Did you know, it’s estimated that 1 in 4 people have experienced trouble with their neighbours? The most common issue for dispute is noise – and this is perhaps heightened when you live in busy town centres too. Of course, you have to expect some noise every now and again – you can’t stop children from playing or crying, or dogs from barking after all, but there are some rules when it comes to what you might consider appropriate noise levels. So, whether you’re living in the property yourself or you are a landlord with tenants who are experiencing problems, here’s some steps to help handle those noisy neighbours.
Talk to them
Obvious yes? Well, you’ll be surprised how many people actually skip this step – but it’s important to make sure you communicate with your neighbours. Especially if for example you work nights and they aren’t aware; or perhaps you have young children but your neighbours make noise after the 7pm bedtime. Let’s be honest, your neighbours probably haven’t even realised they are making noise – how often do you consider your noise? 1 in 3 people have found that talking to their neighbours solved the problem immediately, according to HomeOwners Alliance.
We’d always recommend a chat first, but if you aren’t feeling comfy with that, then perhaps a letter. What we definitely do recommend is being armed with a solution – for example, if you do have young children you could ask them to simply turn the volume down after a certain time, or perhaps a little courtesy knock on the door before any drilling or loud building works for example.
Mediation
Perhaps the situation isn’t easily solved by having a chat with your neighbour, in which case you could consider a mediator. An experienced mediator will ensure an appointment that works well for both you and your neighbour, usually in a neutral location. Mediation doesn’t involve the law, we’re not getting expensive here with lawyers, but it can be very successful having that extra voice to help settle any disputes.
Tenancy Agreements
It’s worth bearing in mind that if your neighbour is renting a property, or is perhaps a leaseholder, they might be breaching their agreement regarding noise. Some agreements even specify times where noise is not acceptable, and for example also cover noisy pets. So, it’s worth checking your agreement if you’re also in the leasehold property, or looking up example tenant agreements if the property is rented by a letting agent. If you do live next to a rental property, we’d always recommend getting in touch with he letting agent too, they probably won’t be aware of the problem and may be able to mediate or help on your behalf.
Involving the Police
We really don’t want to recommend this solution to anyone, hopefully your neighbours aren’t even noisy, but if they are the very first step worked wonders. This step should be a definite last resort, and never call the emergency line!