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Help! I seem to be a noisy neighbour

(63 Posts)
Beanie654321 Sat 06-Jun-20 09:59:59

If they have built a sound proof studio tell them to move into it. You cannot help the noise if it is living noise. They can always sound proof their ceiling.

Coconut Sat 06-Jun-20 09:56:29

What they are doing is actually harassment. Personally I would speak to a solicitor and get a legal letter drawn up, saying that unless they can provide evidence of excess noise, then sod off ! You are allowed to “live” without treading on eggshells and you certainly sound like very thoughtful neighbours. Don’t be bullied.

travelsafar Sat 06-Jun-20 09:55:33

Tell THEM to buy some earplugs nd to grow up!!!!

Shalene777 Sat 06-Jun-20 09:55:00

You have been nothing but accommodating to these people and they have taken advantage.
I think the next time they complain tell them to call the local council and get the environment dept involved. They will come and monitor the noise and then tell them that they have been wasting their time.
Get the mixer out and bake cakes. laugh loudly and walk as normal, there are people who delight in this sad behaviour and they need to be taught a lesson.

Babs758 Sat 06-Jun-20 09:53:32

The clue is in the face that they have a sound studio. Rather daft to have one of these in a shared building. Also likely that the diy sound may be referred sound and not caused by you at all. Carry on with your normal life and start making cakes again!

Taliya Sat 06-Jun-20 09:50:30

I also could hear noise from the flats next to mine on their top floors and I think the noise was travelling through the wooden floor joists so maybe they are hearing noise from other flats and blaming you?

Taliya Sat 06-Jun-20 09:47:51

I do think more modern buildings seem to have less sound insulation in flats (new build) I will never live in a ground floor flat ever again after the last flat I lived in ...I was on the ground floor and there were two flats above me ....I'm could hear the child running around constantly and very loudly from the top flat and the banging sounds on the floor from the flat above me from when they had friends round many evenings up till 2 am in the morning ruined my sleep and mental health for a while until I moved out.. Where I live now is top floor..Yes I hear some sounds but nothing like what I endured for 11 months in the other flat. Some people are more sensitive to noise for varying reasons. It's probably best if you can afford it just to move to a house next time.

DeeDum Sat 06-Jun-20 09:45:57

Sounds horrendous, they should buy a detached house if they want silence!
Live normally, might be worth making notes of their complaints including dates etc,..

HAZBEEN Fri 05-Jun-20 09:14:38

I live in a 2 storey block of flats, there are 40 flats in total spread across a z shaped building. We have found that noise travels from one end of the block to the other when someone is doing diy etc. Perhaps what your neighbour is hearing is transferred noise.

25Avalon Fri 05-Jun-20 09:13:33

So long as you keep any noise to reasonable levels and not at unreasonable times your neighbours have no grounds for complaint. If they went to the Council they would have to keep a noise diary and this would be impossible when there is no real noise.
I think you have hit the nail on the head that they are noise sensitive. We once lived next to a policeman who worked shifts and was always complaining we were too noisy. We were always in bed by 10pm, no loud noises, no parties. He complained we listened to the Archers omnibus (Not loudly either)on a Sunday morning! His wife was terrified to speak above a whisper. We decided to ignore him and live our lives normally. Then my second baby arrived with a very loud cry every 4 hours which he could hardly complain about and he moved out. Happy days! I just hope your lot move away too. It’s horrible having people make your life a misery. You have done all you can.

Auntieflo Fri 05-Jun-20 08:59:12

Your neighbours wouldn't be wanting to have you move out, by any chance?
Then getting it a a bargain price, for someone they know?

vampirequeen Fri 05-Jun-20 06:21:38

Stop trying to accommodate their demands. I live in a flat and we have a similar problem. The other day after she'd told me that she was sick of the noise we make at night. Loud TV and music at all hours. I pointed out that we go to bed at 9pm so there was no TV and music. At that point she told me to f off for the fourth time in 5 minutes.

We tried to accommodate her demands but she continually moves the goalposts and your neighbours will do the same.

Live your lives and do the normal things that you want to do. You know you're not noisy. Their over sensitive hearing is their problem not yours.

Jess20 Fri 05-Jun-20 01:38:59

We've lived in our flat for several years, we got on well with the previous downstairs owners, they renovated their flat and we ours. We always checked we weren't disturbing them when we did work and they said they hardly heard us. We managed some quite big joint projects on the building together and had no problems at all with them or any of the other occupants.
My difficulty right now is the new downstairs neighbours who have, over the last year or so, complained about the noise caused by almost anything we do, including the washing. This evening it was a message complaining about the noise from our DIY when we weren’t doing any, the only thing we can think that we did was getting ice out.
We agreed to try and accommodate by underfloor acoustic insulation, thick carpets etc wherever possible but even when we do the work for this they complain. We have even changed our grey water system as they said our pump was driving them mad and done everything we can to help. We always try and reduce the noise when doing DIY by using the outside workshop rather than use power tools inside, working when they go out or are at work, but they still complain. It's costing us a huge amount of money and time. It's like now they know we'll try and compromise they're just pushing us more and more and I realise I've even stopped making cakes in case they complain about the food mixer.
They want to move but have told prospective buyers there's a noise problem, which puts us in a very uncomfortable position.
I have been to their flat and stood and listened to the ‘awful noise’ while my son stomped round banging things and I could hardly hear anything, it was the same sort of background sound we get from the flat above, people moving around etc, normal noise. The difference is, I suspect, we just accept it because it’s a flat and they, or one of them, doesn’t and wants silence. They work in a sealed sound studio all day so my guess is they are over sensitive.
When they moved in there were several months of disruption from workmen building a studio and putting in a kitchen and bathrooms, nobody complained despite the constant noise, dirt and vans blocking the drive.
After this evening my DH has had enough and is going to tell them so, it’s affecting our lives too much and we want to move but of course now have a problem with that as we will probably have to declare there has been an issue on the solicitor’s forms.
I'm sick of creeping round my home and having whispered conversations in case I'm overheard.
Any helpful suggestions welcome.