Noise laws

cacio

I've searched the forum for an answer but have only found the other side of the story!

Basically, my boyfriend and I have moved into a new house. We moved on a Saturday and the following Monday we left for a short holiday. We arrived back Friday afternoon and spent most of the day and night asleep.
On the Saturday (one week after we moved in) we started unpacking. We had our stereo on in the kitchen and my boyfriend listened to a football match while we worked.
After the match music came on the station. At 7.10pm our next-door neighbour called to our house. He complained that the radio had been too loud all day and asked us to turn it down. He said his children go to bed at 7pm and couldn't sleep.
He then basically said we were not allowed to make noise during the day and especially not after 7pm. He knows the landlord as he lived there before us and threatened to phone him anymore if he had problems.

My view is that we were entitled to have the radio on as it was not late in the day. It was up loud but it was still at a point where we could hold a conversation without yelling. It wasn't blaring - just turned up a little higher than 'normal'.
I'm really annoyed the more I think about the conversation and feel we should be allowed have freedom in our home. We're not a loud couple generally and usually have 4/5 parties a year. We dont disturb neighbours every weekend and have never received complaints before. We like to watch tv in the evenings but again it would not be at an extreme level.

I choose not to have children and dont think that a couples choice to have children should affect my life. If they wish to have kids in bed at 7pm they should realise that not everyone goes to sleep then or tiptoes around.

What are my rights as a tenant? Can someone tell me the times that the noise pollution laws covers? I heard it was ok until 11pm.

I'd like to get facts before we go talk to them again. I dont want to argue with people and would like to sort this out civilly. But I dont want to be threatened with them ringing the landlord either.

As I said, it was never a constant thing with us before and I dont think we've been given a chance as we were only in the house 2 nights really.

All advice appreciated.

Thanks

Joey the lips

Having been on the receiving end of loud noise I understand how your neighbour feels. However on first occassion to go overboard and say he will ring the land lord must either mean he is extreme or you both engaged in conversation and this is where it went.

Knock back in tell him you like to listen to a little m usic while your working and tell him you will turn it down when the kids go to bed!

The dep of environment will advise you on noise laws for your area but I would not worry to much at the moment, The landlord will be glad at the moment to have someone in the property so they should not be to much trouble

Have you considered inviting your neighbours around for dinner to show them how nice you are!

Lastly I honestly think the biggest problem is failure of builders to put in propper noise insulation. My house is timber frame and the sound insulation is so good I would have to knock in to check if the neighbours are alive but friends of mine live in meakstown and the residents can hear light switches in the other apts being switched!

inforfun

I have lived in a few newly built apartments and often i thought the neighbours were in my living room.
Poor sound isolation you say? How about no isolation whatsoever.

SoupyNorman

There is abit on noise here.


Basically it is such a grey area that it is nye on impossible to comment on any individual case. An acceptable noise level to you obviously isnt for your neighbor, although by the sounds of things it seems like they were only ready to pounce on you by calling at 7:10pm! However I've been renting for two years and I have never heard of any laws that prohibit noise after 7pm.


I would say that you have just begun a lease (12months??) so you will be very very unhappy if you have any kind of dispute with your neighbors whether you are at fault or not but also dont be bullied by unreasonable neighbors either. Let them call your Landlord/police because 1. your landlord is probably happy to have tenants and 2. police rarely intervene in these disputes, only in extreme circumstances where there is 24/7 partying going on have I ever seen them do anything.


Another option (not a very good one probably) would be to up sticks and find somewhere else to live, alot of hassle now but if it's long term renting then you will save yourselves untold amounts of stress!

Climate Expert

Tell him politely the next time he calls that there may be noise in your house at a reasonable level up to 11pm and then a handful of times a year at later times. If he has a problem with this suggest he move to a detached house.