People are more likely to have disputes with their neighbours than anyone else, and of those
disputes the most common reason is noise.
Noisy neighbours can make people’s homes feel uninhabitable, Legal redress is available but should
be treated as a last resort.
While one-off parties may be annoying, we’ve all got to expect a little noise from the neighbours
every now and then. Where things become unacceptable however, is when things get out of hand
time after time.
If you have been on the receiving end, you will know exactly where we are coming from. Knowing
how to deal with noisy neighbours the right way can save a lot of grief, frustration, and lost sleep,
but it is still a difficult subject to broach. So short of installing soundproofing in your home, how do
you go about dealing with noisy neighbours? Hopefully by the time you have finished reading this,
you will have
A more solid plan.
Talk to your neighbours about the problem, but do not rush in. More often than not the offending
party are blissfully unaware that they are making your life a misery. One in three people have found
that this has solved any noise issues immediately.
So, your first course of action should be to open a dialogue with them about the noise issue before
you do anything else. Keep it polite and stay calm, but make it clear that the noise levels are
unacceptable.
If you feel that this approach could be too confrontational, you could ask them to tone things down
in the future, as opposed to hitting them with things they have done in the past. Taking this
perspective allows you to remove blame from the situation and is less likely to cause your
neighbours to adopt a defensive stance.
Although it is imperative to talk to your neighbours first, it is equally important to pick the right
moment to do so. Charging round in the early hours of the morning when you are tired, or they may
be drunk is not conclusive to a convivial conversation.
With most people, being calm and reasonable gets better results than being confrontational; you
have the moral high ground…make sure you keep it.
Only approach your neighbour if you feel safe and comfortable. If you have done so and the noise is
still persistent, you may want to consider getting the council involved, although it may be worth
bearing in mind that this could raise tension between you and your neighbour, and the dispute
might escalate.
Once the council have received your complaint, they will send your neighbour a letter notifying them
that someone has raised a complaint against them, however, they will not mention you by name. At
the same time, you will be asked to fill out a noise diary, which logs the time and place you heard the
noise come from.
Whilst it may be tiresome, keeping records of the disruption will hold you in good stead. The
council will use your noise diary to establish a method of investigation and most importantly, they
want to see for themselves how the noise is affecting you.
If the noise does not stop after the council have warned your neighbours, they might then suggest
mediation.
It is also worth bearing in mind that if you have politely approached your neighbours and you are not
getting anywhere, if your neighbours happen to be renting, you can approach their landlord or
letting agent. As tenants, they would have had to signed a tenancy agreement, within which there
will be a section regarding noise and nuisance behaviour. Their refusal to accept your approach and
continuing noisiness could put them in breech of their tenancy agreement which could result in an
eviction notice being served against them.
Going back to the point of mediation, you may be advised to go through a mediation service to find a
resolution to the problem. Mediation brings in an impartial third party, but is entirely voluntary, so
your neighbour will have to agree to take part.
The mediator will function as a referee between the two of you with the hope of finding common
ground putting both parties’ views across to each other. They will also make suggestions as to how
the problem can be solved, which will hopefully be agreeable to you and your neighbour.
If you have exhausted all of the above and have come to no resolution, the final course of action is
to contact your solicitor with a view to starting legal proceedings.
This really should be a last resort option as it can be costly, drawn out and uncomfortable.
If you are experiencing problems with neighbours and are needing some advice or
if you are thinking of becoming a landlord, get in touch with us here at Victoria Letting and we will
be happy to help.
For information on all of our services, please pick up the phone and have a chat with one of our
friendly staff on 0141 339 9292 or send us an email at info@victorialetting.co.uk.
We look forward very much to hearing from you.
