Summer noise

After reading all these posts I think we need stricter laws on noise pollution. It isn’t enough to rely on having considerate neighbours. Perhaps approach MPs, especially if the climate is changing and this could be a problem every summer.( says she optimistically).

I sympathize, mine play a radio out into the garden when no one is there so not only music but annoying talk and adverts. I have a hearing problem but can still here it loud. They also have two noisy children and there friends and a trampoline that goes squeak squeak all day long. But hey! They've gone on holiday this week and ....the weather is not as sunny as its been,oh well at least it's peaceful.

Has no one heard of wireless headphones?? I have my music as loud as I want, mainly blues.....but none else hears ??

Mojomax so sorry to hear your story. Pity yoy waited so long. I hope you are feeling better.

SeaWatcher, the council (Environmental Health) will take action against persistently noisy neighbours if the noise can be heard inside your home with windows and doors closed. The more neighbours who contact EH to complain, the better.

BiblioQueen, I totally agree with you.
Noise pollution is a serious crime and those who commit it have no thought or consideration for anyone else but themselves and their own enjoyment ( or in some cases a deliberate act to upset or annoy their neighbours). If someone who enjoys loud music then use earphones! If someone has a party next door or up the road have the courtesy to warn their neighbour if it's possible, so they are prepared for it.
Any noise that can be heard from someone's house is too loud. (Sorry, but this is going to be a long thread)
I suffered a stroke because of all the stress I suffered from a vicious evil neighbour and her son and daughter who moved into a rented property next to us. The day they moved in, the woman was playing Julio Englaise very very loudly. ( I happen to like this singer, but not when the walls are bouncing!!) It went on for at least three hours and I was hoping she would turn it down, but eventually I had to go and ask her. I knocked and said, in a friendly manner, " I love your choice of music, but could you maybe turn it down a little? She flung her arms up in the air and said "I do not understand" I knew she could speak English very well (she is from South America, married to a British guy)., but was acting ignorant. I tried to explain clearer that the walls weren't very thick and that the music was very loud, she shut the door on me and that was the start of 2 years of hell! As well as very loud music not only from her but also from her 24 year old daughter and her 22 year old son. The base was pounding through our walls. They would also run up and down the stairs like a herd on elephants. When she was away, her son and daughter would play the weirdest loud satanic music, turn the vacuum off and on for 5 mins at a time for up to an hour. There were grinding noises, everything, you name it. I didn't knock as often as I could have and just suffered it for most of the time. I didn't feel that my OH was being very supportive even though he knocked himself a couple of times without any conviction, but they did turn the noise down for him, but it would soon start again. This was every day, none of them worked except the husband who seemed to work away a lot, but didn't even look at you when he was home. He was very unapproachable, like it was she who ruled the roost!
I went to the Dr as I was keep feeling dizzy, my blood pressure was 200/100! One day it got too much and I knocked next door to give them a piece of my mind. I told her I was going to go to the council even though we owned our house. ( I have to say I didn't once involve the police, but wished I had) I was so stressed out about it all after confronting her. Luckily we were going away for three weeks that night to our apartment, but I suffered a stroke on the flight while landing, I couldn't fly home for a month, ( when I got home I had rehabilitation for 18 months and thankfully after about 3 year I was starting to get back to some normality) but when I was allowed to fly home, there was a letter waiting for me from the council (she had went when we were away) the letter said she accused me of being racist, calling her racist names and not understanding her culture!! I was dumbfounded! I never once brought up anything about her ethnicity, culture or anything close to being racist! The council suggested we have mediation! I said No Way. I called the noise abatement officers in and explained everything that had happened and that they had clearly pulled the race card and expected me to just accept a mediation, which I wasn't. They gave me some charts to record every incident that happened which I did as the noise started up again. The noise abatement team came out again and looked at what I had recorded and went straight next door. They were told that their Landlord would be informed and they could be evicted etc. Not long after that the had a party and the music was pounding the walls but I was still recovering so went to bed with ear plugs in. We hadn't been in bed long when there was flashing lights outside and it was a police car. Someone had rang them. I could hear voices outside so went to peep out the curtains, it was the woman next door shouting something to a policeman while pointing to our house! She obviously thought we had rang them! We put the house up for sale after that and sold it within 6 months. We did tell the prospective buyers that we didn't get on with the neighbour, but it didn't deter them!! I know this is an extreme account of noisy neighbours, but it shows how things can escalate. Luckily the authorities are quick to nip this in the bud and not let culprits get away with it. So next time you turn up the volume, think of other people not just yourself! Now when I hear loud music outdoors I get palpitations and have to put earplugs in. We are detached now but our neighbours now are so considerate they wouldn't dream of playing loud music in or even outside. That's what a good neighbour should be like!

Have you never just wanted to sit in the sun and listen to your favourite music - I have, but I have too much consideration for my neighbours to do so.

It is nothing to do with age - it was bad manners to do so when I was 15 and is still bad manners now.

We could hear the thump, thump, thump yesterday as a neighbour's young son kicked a football against a wall for what seemed like hours.
DH said 'what's that noise?' and I said 'it's the same noise that we used to hear when DS was a little boy ...'

Nothing more embarrassing than an old person thinking they are displaying their individuality and freedom of spirit by playing loud music, because 'I like it', and capering around outside. Apparently Esther Rantzen is much given to running around naked in her back garden and trying to persuade neighbours and friends to join her.
Now there's a horrible thing!
I dislike intensely the sound of my neighbour's voice, affected, high pitched and penetrating, also incessant, but unfortunately there is no law against it.

We also have a problem with neighbours playing very loud music every evening and all day Saturday and Sunday. They live in a house that is in a road parallel to ours so their garden backs onto ours with a small alley between. These are 2 or 3 bedroomed (depending on whether you have an upstairs bathroom) and most are lived in by a single family. However, this property is occupied by at least 5 men and 1 woman. It seems they use the living room as a bedroom so spend their time in the back garden, all year round ( a marquee and heater in the winter). There seems to have been a change in people recently and the new ones play music even louder than the previous ones did and as, at weekends, the day goes on their voices become louder and louder and sometimes there is shouting (possibly alcohol related). Yesterday the music was so loud we could not sit in our back garden and even with windows at the back of the house and back door shut we could barely hear our TV or have a conversation. My next door neighbour went round there to complain but they were far from friendly towards him, despite the fact he is 74 and very polite, and pretended they could not speak English (it is possible they can't) so didn't understand what he was saying. An occasional party is one thing but every evening and all day at weekends..!!

I guess I’m quite lucky because all my neighbours seem to be leading members of the Noise Abatement Society.
I pride myself on being a particularly quiet person, but ‘her next door’ recently complained that she could hear my kitchen timer bleeping after I baked a cake!
She must have awfully good hearing, as our flats are quite old with and well built with nice thick walls.
She seemed most affronted that my timer had beeped when she was having a quiet cuppa. Needless to say, she didn’t get any of the cake on this occasion!

Occasional parties are fine but for one person to deliberately inflict their choice of loud music on others is plain selfish and inconsiderate. Why not just pop a digital device in a pocket and wear headphones? Actually, if you want to be able to enjoy your own garden while other are assailing you with their noise, headphones and your own choice of music is a great solution.

Imagine the cacophony if everyone, in an average urban street, played their music loudly in the garden for all the others to hear. A mix of rock, pop, classical, drum and bass, opera etc, all blaring out, fighting for supremacy.
I think you might, just might, get the idea then Paddyann that it is so very unneighbourly to play your music loudly if you have neighbours in close proximity.

4allweknow
I would be pleased that they had turned it down when asked.

Smoke from cigarettes/wood burners/ noise in the summer, none of this is an issue that environmental health or as it is commonly referred to "the council" will take seriously.

^Glammanana*
Regards your neighbour, I would have a friendly word with the housing association. I doubt that the housing association will throw him out because of complaints about music.
This man is in need of housing because of his health.

Throwing him out would be a long and drawn out process with plenty of chances for him to comply.
They will ask him to stop disturbing you all and hopefully he will do so.
He may not realise or may be so depressed that he does not care.

If he doesn't turn the music down then you are better off rid of him. Having had a stroke does not make someone a good neighbour.

I agree Paddyann it is lovely to hear your music but what if your neighbour likes something completely different, or has a splitting headache, or likes peace and quiet? I don't think it has anything to do with being grumpy, or old. I love rock music, and classical music too, and as far as I am concerned unless you play Handel quite loud you are insulting his genius; he was meant to be heard. However, I don't inflict it on my neighbours - and in this hot weather with the windows open I stick to something a lot quieter. I too get a burning urge to find a bucket of water and throw it straight into the window of cars with a thumping bass at the traffic lights - how I would love to do that!

I'm lucky in that I only have neighbours on one side (farm land to my right) my new next door neighbours, a very young couple possibly 19-22 with a dog, make no noise at all not even with the windows wide open. I might hear occasional talking but nothing identifiable, no barking, no tv yet they have visitors who are as considerate as they are.
The previous owners were in their 50s with 1 then 2,3 and 4 dogs who never played music and dogs were beautifully behaved. I can honestly say that in my 9 years of living here I never heard their dogs bark...and no, I don't need hearing aids. The perfect neighbours.
The local EH department is strict about noise levels as it's a mix of a small busy commuter town with many residents living cheek by jowl with businesses, some of whom have music licences.

I think it’s lack of consideration that gets all of us a bad name, Paddyann.

paddyann are you winding us up? It's not a case or young or old - as long as I can remember I've never liked loud music that is someone else's taste, or inconsiderate people. And many young people are extremely considerate. One day every now and again of noisy neighbours doesn't bother me one bit, but I'm glad you don't live next door to me. I'd listen to children playing and shrieking every day all day long but cars parked up with loud base thumping makes me want to lean in and switch it off! It's just a case of what pushes your buttons. I play music I like in the house, and even then it's not loud, but OH gets like you every once in a while ....

Harsh words Paddyann. Lack of tolerance not restricted to the “oldies “ and lack of consideration not restricted to the “ youngsters “ as you have proved!

I get “music “ all year round from my neighbour (father of three in his 50s) Only when he’s home alone! Unfortunately even in winter with doors and windows closed l can feel and hear the bass in my house even with tv on! Usually over by 7pm when his wife gets home but regularly starts at 3pm! When I cut the grass recently he was cooking, loud music, door open. When I stopped to empty grass box he’d turned it up and the windows were almost rattling! Paddyann not a bad person but a bad neighbour. Hope yours are out a lot. Sadly a lot ot us suffer with inconsiderate neighbours and not just in the summer.

Music loud enough to be heard by others in their gardens is inconsiderate. We all have different tastes and tolerance of noise and it is wrong to impose our life style choices on others except for the occasional family gathering or party. Unwanted noise (whether it's music, barking dogs or strimmers etc) has been proved to cause major stress in people so I believe that treating the garden as if it is soundproofed is actually cruel to neighbours. We are careful to keep our noise to the minimum - using gardening equipment only in short bursts and, now that we are retired, on weekdays. We listen to our music indoors or on earphones or go to local gigs. Please try to realise that your music is someone else's noise and can deprive them of the peaceful enjoyment of their garden.

Glammanana, I am a bit of a Queen nut too but only with the doors and windows closed and away from the neighbour's wall. I wonder if your neighbour ever saw them live? I saw them on two occasions at The Empire in Liverpool. Wow, what a show! Maybe ask your neighbour if he ever saw the band live? If he did, he will be delighted to bore you rigid about how brilliant it was and maybe you could persuade him to close his windows at least in the room where the music is on.

Possibly your new neighbour has a hearing deficiency Glammanana ?
I don't mind neighbour noise for a short time during normal non sleeping hours, after all we do share this world, but if it goes on too late e.g 2 in the morning stuff - or too long e.g. all day...well.... I would remind them we don't all live in detached mansions set in ten acres of land and invite them to be a bit considerate. Nicely.
Otherwise it's war - I have music too and I like getting up early when they have had a late night

Its not just the summer weather that causes neighbours to have very loud music playing,where I live in a small cul-de-sac of bungalows we have a new neighbour who insists on replaying "Queen" on repeat all day long from about 8am,front windows open so I can hear it in my lounge 4 properties away,to make matters worse he sings along in the most awful tone above the music.
He has been spoken to about it by his next door neighbour but will still continue to play the music loud,his neighbour doesn't want to involve the HA as this man is in his 70s and he could loose his tenancy with him being on a probationary period and he needs the bungalow for his lifestyle (he has had a stroke) its vey difficult as he won't see reason.