Noisy neighbours

[jam_log]

Hi All I live in a new flat and the child upstairs is doing my head in, i think he is learning the river dance, and it seems that he like to practice at 2am. Seriously he likes to jump constantly, you can hear him all over the flat, it would appear when he has finished jumping he likes to do a lap of honour round the whole flat! It sounds funny but when it is all day everyday its not that funny.

I have been up to the flat and spoken to them, at first asking them if they could hear me and welcome to the flat and that i can hear their child, they were not bothered. So our relationship has now broken down completly, but the child still jumps and I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO, ANY SUGGESTIONS?

[Narnia]

Did you welcome them and complain about the child at the same time?

[womanofdulwich]

did yu notice if they had carpets? it is usually a condition of hte lease that they have carpets- which deaden the noise. you could then complain to the landlord etc etc but this may seem a bit heavy handed at this stage.

[giggirl]

Sympathies. Bad sound-proofing can make life hell. If you can hear them then they can doubtless hear you too - that's the way it goes.

You were foolish to let the relationship with your neighbours break down so easily as in situations like this you need good will on both sides. I would urge you to try and open a dialogue again.

The baby is only doing what babies do so that noise isn't going to stop. Maybe highlight times/areas in the flat where it really bothers you and see if the parents are willing to try and curb the jumping at those times/places. Or, as someone has already suggested, put carpet down in those places.

It is easy in these situations to begin to think that people are doing it on purpose to annoy you. I'm not saying that's what you think - just saying that it's easy to start to think like that. It's not that your neighbours are being overly-noisy - just that sound leaks between the flats.

Try and get your relationship back on friendly terms and knock out a solution that way.

[GinaG3]

2am is a bit extreme for a child to be running around is it not? We live in a flat with a near 2 year old, its hard to stop her running about making noise, so what do you do? (Sorry to my neighbour downstairs, she has 2 young children of her own so obviously knows what its like) It certainly doesn't happen at 2am though. Children I can handle, the children upstairs fight and fight crashing and banging everywhere but the parents are worse. Young children cannot be helped, do you cage them up and suspend them above the floor so they cant be running and jumping around. I just don't know?! When you have adults upstairs fighting and playing music until 3am thats when it gets tedious. I can hear every single word of their arguments every night, this can be helped!!

Its a annoying situation but I'm unsure what you could do about it. Cuncil wont take a noise complaint about a child running round will they?

[SteveT]

jam_log wrote:- I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO, ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Move out soonest, if you cannot tolerate it.

If you are buying the place then insulate big time, which will cost several thousand per room.

You have my sympathy.

[Ridgley]

Try speaking to them, again and see how that goes if things don't change then take it up with there landlord it may seem boring but you might have to record things down but I hope you don't have to come to that and at that particular time it seems strange that a child is up unless they are babies there is nothing worse then a inconsiderate neighbour.

[The Minkey]

You have my sympathies, my next door neighbours' kids go through phases of running round, banging doors and yelling at the tops of their voices from 9pm to past 1am. The younger kids are 2, 3 and 9 years old. It's a household where the kids are allowed to stay up for as long as the adults. If there are visitors, there are often several more kids running round. It took a fair bit of getting used to as it was so lovely and quiet here before.

Yes, I'd agree - try and get back on a better footing with your neighbours just because it makes life easier. They sound a bit like my neighbours if they are happy for the kid to be up so late. You may not be able to change this - I wear earplugs every night to be able to sleep undisturbed. Wax plugs are best and very effective. It's small consolation now, but the child will probably fall into a more regular sleep routine as it gets older.