Noisy neighbours can be more than just an inconvenience. Excessive, persistent noise can impact your sleep and your ability to concentrate at work. It can even harm your mental and physical health. Here on HomeViews, reviewers mention noise, whether from construction, traffic or neighbours, as one of the most frequent negative elements of new build property developments. So, what can you do to solve the problem of noisy neighbours? Read our guide for suggestions on resolving the issue in a sensitive way, so you can live in peace.
1. Keep a record of the disturbances
If you’ve noticed patterns of noisy behaviour emanating from your neighbours’ property, start recording when the noise occurs. Record details of the date and time, the type of noise, how long it lasts, and its effect on you. If you decide to act upon the noise at a later date, your evidence could help to illustrate the frequency of the disturbances, and their impact on you.
2. Talk to your neighbours
If you have a positive relationship with your neighbours, the best way to solve problems with noise pollution is usually to talk to them directly. Handling relationships with neighbours can, however, be a delicate business. You still have to live next door to them and see them regularly, whether you get along or not. Try to avoid adopting an accusatory or combative tone. Your neighbour may not even realise they’re being noisy, or that the noise reaches your property.
Asking your neighbour if they’re aware that you can hear them, when they’re doing whatever it is that causes the disturbance, may be enough to get them to alter their behaviour. If not, politely explain the way the noise disrupts you. Highlight any difficulties concentrating on work, and problems with your sleep or that of any children in the property.
Ask your neighbour if there’s anything they can do to reduce their noise levels. Perhaps they can move to a different part of the house. They might be able to make noise at a different time of day. Closing doors and windows while they’re making excessive noise can also help.
3. Write them a letter
If it’s inconvenient to talk, or you don’t know your neighbours personally, you may prefer to write to them to raise the subject of the noisy disturbances. Again, if writing, make sure you approach the subject tactfully, politely, and in an informal, relaxed manner. Avoid a confrontational tone if at all possible.
4. Use a mediation service
If you’re unable to reach an agreement with your neighbours, a mediation service may be able to help. A professional mediator can arrange a meeting with you and your neighbour. They’ll seek to understand the situation from both perspectives and do their best to suggest compromises and solutions to the problem.
Mediation services are typically funded by the government, but they don’t involve legal proceedings. If you want to contact a mediation service, start by getting in touch with your local council. They may be able to provide a list of approved companies. Meditation can be an effective way of resolving disagreements in a calm, orderly manner. However, your neighbour will have to agree to attend the sessions as well as you.
5. Contact their landlord or the council
If more tactful, gentle approaches to resolve the conflict don’t work, it may be time to get someone official involved. If your neighbour is renting, one option is to notify the landlord, letting agent or housing association of the issue. They may be able to contact the residents and either warn them, or order them to cease their antisocial behaviour.
If you’re unable to contact the landlord, or the neighbours don’t rent their property, another option is to appeal to your local council. Give your neighbour’s details, and be prepared to outline the noisy behaviour, and its impact on you. The council can issue warnings and take further action if these official warnings go unheeded. These can include ‘abatement notices’, and as a last resort, fines of up to £5,000.
6. Soundproof your home
You might prefer to avoid the stress of confrontation and conflict with your neighbour. Perhaps you don’t want to jeopardise an otherwise positive, healthy relationship. If so, there may be steps you can take to avoid any periods of noisy behaviour.
Fixing any holes or gaps in walls, doors or windows, and draught-proofing your doors, both external and internal, can make a difference. You might also want to update your windows to double or triple glazing. Other measures include adding sound-dampening fabric to walls and rooms in your house, or insulating walls that adjoin your neighbour’s property.
7. Work around the sound
If your neighbours’ noise disrupts your work or study, consider whether there’s another part of the house where you can work, and close doors between that spot and the wall joining your neighbour’s property. You may also be able to drown out the neighbour’s noise with preferable sounds of your own. Listening to music or the radio, meditation sounds, singing – these can all be effective. And there’s always noise-cancelling headphones!
8. Move
If you’ve already tried everything else on our list with zero success, the only other option is to put space between yourself and the noise. Moving home can be a stressful process but if you’re plagued by noisy neighbours then it might be preferable. Fortunately, HomeViews offers guides on every property available across the site, where you can dive into the residents’ comments and weed out any places that mention noisy conditions, bad soundproofing or inconsiderate neighbours!
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We also now have a specific category to make sure that housing association tenants can have their say. We’re working with developers, operators, housing associations, landlords and the Government to recognise high performers and help to improve standards in the built environment.
