Agressive Neighbours & Unreasonable Landlord - any advice appreciated

Deshi Basara

Hi there, folks.

I've been browsing this board for some time and i've always found the information helpful. However, its come to the point where I need some help based on my own scenario, and not just based on that of others.

So my girlfriend & I have been living in a City Centre based apartment for the past 2 years. Since moving in, we've had an ongoing problem with noisy neighbours. In some cases, they've been out of our landlord's control (tenants in other rented properties), but the majority have been in the same apartments, all owned by our landlord.

Our worst neighbours were a romanian family, who generally had their TV and radio at maximum volume. Over the time they were living there, both my girlfriend & I approached them very diplomatically about lowering the volume enough so that we wouldn't hear it in our appartment above. Unfortunately, their english wasn't the best, so the situation would resurface every few weeks.

I kept note of the times/dates of whenever the noise became so intrusive it was effecting our comfort or sleep. I also contacted the landlord regularly, and he'd constantly promise to "have a word with them". But the situation was never truly resolved.

Fortunately, this family moved out at the beginning of August. It was a massive relief. I asked our Landlord to please ensure the next tenants would be aware of the fact that we wanted to live in a quiet environment, he said he'd make sure they knew.

Fast forward to the end of September, and a new romanian family has moved in downstairs. The primary problem being that the man in the family is very loud and likes to bring his friends over frequently.

I attempted to contact my landlord several times about it, but I always got his voice mail. I sent texts outlining the problem, and I requested that the 3 of us sit down and discuss the best solution for all parties involved.

My girlfriend had knocked down to them twice asking for the noise to be kept down. Both times the neighbours seemed complient, but it wouldn't be long until they started up again.

My landlord finally contacted me, saying we could discuss it when he was out to collect the rent. This bothered me a great deal; when he was refurbishing the house currently occupied by our problem neighbours, he was out almost every day for 2 weeks.

He came down on monday (the 8th), and after i'd paid him & he'd signed the rent book, I asked could we go outside & have a chat about the noise. After we got down there, halfway through my first sentence he cuts me off saying "I don't want any more calls or texts about f**king noise". He then begins a rant saying we're the only ones to ever complain about it, and that we were upsetting the newly moved in family. We went back & forth, I pointed out my rights as a tenant to a comfortable living environment & his obligation to uphold these rights. Among other things, he told me if I didnt like it, I should move out and that if he wanted somebody out of an apartment he "had ways of doing it". I informed him i'd take a case against him with the District Court, to which he replied "none of that sh*t bothers me".


He did end up sending me an apology text about a day later, but he's still done nothing about the noise.

On friday night (the 12th), the neighbours began making noise again. This time it was the man & his friends watching the TV. It was disturbing my girlfriend's ability to study. I decided i'd call down myself, and ask if they could lower the volume.

So I called down, the guy opens the door & just stares at me. I greet him "Hi there, i'm your neighbour from upstairs". He replied "What". I inform that the TV is very loud, and that we can hear it upstairs. He snaps before I can finish my sentence saying "to me, this is stupid. It is just f**king TV! Nt party, not music, just f**king TV!" . I try to tell him that regardless, its still intruding on my girlfriend's ability to study. He cuts me off again, saying that there's a concrete floor between us and that if If i bother him again, he'll call the police. He then slams the door in my face.

I rang my landlord immediately after, and calmly explained the situation. He said he'd ring the guy the next day, and sort it out.

I heard nothing back from my landlord since. And things only got worse on saturday night. The neighbours returned home from a night out at about 2am. They had friends with them. They stayed up all night speaking so loudly I could hear them all over the apartment. They didnt stop until 10am the next morning.

I sent my landlord a text practically begging for his help with the matter. Asking him to put himself in my shoes. Again, i've heard nothing from him.


I lost my job in january, so i'm currently receiving Job Seeker's Allowance & Rent Allowance. My girlfriend is in college on the back to education system.

I had thought my landlord was a decent enough chap, but he's incredibly neglectful of his obligations. One of the front windows has had a crack in it since we've moved in. And the toilet has been acting up since july. Neither has been fixed and he's been reminded of both frequently.

My girlfriend was in the hospital for a few weeks over the summer and she's still getting ongoing treatment. She doesnt need this stress on top of college.

I know many will advise to "just move out". And while that will be an inevidablity, i'm not taking this lying down.

So I put it to you, do I have a case here that I can take against my landlord or the tenants?

Thank you for reading, looking forward to replies.

djimi

Get onto the management company of the complex and let them sort it out; its their responsibility to ensure that all residents abide by the rules of the complex.

If it were me Id save my breath and not bother contacting the landlord; he sounds very much like he is only interested in collecting the rent money and does not care what else happens.

Im going to be honest, if moving out is an option then its your best option. Its not worth fighting something like this; you have no backing from the landlord and your neighbours sound like the kind of people who simply do not give a toss about anyone else. Its going to cause you more stress and hassle in the long run than its worth. Plenty of good accomodation out there and plenty of decent landlords; no point in giving your money to a dickhead who doesnt care about you so that you can live in a place that is causing you grief.

d9oiu2wk07blr5

djimi wrote: »

Im going to be honest, if moving out is an option then its your best option. Its not worth fighting something like this; you have no backing from the landlord and your neighbours sound like the kind of people who simply do not give a toss about anyone else. Its going to cause you more stress and hassle in the long run than its worth. Plenty of good accomodation out there and plenty of decent landlords; no point in giving your money to a dickhead who doesnt care about you so that you can live in a place that is causing you grief.

Have to agree with you. I wonder what's the probability that the landlord is registered with the PTRB. OP, do you get a receipt for the rent?

bleary

Tbh i dont think you have a choice except to move ,it doesnt sound like a well insulated apartment if you can hear tv upstairs and people talking in the apartment keeps you awake. Ive lived in apartments with raging parties going on around where i couldn't hear anything and i live in a house now where i can hear my neighbour if he sneezes. If peace is important to you , there is no point prolonging the misery just look for somewhere else and move and dont get caught up in trying to prove your point
From the tenants point of view they should be able to watch tv, even loudly , and have friends over talking without stressing about disturbing you and you should also not have to be bothered by this, its just poor building and there is very little you , the tenants and even possibly the landlord can do

Terry Ryaner

Move. Life is too short, seriously.

Deshi Basara

Thanks for the feedback, folks.

I appreciate you all taking the time to read my long post. And looking at the few replies i've gotten, it puts into perspective what i'm fighting for.

I agree; ultimately, moving is the best option. I just hate the idea of being run out of the place i've been living the past 2 years, just because I value peace & quiet.

In reply to whattow's post; we keep a rent book with all the details in it. I'm sure we'll need it when I go seeking out deposit.

And i'm pretty sure the landlord owns & operates the apartments by himself. I've never heard mention of a management company.

eedie

djimi wrote: »

Get onto the management company of the complex and let them sort it out; its their responsibility to ensure that all residents abide by the rules of the complex.

If it were me Id save my breath and not bother contacting the landlord; he sounds very much like he is only interested in collecting the rent money and does not care what else happens.

Im going to be honest, if moving out is an option then its your best option. Its not worth fighting something like this; you have no backing from the landlord and your neighbours sound like the kind of people who simply do not give a toss about anyone else. Its going to cause you more stress and hassle in the long run than its worth. Plenty of good accomodation out there and plenty of decent landlords; no point in giving your money to a dickhead who doesnt care about you so that you can live in a place that is causing you grief.

good advice, just get out of there. its only when you leave and look back on it you'll wonder why you put up with it for so long. i had neighbours from hell next door to me, i wont even tell you the story because its just too depressing, they were also romanians. if they cause you problems in the meantime just call the guards, dont bother ringing your landlord. take my word for it they wont like the guards knocking on thier door. dont go knocking on the door yourself, let the guards do it for you. they were so good to us when it was us in the situation. MOVE OUT. for your peace of mind.

dixiefly

Is there a contract? If the terms of the contract are being broken by the various issues he is failing to sort out then surely you could retain the rent until he gets it sorted.

Overall though you are probably better off moving.

Terry Ryaner

Deshi Basara wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, folks.

I appreciate you all taking the time to read my long post. And looking at the few replies i've gotten, it puts into perspective what i'm fighting for.

I agree; ultimately, moving is the best option. I just hate the idea of being run out of the place i've been living the past 2 years, just because I value peace & quiet.

In reply to whattow's post; we keep a rent book with all the details in it. I'm sure we'll need it when I go seeking out deposit.

And i'm pretty sure the landlord owns & operates the apartments by himself. I've never heard mention of a management company.

I know that feeling but you have to get over that. Doesn't make you the loser in some conflict situation. You have to view renting like a lottery. Sometimes it doesn't work out. You can stick it out and put yourself under loads of stress or you can roll the dice again. Its only the odd rental that doesn't work so the odds are in your favour. The relief when you get into a newer place will be well worth it.

JuliusCaesar

Deshi Basara wrote: »

And i'm pretty sure the landlord owns & operates the apartments by himself. I've never heard mention of a management company.

The management company is nothing to do with the landlord. The management company manages the apartment block - looks after the gardens and common areas and rubbish and car parks etc.

ted1

Just move out, life is to short.

Deshi Basara

After reading all your posts and considering my options, I have decided it would definitely be best for us to move.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply to this, folks. I appreciate your input on the situation.

From browsing this forum, I see a few nice & reasonable landlords post here. Would it be productive to maybe make a post seeking accommodation from one of them? Their regular complaints seem to be "Tenants from Hell", whereas I feel i'd be an ideal tenant, given my peace & comfort are provided.

I'm grateful for any feedback.

djimi

Its a shame that you have to move, but in the long run your mental health and wellbeing are all that matters, and some battles are just not worth fighting!

With regards finding better accomodation, my advice would be to take your time and research everywhere fully. Meet with the potential landlord and get a feel for them; its my experience that you will get a bad feeling from a cowboy pretty much straight away. Ask them questions and see how open they are. A decent landlord will be willing to answer all your queries fully, will hold nothing back and will generally give off the impression that they want to work with you and help you. Look into the complex fully as well; maybe ask around the area and see if anyone can give you any advice as to where is nice to live and what certain complexes are like to live in.

Just remember, most landlords and most tenants are absolutely fine! For every horror story you hear on here there are 50/100/1000 stories of people who get on great with their neighbours and landlords that you will never hear!

whatnext

dixiefly wrote: »

Is there a contract? If the terms of the contract are being broken by the various issues he is failing to sort out then surely you could retain the rent until he gets it sorted.

Overall though you are probably better off moving.

Thats not the way L&T law works, that would only put the tenant in breach of contract also. two wrongs etc...

BostonB

TBH if you want peace and quiet be picky about where you move into. A lot of the building over the last 15yrs was sub standard and regulations were not enforced or even checked. So a lot of places have noise pollution problems. The cheapest way to fix this is to move.

Even if you win against the LL and the current tenant. You can't fix the problem that the apartment is just badly built.

johnmolon

Deshi Basara wrote: »

Hi there, folks.

I've been browsing this board for some time and i've always found the information helpful. However, its come to the point where I need some help based on my own scenario, and not just based on that of others.

So my girlfriend & I have been living in a City Centre based apartment for the past 2 years. Since moving in, we've had an ongoing problem with noisy neighbours. In some cases, they've been out of our landlord's control (tenants in other rented properties), but the majority have been in the same apartments, all owned by our landlord.

Our worst neighbours were a romanian family, who generally had their TV and radio at maximum volume. Over the time they were living there, both my girlfriend & I approached them very diplomatically about lowering the volume enough so that we wouldn't hear it in our appartment above. Unfortunately, their english wasn't the best, so the situation would resurface every few weeks.

I kept note of the times/dates of whenever the noise became so intrusive it was effecting our comfort or sleep. I also contacted the landlord regularly, and he'd constantly promise to "have a word with them". But the situation was never truly resolved.

Fortunately, this family moved out at the beginning of August. It was a massive relief. I asked our Landlord to please ensure the next tenants would be aware of the fact that we wanted to live in a quiet environment, he said he'd make sure they knew.

Fast forward to the end of September, and a new romanian family has moved in downstairs. The primary problem being that the man in the family is very loud and likes to bring his friends over frequently.

I attempted to contact my landlord several times about it, but I always got his voice mail. I sent texts outlining the problem, and I requested that the 3 of us sit down and discuss the best solution for all parties involved.

My girlfriend had knocked down to them twice asking for the noise to be kept down. Both times the neighbours seemed complient, but it wouldn't be long until they started up again.

My landlord finally contacted me, saying we could discuss it when he was out to collect the rent. This bothered me a great deal; when he was refurbishing the house currently occupied by our problem neighbours, he was out almost every day for 2 weeks.

He came down on monday (the 8th), and after i'd paid him & he'd signed the rent book, I asked could we go outside & have a chat about the noise. After we got down there, halfway through my first sentence he cuts me off saying "I don't want any more calls or texts about f**king noise". He then begins a rant saying we're the only ones to ever complain about it, and that we were upsetting the newly moved in family. We went back & forth, I pointed out my rights as a tenant to a comfortable living environment & his obligation to uphold these rights. Among other things, he told me if I didnt like it, I should move out and that if he wanted somebody out of an apartment he "had ways of doing it". I informed him i'd take a case against him with the District Court, to which he replied "none of that sh*t bothers me".


He did end up sending me an apology text about a day later, but he's still done nothing about the noise.

On friday night (the 12th), the neighbours began making noise again. This time it was the man & his friends watching the TV. It was disturbing my girlfriend's ability to study. I decided i'd call down myself, and ask if they could lower the volume.

So I called down, the guy opens the door & just stares at me. I greet him "Hi there, i'm your neighbour from upstairs". He replied "What". I inform that the TV is very loud, and that we can hear it upstairs. He snaps before I can finish my sentence saying "to me, this is stupid. It is just f**king TV! Nt party, not music, just f**king TV!" . I try to tell him that regardless, its still intruding on my girlfriend's ability to study. He cuts me off again, saying that there's a concrete floor between us and that if If i bother him again, he'll call the police. He then slams the door in my face.

I rang my landlord immediately after, and calmly explained the situation. He said he'd ring the guy the next day, and sort it out.

I heard nothing back from my landlord since. And things only got worse on saturday night. The neighbours returned home from a night out at about 2am. They had friends with them. They stayed up all night speaking so loudly I could hear them all over the apartment. They didnt stop until 10am the next morning.

I sent my landlord a text practically begging for his help with the matter. Asking him to put himself in my shoes. Again, i've heard nothing from him.


I lost my job in january, so i'm currently receiving Job Seeker's Allowance & Rent Allowance. My girlfriend is in college on the back to education system.

I had thought my landlord was a decent enough chap, but he's incredibly neglectful of his obligations. One of the front windows has had a crack in it since we've moved in. And the toilet has been acting up since july. Neither has been fixed and he's been reminded of both frequently.

My girlfriend was in the hospital for a few weeks over the summer and she's still getting ongoing treatment. She doesnt need this stress on top of college.

I know many will advise to "just move out". And while that will be an inevidablity, i'm not taking this lying down.

So I put it to you, do I have a case here that I can take against my landlord or the tenants?

Thank you for reading, looking forward to replies.

Had a llook at your pictures, for the description i read first I thought it was going to be much worse, mould is caused by a combination of the following: lack of heat, lack of ventilation, lack of insulation. the first two is controled by the tenant and in a lot of cases the tenant wont turn on the heat because of cost and wont open windows or block up vent to prevent any heat getting out. I think the user of the apartment in a lot of cases are to blame for mould build up.