Help! I seem to be a noisy neighbour

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.

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?

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.

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.

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,..

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.

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?

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

Please stop accomodating them as if you don't make a stand they will keep doing it. If they have sensitive hearing that is not your fault and they need to sort that out themselves .You are running yourself ragged by continuing worry about their complaints. Footsteps and hearing cooking machinery for a few minutes is all part of life.
If they can't handle living in a ground floor flat then they need to move. Stop now you have been very reasonable the next complaint will be you are unreasonable when you don't listen to them any more. They will find something else to complain about. You are thinking and trying to work things out and they really are not thinking about you and your family. Perfect time to start making cakes again.

They are being unreasonable. I live in a semi. There is a driveway between the two properties. I can hear next door play the piano and hear his washing machine. Tell them to live on an island if they want silence.
As for you saying he has built a studio.
My son is a professional Dubbing Mixer and works for Sky.
During the pandemic he has been set up by them at home. Making and producing the Sound Overs that he would normally do in a sound proof studio at work. He lives in a middle flat in a small block. He has had absolutely no problem because he has the correct equipment. His only problem has been the cats that want to sit on his lap all day.
I hope this helps they are being totally unreasonable.

I thought you only need to declare a dispute when selling a home if it had been made official. I’m thinking about the Council re noise, mess etc or police re behaviour for example. It might be worth checking with your solicitor, if selling, before you tick the box on the form about disputes.

As the others have said - stop accommodating them. they sound very noise sensitive. As long as you are not playing loud music after 9pm, etc. you are acting responsibly. If it was me, I would keep a diary myself of what they complain about and when, and what was going on in your flat (with a photo if relevant) just before it (in case they decide to make a complaint - then you will have your own evidence). But sounds like they just can't adapt to living in a flat. Hopefully, they will move. (If things don't improve consider calling in a Mediation Service - when allowed).

You are doing all you can. Just live your lives...don't worry. If they don't like the low level noise of normal life that is their problem. They can wear ear plugs.

We had this problem with a serial complainer at my son's flat. We had all the floors, stairs, pipes and appliances sound insulated.

We bought the quietest washing machine (put on a special mat) and agreed which times he could use it.

Still he complained.

My son had no TV or sound system, only music through headphones. He never had visitors, apart from family. We walked barefoot.

Still he complained.

He worked for the council and got a clearance order for the 'overgrown' (perfectly normal) garden, saying it was infested with rats and foxes. We cleared it all, finding a lone bumble bee 'infestation' and put down gravel.

Still he complained.

My son moved out, let it through an agent, and moved - to NZ!

I've had similar problems with a neighbour who continues to state she can hear noises from my home....there isn't any!
She'd complain about D.I.Y noise, none taking place. Loud 'thudding' music...I'd be reading with nothing playing or on and her latest is a "generator" that's making her house shake.
I've spoken with my local council and the Police....all tell me to ignore it and refer her to them BUT it wears you down and I find myself on eggshells waiting for knock on my door.
I'm convinced there's a mental health issue going on and while I really do have every sympathy, it's now affecting my life and I'm at a loss about what to do.

Dee1012
Could be deferred noise from other flats? Sound can travel a fair distance in blocks of flats and maybe she is hearing noise from other flats and blaming you as your flat is closest? If what she is hearing is not what you are doing...i.e playing loud music? Sadly too many flats were built with absolutely no sound insulation.

I think you have been very accommodating. They are cutting their noses off to spite their faces by declaring noise issue as people will be reluctant to put in an offer with noise issues I wonder if she said this just to scare you. As a previous poster has said, write down every complaint and any action taken by you - you are being harassed.

"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."

This is exactly what is going on. Nothing you do will ever be enough. IT IS NOW TIME TO STOP. Live your life as you please, stop worrying about the normal noise of living. When they complain, direct them to the council to make an official complaint. Call their bluff.

I found this very interesting - "They want to move but have told prospective buyers there's a noise problem, which puts us in a very uncomfortable position." If they really wanted to move, they wouldn't have mentioned it to anyone, let alone potential buyers. So they're playing games, using it as another lever to push you right into a corner. See them for what they are, bullies. Best way to deal with them, push back. No more compromises, no more restricting yourselves in your life, ignore them and refer them to the council if they want to complain about noise, because you Are. Not. Listening. To. Their. Spurious. Complaints. Any. Longer.

I agree you should keep your own harassment diary and send them a solicitors letter warning them you will take legal action if they don’t stop harassing you. If they had evidence of your excess noise they would have already gone to the council or police with it. Get in there first and if they then try to take things further it will just look like further harassment.

Your neighbours seem to be very over-sensitive to noise and I think you should just get on with your life as usual. It’s your home too.
Do you have any contact with the previous owners? If so they could perhaps prepare a statement saying that there was no noise problem when they lived there and this could then be useful for selling purposes, etc. Good luck.