking in the garden, doors being opened and shut, and music leaking out of open windows will be annoying.
Even taxis arriving to pick people up, and drunk women giggling as they say goodbye can be quite noisy across an estate at night.
They probably gave you the benefit of the doubt until about 11, but once it got past 12 they knew you were taking the piss and phoned the police.
Be thankful you now live on an estate where people actually value peace and quiet, because if you live somewhere they don’t value it, it’s far worse.
I concur. 11pm is my hard stop for outdoor noise, even though I loathe my immediate neighbour. As said, sound really travels at night and even a couple of people talking in a garden can be loud enough to p
s off a load of people who are trying to sleep and have windows open.Maybe it’s just me, and the fact I often sleep with windows open, but there isn’t much that is more annoying than ‘unnecessary’ noise being made at night on a housing estate/development.
Up to 11pm is fine, but once you get past that, there really will be people trying to sleep. Talking in the garden, doors being opened and shut, and music leaking out of open windows will be annoying.
Even taxis arriving to pick people up, and drunk women giggling as they say goodbye can be quite noisy across an estate at night.
They probably gave you the benefit of the doubt until about 11, but once it got past 12 they knew you were taking the piss and phoned the police.
Be thankful you now live on an estate where people actually value peace and quiet, because if you live somewhere they don’t value it, it’s far worse.
PurpleTurtle said:
Lord Marylebone said:
I’m going to pile in with everyone else and say that noise after 11pm is generally not acceptable.
As said, sound really travels at night and even a couple of people talking in a garden can be loud enough to ps off a load of people who are trying to sleep and have windows open.
Maybe it’s just me, and the fact I often sleep with windows open, but there isn’t much that is more annoying than ‘unnecessary’ noise being made at night on a housing estate/development.
Up to 11pm is fine, but once you get past that, there really will be people trying to sleep. Talking in the garden, doors being opened and shut, and music leaking out of open windows will be annoying.
Even taxis arriving to pick people up, and drunk women giggling as they say goodbye can be quite noisy across an estate at night.
They probably gave you the benefit of the doubt until about 11, but once it got past 12 they knew you were taking the piss and phoned the police.
Be thankful you now live on an estate where people actually value peace and quiet, because if you live somewhere they don’t value it, it’s far worse.
I concur. 11pm is my hard stop for outdoor noise, even though I loathe my immediate neighbour. As said, sound really travels at night and even a couple of people talking in a garden can be loud enough to p
s off a load of people who are trying to sleep and have windows open.Maybe it’s just me, and the fact I often sleep with windows open, but there isn’t much that is more annoying than ‘unnecessary’ noise being made at night on a housing estate/development.
Up to 11pm is fine, but once you get past that, there really will be people trying to sleep. Talking in the garden, doors being opened and shut, and music leaking out of open windows will be annoying.
Even taxis arriving to pick people up, and drunk women giggling as they say goodbye can be quite noisy across an estate at night.
They probably gave you the benefit of the doubt until about 11, but once it got past 12 they knew you were taking the piss and phoned the police.
Be thankful you now live on an estate where people actually value peace and quiet, because if you live somewhere they don’t value it, it’s far worse.
s late at night piss me right off. PurpleTurtle said:
Lord Marylebone said:
I’m going to pile in with everyone else and say that noise after 11pm is generally not acceptable.
As said, sound really travels at night and even a couple of people talking in a garden can be loud enough to ps off a load of people who are trying to sleep and have windows open.
Maybe it’s just me, and the fact I often sleep with windows open, but there isn’t much that is more annoying than ‘unnecessary’ noise being made at night on a housing estate/development.
Up to 11pm is fine, but once you get past that, there really will be people trying to sleep. Talking in the garden, doors being opened and shut, and music leaking out of open windows will be annoying.
Even taxis arriving to pick people up, and drunk women giggling as they say goodbye can be quite noisy across an estate at night.
They probably gave you the benefit of the doubt until about 11, but once it got past 12 they knew you were taking the piss and phoned the police.
Be thankful you now live on an estate where people actually value peace and quiet, because if you live somewhere they don’t value it, it’s far worse.
I concur. 11pm is my hard stop for outdoor noise, even though I loathe my immediate neighbour. As said, sound really travels at night and even a couple of people talking in a garden can be loud enough to p
s off a load of people who are trying to sleep and have windows open.Maybe it’s just me, and the fact I often sleep with windows open, but there isn’t much that is more annoying than ‘unnecessary’ noise being made at night on a housing estate/development.
Up to 11pm is fine, but once you get past that, there really will be people trying to sleep. Talking in the garden, doors being opened and shut, and music leaking out of open windows will be annoying.
Even taxis arriving to pick people up, and drunk women giggling as they say goodbye can be quite noisy across an estate at night.
They probably gave you the benefit of the doubt until about 11, but once it got past 12 they knew you were taking the piss and phoned the police.
Be thankful you now live on an estate where people actually value peace and quiet, because if you live somewhere they don’t value it, it’s far worse.
Don't forget 8am hard start weekdays as well, 9am weekends (preferably 10). Loud phone conversations discussing the day's forthcoming (cash in hand) business with your associates at 7am and earlier beneath your neighbours' open bedroom windows is also taking the urine.
Baldchap said:
If people are going outside to smoke at regular intervals, there's probably associated door slamming at either end of each cigarette.
^^ that’s pretty much what happens when the family behind us have gatherings.They never smoke in silence either, and drunk people are VERY loud when they talk (no such concept as whispering).
The sudden change from muted music to loud noise can wake most people.
I think you have to have heard similar to actually understand.
Vickers_VC10 said:
PurpleTurtle said:
Lord Marylebone said:
I’m going to pile in with everyone else and say that noise after 11pm is generally not acceptable.
As said, sound really travels at night and even a couple of people talking in a garden can be loud enough to ps off a load of people who are trying to sleep and have windows open.
Maybe it’s just me, and the fact I often sleep with windows open, but there isn’t much that is more annoying than ‘unnecessary’ noise being made at night on a housing estate/development.
Up to 11pm is fine, but once you get past that, there really will be people trying to sleep. Talking in the garden, doors being opened and shut, and music leaking out of open windows will be annoying.
Even taxis arriving to pick people up, and drunk women giggling as they say goodbye can be quite noisy across an estate at night.
They probably gave you the benefit of the doubt until about 11, but once it got past 12 they knew you were taking the piss and phoned the police.
Be thankful you now live on an estate where people actually value peace and quiet, because if you live somewhere they don’t value it, it’s far worse.
I concur. 11pm is my hard stop for outdoor noise, even though I loathe my immediate neighbour. As said, sound really travels at night and even a couple of people talking in a garden can be loud enough to p
s off a load of people who are trying to sleep and have windows open.Maybe it’s just me, and the fact I often sleep with windows open, but there isn’t much that is more annoying than ‘unnecessary’ noise being made at night on a housing estate/development.
Up to 11pm is fine, but once you get past that, there really will be people trying to sleep. Talking in the garden, doors being opened and shut, and music leaking out of open windows will be annoying.
Even taxis arriving to pick people up, and drunk women giggling as they say goodbye can be quite noisy across an estate at night.
They probably gave you the benefit of the doubt until about 11, but once it got past 12 they knew you were taking the piss and phoned the police.
Be thankful you now live on an estate where people actually value peace and quiet, because if you live somewhere they don’t value it, it’s far worse.
s late at night piss me right off. This thread has reminded me to go and have a word with the neighbours across the street.
3 weekends in the last month they've had friends over. Giggling girls, lads shouting, all that stuff.
However by 11pm they're dead silent. I'm sure they're still enjoying themselves in their house, but even where I've had the windows open due to the recent heat, the only noise I've heard is one of the guests in a van bumping off the kerb and all the tools clanging around. Definitely need to pop round and just say thanks for being respectful. A group of early 30s men/women are never going to be quiet after a few drinks, so it's nice that they and their friends are self-aware enough to tone things down when it gets late.
I sometimes have friends over and I normally go round the neighbours just to let them know. Everybody's fine with it, last time my neighbour offered to pass her garden chairs over for the evening. We took them back the next morning and delivered a set of freshly cooked bacon baps too. Everybody was happy, as neighbours should be.
3 weekends in the last month they've had friends over. Giggling girls, lads shouting, all that stuff.
However by 11pm they're dead silent. I'm sure they're still enjoying themselves in their house, but even where I've had the windows open due to the recent heat, the only noise I've heard is one of the guests in a van bumping off the kerb and all the tools clanging around. Definitely need to pop round and just say thanks for being respectful. A group of early 30s men/women are never going to be quiet after a few drinks, so it's nice that they and their friends are self-aware enough to tone things down when it gets late.
I sometimes have friends over and I normally go round the neighbours just to let them know. Everybody's fine with it, last time my neighbour offered to pass her garden chairs over for the evening. We took them back the next morning and delivered a set of freshly cooked bacon baps too. Everybody was happy, as neighbours should be.
OP, I sympathise with you, when you think of the time and effort it takes to be able to own a nice house, and then you get things like this, it must knock the wind right out of your sails. However, as others have said, sound travels like crazy at night, and the alcohol just fuels volume increases without you knowing it.
I have this issue with my next door neighbours - young early to mid 20s couple. They aren't fundamentally bad people, but my god they just drunk chat st. I'm talking loud chavvy love island levels of st chat. And they will do it loudly until 3 in the morning. They did it all through lockdown too, blatant - no idea how the police wasn't called on them.
I'm actually concerned now that we will shortly move our little one into the spare room, which is on the party wall at the back of the house, but the noise levels from their garden is quite high.
It was also unfortunate that our party walls are paper thin. Our previous neighbours must never have spoken to each other because we never heard them, but current neighbours talk so loud, you could be mistaken for thinking they are in the room with you. Five grand of weapons grade soundproofing has dampened a lot of that,.
I have this issue with my next door neighbours - young early to mid 20s couple. They aren't fundamentally bad people, but my god they just drunk chat s
t. I'm talking loud chavvy love island levels of st chat. And they will do it loudly until 3 in the morning. They did it all through lockdown too, blatant - no idea how the police wasn't called on them.I'm actually concerned now that we will shortly move our little one into the spare room, which is on the party wall at the back of the house, but the noise levels from their garden is quite high.
It was also unfortunate that our party walls are paper thin. Our previous neighbours must never have spoken to each other because we never heard them, but current neighbours talk so loud, you could be mistaken for thinking they are in the room with you. Five grand of weapons grade soundproofing has dampened a lot of that,.
8IKERDAVE said:
Thank you for the responses, albeit mixed with the usual condescending PH responses which I will address below:
1) We are not nightmare neighbours. 99% of the time we are indoors during the evenings watching TV like everyone else. We both work full time and on the occasion we have guests over this is at a weekend and typically no more than 2!
2) Stating that having music on at 1am with kids in the house is a very tttish comment to make. There is a difference between background music and the reinactment of a Chase and Status concert. My children sleep soundly and wouldn't do so if we had music played at high volumes. We were both up and fresh faced with them at 8am so again, remove the idea of a student party from your head.
3) We are both friendly with the majority of people on our street who often stop to chat while I am out washing the car / bike etc. We act extremely reasonably as do our neighbours.
4) We have NEVER had any form of noise complaint in the past 13 years of living together. Before children, living in a semi detached property we had nothing but good relations with all neighbours.
On that basis, I know it's hard to understand this concept but it is likely there is someone on the estate with some sort of issue. I have contacted our local council to advise of the situation for their advice. If the person complaining doesn't approach either of us directly and discuss like adults then it's very hard to find a resolve. My next step is to go and hand out my number to all close neighbours and have a 5 minute open chat with each of them. Will see what happens from there!
Thank you to all that have offered genuine advice!
The problem you have is that you will not accept that you were in the wrong one iota, and therefore this will continue to rile you for years. 1) We are not nightmare neighbours. 99% of the time we are indoors during the evenings watching TV like everyone else. We both work full time and on the occasion we have guests over this is at a weekend and typically no more than 2!
2) Stating that having music on at 1am with kids in the house is a very t
ttish comment to make. There is a difference between background music and the reinactment of a Chase and Status concert. My children sleep soundly and wouldn't do so if we had music played at high volumes. We were both up and fresh faced with them at 8am so again, remove the idea of a student party from your head.3) We are both friendly with the majority of people on our street who often stop to chat while I am out washing the car / bike etc. We act extremely reasonably as do our neighbours.
4) We have NEVER had any form of noise complaint in the past 13 years of living together. Before children, living in a semi detached property we had nothing but good relations with all neighbours.
On that basis, I know it's hard to understand this concept but it is likely there is someone on the estate with some sort of issue. I have contacted our local council to advise of the situation for their advice. If the person complaining doesn't approach either of us directly and discuss like adults then it's very hard to find a resolve. My next step is to go and hand out my number to all close neighbours and have a 5 minute open chat with each of them. Will see what happens from there!
Thank you to all that have offered genuine advice!
Anyone on here that doesnt agree with you, you admonish.
Whispering......background music......honestly, you expect us to believe it because in your head you have convinced yourself!! But ask yourself, for the POLICE no less to turn up at 1am, how quiet were you really being?
We had an armed robbery here at 1am a few years back and they got here at 3!
Either learn the lesson that sound carries and no matter what your reason is for late night music, how often etc, it wont suit everyone who can hear it. Or don't, and continue to be one of "those" families on the estate.
There was a post on a local facebook site few years back being all billy big balls last week about a chap having a similar party in his garden "for my missus's 38th..." (you know, the big 38!). Anyway, same things, police turned up, then he got a council letter. Everyone piles in saying how it wasnt noisy, not that they could remember, being so pissed etc and others all sympathising saying "oh i couldnt have complained.....mind you, a few years ago, this guy had a party and it really got on my nerves, we have kids etc etc...." But it was unanimously in favour or the poster complaining about the Council letter......until a few days after, the complainant popped his head up over the parapet......... And explains that he was unable to come over to see them in person (in this case the complainer had been challenged to "man up" and come over in person next time), as he was comforting his wife (37) who was terminally ill and had come home for her last days. She had passed the next morning it turned out.
Needless to say, all the billy big balls looked like proper chops.
Maybe just think that no matter how much you need to or deserve to enjoy yourself, others may have thigs going on when they would appreciate a bit of quiet.
But of course in your case you were whispering and the music was just background, so you would not be disturbing anyone.
Thats a very good point made. Usually ones making noise will believe their noise is reasonable. That said, if I had a complaint from a neighbour via the council or whomever, i'd find it hard not to take it personally.
Having "open" conversations with neighbours won't be open if you don't already have this line of communication. "your noise is too excessive." - op - "no its not"
there you go.
Or
"we dont have a problem with your noise" - phone hangs up/door closes. - complaint filed with council again.
Having "open" conversations with neighbours won't be open if you don't already have this line of communication. "your noise is too excessive." - op - "no its not"
there you go.
Or
"we dont have a problem with your noise" - phone hangs up/door closes. - complaint filed with council again.
speedyguy said:
Teddy Lop said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Police don't come for noise complaints. At best you'd get a PCSO.
Depends what strings you can pull - I've had one "instruct" me to silence a building site working well within prescribed hoursI would hope you put an official complaint in so the 'string puller' could be reprimanded and preferably sacked for inappropriate use of 'overstretched, underpaid, resources'
A (sacked in disgrace) copper I live near to got his mates to come round to pursue a (false) noise complaint, as part of a campaign of low-level intimidation against me.
I questioned why they were even there, pointing to the fact that the force's website pretty much says "noise alone isn't a Police issue, phone the council".
I made a complaint, which was upheld. "Words of advice" were given to those who orchestrated the attendance.
(The coppers who attended were friendly and just doing what they were told to do, but were equally bemused as to why they were there).
The situation has since progressed slightly. I wrote to our council for their advice and was met with quite a reassuring email stating that "if the police were not concerned on the day nor should we be" and "noise complaints are often found to be false when investigated"
That said, (although clearly disputed by a few on here), I am a reasonable person and have made efforts to ensure we're not genuinly upsetting anyone. My suspiscion on who I thought made the claim is now even stronger as we are yet to see this person since the incident occurred but I have in fact chatted with other neighbours, one of which lives next door. They were in bed with the windows open that night and never heard a peep - funny that as my DJ didn't leave till 2 (jokes, before you start headbutting your keyboards).
That said, (although clearly disputed by a few on here), I am a reasonable person and have made efforts to ensure we're not genuinly upsetting anyone. My suspiscion on who I thought made the claim is now even stronger as we are yet to see this person since the incident occurred but I have in fact chatted with other neighbours, one of which lives next door. They were in bed with the windows open that night and never heard a peep - funny that as my DJ didn't leave till 2 (jokes, before you start headbutting your keyboards).
speedyguy said:
Teddy Lop said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Police don't come for noise complaints. At best you'd get a PCSO.
Depends what strings you can pull - I've had one "instruct" me to silence a building site working well within prescribed hoursI would hope you put an official complaint in so the 'string puller' could be reprimanded and preferably sacked for inappropriate use of 'overstretched, underpaid, resources'
The plod guy did seem a bit of a flute, he was ordering to stop but he also sort of wasn't, or had any pointers as to what my procedure to complete my perfectly legal works should be, the neighbouring business claimed he was acting entirely on his own volition.
The incompetent are often those you have to be most wary of doing something nasty.
8IKERDAVE said:
The situation has since progressed slightly. I wrote to our council for their advice and was met with quite a reassuring email stating that "if the police were not concerned on the day nor should we be" and "noise complaints are often found to be false when investigated"
That said, (although clearly disputed by a few on here), I am a reasonable person and have made efforts to ensure we're not genuinly upsetting anyone. My suspiscion on who I thought made the claim is now even stronger as we are yet to see this person since the incident occurred but I have in fact chatted with other neighbours, one of which lives next door. They were in bed with the windows open that night and never heard a peep - funny that as my DJ didn't leave till 2 (jokes, before you start headbutting your keyboards).
My opinion is as follows, and feel free to ignore it:That said, (although clearly disputed by a few on here), I am a reasonable person and have made efforts to ensure we're not genuinly upsetting anyone. My suspiscion on who I thought made the claim is now even stronger as we are yet to see this person since the incident occurred but I have in fact chatted with other neighbours, one of which lives next door. They were in bed with the windows open that night and never heard a peep - funny that as my DJ didn't leave till 2 (jokes, before you start headbutting your keyboards).
You have said several times that you are a reasonable person and you are making efforts to not upset or disturb anyone, and I believe you, however you seem to have completely ignored what many of us have been saying about a 'Hard stop of all noise at 11pm'.
When we say a 'hard stop' of all noise, we mean no outdoor music, no talking in the garden, no repeated opening and shutting of exterior doors, no music playing in the house with windows open, all that sort of thing.
Even if you are simply sitting in the house socialising with friends and you have music on at a reasonably low volume, and the windows are open, you may still be pissing off your neighbours.
Earlier in the thread you expressed genuine disbelief that people actually made an effort to be quiet and turn off all music etc at 11pm, and I think that just shows how you don't fully grasp that being quiet means after 11pm actually being quiet.
My advice is that you really need to adopt the 'hard stop at 11pm' unless you want to keep annoying people.
By all means chat with a few friends in your house after 11pm, not if there are any windows open or you have any music playing, and certainly not if your house is attached to another house, as even laughing and talking can sound loud and stop people sleeping in an adjoining property.
Mr Spoon said:
Thats a very good point made. Usually ones making noise will believe their noise is reasonable. That said, if I had a complaint from a neighbour via the council or whomever, i'd find it hard not to take it personally.
Having "open" conversations with neighbours won't be open if you don't already have this line of communication. "your noise is too excessive." - op - "no its not"
there you go.
Or
"we dont have a problem with your noise" - phone hangs up/door closes. - complaint filed with council again.
A reasonable conversation would sort noise concerns between rational people. Having "open" conversations with neighbours won't be open if you don't already have this line of communication. "your noise is too excessive." - op - "no its not"
there you go.
Or
"we dont have a problem with your noise" - phone hangs up/door closes. - complaint filed with council again.
I had issues with a neighbour's dog barking all the time, waking us up, keeping my kids awake at night and disrupting me working during the day (Zoom meetings, delivering lectures, recording presentations etc). I went round after a few months for a calm conversation. They were not in any form reasonable and immediately went on the offensive, slamming the door in my face. Dog barking is miles better since that chat, so I achieved my goal and so far the noise is reasonable. If it returns to the level it was before then there won't be another attempt to have a chat, they have shown themselves to be too stupid to have an adult conversation. It will be reported to the council without warning.
8IKERDAVE said:
That said, (although clearly disputed by a few on here), I am a reasonable person and have made efforts to ensure we're not genuinly upsetting anyone. My suspiscion on who I thought made the claim is now even stronger as we are yet to see this person since the incident occurred but I have in fact chatted with other neighbours, one of which lives next door. They were in bed with the windows open that night and never heard a peep - funny that as my DJ didn't leave till 2 (jokes, before you start headbutting your keyboards).
Thing is, everyone thinks they're a reasonable person. I'm not saying you aren't, I have to give you the benefit of the doubt, but we had some neighbours who once got hold of a proper PA system and kept the whole street up for several nights on the trot. They thought they were being reasonable by inviting me in to join the party (3am on a Monday morning, partying with a bunch of drugged up chavs... How did I refuse?), when I was the eleventeenth neighbour to go and ask them to turn the music off.As an aside, they ended up with a noise abatement and equipment confiscation order (one of my other neighbours made it his mission!) which meant a subsequent party was nipped in the bud.
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