Noisy Neighbours – What to do

We can’t choose our neighbours and, unfortunately, disagreements sometimes occur.

Noisy neighbours can make the lives of those they live near a misery, so it’s important to not suffer in silence.

If you, or someone close to you, is putting up with noisy neighbours, read on to find out the best ways to deal with the issue.

Approach your neighbours informally

The first step in this situation is that you should approach the neighbour(s) in question in an informal manner.

Just knock on their door, or approach them if you see them outside, and gently mention that the amount of noise they are making is causing you distress.

This informal approach is often enough to resolve the issue – many noisy neighbours don’t realise how loud they are, so it’s worth mentioning this to them before taking it further.

Try to keep calm, shouting or losing your temper could cause tensions to rise, and make the situation worse.

TOP TIP: If it’s a party keeping you awake, and it’s between the hours of 11pm – 7am, you are within your right to contact the police with an anonymous noise complaint.

We would only advice talking to your neighbour in this situation if you feel completely safe doing so.

Keep a noise diary

When dealing with a repeatedly noisy neighbour, it’s important to keep track of every instance of noise.

Note the time and date, and the type of noise, i.e. loud music or a dog barking.

Mediation

If the noise continues, consider mediation. Mediation is a good way of trying to officially resolve the issue, without going to the council or taking your neighbour to court.

The mediation process involves a trained mediator sitting down with both parties in a neutral location to discuss the issue, and try to find a resolution that pleases everyone.

For example, if the problem is that the noisy neighbour likes to practice on his drum kit at 1am, it could be possible for him to practice somewhere else, or at a time that you are at work.

Mediation is a great way to try and resolve a neighbour dispute. However, both parties must volunteer to be there, so your neighbour must also want to show up and resolve the issue.

Here at Watsons, we offer an expert dispute resolution service. Our dedicated team have years of experience in dealing with these types of cases.

Go to the council

Another option for dealing with noisy neighbours is to go to your local council and file a complaint.

Once you have told the council, they will send out a letter saying that someone has complained (they will not name you).

The council will then want to see how the noise is affecting you. They will ask to see your noise diary, and may even install noise monitoring equipment.

It’s worth keeping in mind that any official noisy neighbour complaints will be kept on record, and could make it more difficult to sell your home in the future.

If the noise continues, the council may issue the noisy neighbours with a large fine, or even take them to court.

How can we help?

Here at Watsons, we understand that a noisy or nuisance neighbour can cause a lot of distress, and can affect other areas of your life. That’s why we take these cases very seriously.

If you would like to have a confidential discussion about how we can help, or would like some noisy neighbour advice, give us a call on 01925 571 212 or complete our contact form.