Help with noisy neighbour problems?

[Kate_LL]

Wondering if anyone has had any success in dealing with noisy neighbours in ED? We've lived in our flat for 2 and a half years with no problem, but have had a bunch of students move in next door who like to blast music all night... tried the Southwark council number, but not much use since they only come out till 2:30am, which is just when students are getting in and starting their parties. Anyone had similar problems or got any advice?

Much appreciated.

[KidKruger]

First try and reason with them, they be genuinely unaware and keen to make amends.

Then a couple of polite reminders.

Then Southwark - weird how they only come out until 2.30am though !!

[James Barber]

Hi Kate_LL,

How awful. I get worse than cranky without enough sleep.

Keep a noise diary so you can amass evidence. As KidLKruger suggests do try and reason at a more normal time with them that the noise is disturbing you.

If the reasoning fails then the noise diary will really help. Engage the noise time to ask what they will do.

Also report everything to the non-emergecny Police number 101 so it's logged formally.

If the students persist then legal action can be taken and they could end up with criminal records. The people they're renting to can also be persued.

If you felt really annoyed you could complian to their college about how its bringing the college into disrepute. Hopefully you never get to that desperate.

If you get stuck contact me directly and I'll try and help unlock anything that's not working correctly.

[Kate_LL]

Thanks James.

Yes, is a bit too intimidating to go round at 3am to distrupt a student party (and not sure it would be effective), but will go round this evening after work and speak to them. I had wondered about the 101 number but wasn't sure it was appropriate ? will definitely log it with them in future. The council noise team are perfectly pleasant, but say there's nothing they can do without getting evidence (i.e. witnessing it) and they don't come out between 2:30am-7am. Seems that the time when the service is most needed is the time when they don't work. Madness!

I'm not sure if there is any way of finding out who their landlord is, or which university/college they attend, without them telling me?

Thanks for the advice. Fingers crossed can deal with it before I start falling asleep on my desk.

[James Barber]

Hi Kate_LL.

You can discover the legal owner of any property via HM Land Registry which is online (http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/)- costs ?4 for a copy of the deads. Be careful to only go via the .gov.uk site as others pretend to be them but put large mark-up on the ?4 but add nothing extra.

I've spent a small fortune with HMLR tracking down real owners causing various problems over the years.

The noise team used to be 24/7/365. The Labour administration has had to make a number of cutbacks and chose as part of those cuts to reduce the noise teams hours, etc. I would have chosen differently. And people politics doesnt matter!

[Saila]

I had exactly this problem - I knew teh estate agent that let it out - should be fairly easy to work that out (google) or you may already know?

Then i wrote a letter 'to the landlord' and passed it to them. They then passed it onto the landlord.

They obviously wont give out any personal details, so you have to hope he/she responds.

However, generally landlords dont want police involved and hassle and it will say in their contract that anything of this nature is a breach. So they may respond by writing to the students and putting the wind up them.

Conclusion is that it probably wont work, but they'll more than likely move out in June/July if they smell an issue brewing. It's a long time to wait, but hopefully you wont have to suffer another year...

I ended up making friends with the students next door - that worked in the end. It turned out to be one 'bad' guy and he moved out. He used to play electric guitar in the garden (2am) and rant on about how amazing president Bush was... unbearable.

I made a compromise saying that non-school nights were fine. But pls no music on a school-night.

[Kate_LL]

Pro-Bush ranting sounds even worse than booming music!

[DJKillaQueen]

I would suggest complaining to the landlord or letting agent. As someone points out above, ASB may well be a breach of the tenancy agreement, making it fairly easy for the landlord and/or letting agent to take action.

If that fails then I'd pursue it with Southwark Anti-Social Behaviour unit. Keeping a diary of disturbance is essential, as is a decription of culprits. Sadly it's not a quick process though.

[Bic Basher]

I have noisy neighbours and have resorted to earplugs at night and filling in a diary, but I am a council resident which gives me added help when it comes to resolving the issue.

[computedshorty]

The noise above.

I have had a quiet life so far, no noisy neighbours to interrupt my thought,

things have changed now, I've come a little bit anxious if not distraught.

The flat above me has got a new tenant , who I did not see moving in,

the noises that I hear through the floor the covering must be very thin.

Its evening, someone has just gone in the flat above, to join whoever?s there,

the sounds come through my ceiling as if there is insulation, I wonder where.

I can hear a conversation, but I am not listening to this through choice,

a woman is speaking to some one else, and answered by a mans voice.

The woman says I have brought you something, shall we go and try it out?

its quieter now, I cant understand why, it does not take long before a shout.

Come into the bedroom, it took a while to get it right, I?m ready for you now,

even through the ceiling I hear an intake of breath, as he exclaimed WOW.

I have never been a musician, but got used to the army drum marching beat.

the sound I hear is different, this one changes speed, it is not of marching feet.

I cant hear the music playing, or even the muffled words that they are saying,

the rhythm's even makes the ceiling lamplight shade accompany by swaying.

I wonder should I go upstairs and tell them that all the sounds can be overheard.

or would they think that I am being a little bit over the top, or just plain observed?

Its quiet now should I go up now, they have had their tea or was it their supper?

I will go now, but it will take some time for me to climb the stairs to the upper.

Good evening, I said to the woman who opened the door, I?m Shorty from the flat below,

I thought that I would welcome you to your new home and be neighbourly you know.

George she called toward the closed door, it opened it to show the man who was there,

disclosing ?George? Its Shorty from the flat below, show him your new Rocking Chair.

[Jeremy]

Saila Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> He used to play electric guitar in the garden (2am)

Hosepipe should sort that out.

[????]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Saila Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > He used to play electric guitar in the garden

> (2am)

>

>

Bloody Otta

[Atticus]

We had a similar problem a few year's ago. After many friendly requests were ignored, I went round knocked on the door went in and tuned off the music, don't think they even noticed, man.

[the-e-dealer]

James what would you have cut instead?

[Kate_LL]

They should have cut the hours in the middle of the day. They have obviouslly cut the busiest hours so they can sit around drinking tea while no calls come in...

[the-e-dealer]

There is no noise service in the middle of the day.

[Kate_LL]

The noise service is available all day. It runs from 7am - 2:30am the next day on week days. Slightly different hours on weekends.

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/412/noise_problems/1245/reporting_noise_problems

[the-e-dealer]

Thats great so they improved it!

[davidhealy]

Had a similar problem with a **** that lived beneath me a year ago. Asked many times to turn it down but never bothered. upset myself and all neighbours. thought of a different tact when he answered the door with a golf club!! - took the fuse out of the junction box and kept for 17 hours!!! No noise then I can assure you.

[EPB]

A friend of mine had a similar problem and tried all the recommend courses of action with no success.

So she started getting up early every morning and doing a lot of very noisy diy in the adjoining rooms. It worked a treat.

(Putting up bookshelves was the most effective - it's impossible to sleep when someone is drilling into the party wall)