Noisy Neighbours

MaireadK4

I have been living in my home that I own since May '08. It is an apartment in a two level apartment block. I have had 5 different neighbours upstairs which I have never even heard a footstep from. New tenants moved in last year (a women and two children (approx 2yr and 14yr). Her husband join her from Indian in February and since then there have a huge amount of noise coming from the apartment. I reported the noise in March after a month of living hell to their landlord. He said he would talk to them but it took him a month to actually come out and speak to them. They denied they were making any noise. He said he couldn't do anything and made up any excuse to get out of coming out again to talk to them. They return to India on holiday for June and July. When they cam back the noise was so much worse so I contacted the landlord again and he came out the next day to speak to me. He said they still denied that they were making any noise and called me crazy and said I should move out. He said the children were cycling bikes and flickers in the house and he had asked them to stop. Since this they have increased the noise by jumping on the ceiling shouting and running so much so glasses in my presses are falling over. This starts at 6.30am in the morning.
Their landlord is refusing to do anything about it as is the management company. I have contacted the PRTB and I think this is my only option in order to make a complaint. Does anyone have advice or have had a similar experience?

Ch1986

Hi,

I did live a similar situation and that can get really annoying.

Have you got a building management to whom you can report the noise? often building blocks are managed by a third party and they have charts with the rules of the building.

They were very helpful to me.

Otherwise, It is up to the good will of your and their landlord to solve this situation. Bear in mind that if the noise doesn't happen during the night it will be difficult to take action against them even through PRTB.

Also, try to record the noise, and show proof of the noise to all involved parties.. that's work well

the_syco

Is there any sort of management company in place in the apartment complex?

goochy

people talk about families in Ireland having to get used to apt. living but don't think young families are suited to apartments - too noisy ! if we were in somewhere like Germany where plp have to behave fine but not in lawless irl !

MaireadK4

The management company have point blank refused to get involved. I can't get any help from them. The management company is the builder and his wife. There are only 12 apartments so they set up the management company themselves, charge huge management fees but do very little.
If the noise is starting at 6.30am then this should be unsocialable hours so the PRTB should be able to make a case.

mdebets

goochy wrote: »

people talk about families in Ireland having to get used to apt. living but don't think young families are suited to apartments - too noisy ! !

Of course, young families are suited to apartments, its just that Irish apartments are not suited to young families, walls are built to thin, no storage

goochy wrote: »

if we were in somewhere like Germany where plp have to behave fine but not in lawless irl !

That's actually not true, in Germany, young kids (I think under the age of 14, but I'm not sure about the cut-off date) are allowed to make all the noise they want and neighbours are not legally allowed to complain.

ZENER

What's good for the goose is good for the gander I always say

Ken

Stheno

What sort of noise are they making?

MaireadK4

Stheno wrote: »

What sort of noise are they making?

It's all wood flooring in all of the rooms expect bathrooms so hear stumping and when the shout. The father is shouting on his phone from 6.30am in the morning. I think he works from home but he is talking at the top of his voice. Then the kids are running the length of the apartment and also on bikes, scooter etc. it also sounds like they move furniture around all the time but again this could be the bikes. Basically it's constant loud movement, shouting and stumping on the floor.
Keep in mind that these are 5th tenants since I have lived there and I never heard any noise from anyone else.

brendag

I don't think builder can retain control/ownership of the management company. There are new regulations on management companies, within certain length of time after estate is finished owners take control of management company and appoint who they choose to do the physical management/maintenance. Owners therefore control fees, rules etc. Check the legislation, and look elsewhere on here, there is advice from other apartment owners about this. I believe there is a good website and guide to setting up management companies available.

gordongekko

Noise is a very difficult situation to resolve. It you are renting try contacting your own landlord to get him to resolve the issue. If you are renting the easiest solution is unfortunately to just move.

If you own the apartment then you need to contact the environmental department of the local council. Also contact the gardai and ask them to open a file on the matter. Ask for the local community gardai to contact you and to arrange a visit with the noisy neighbours. Keep a diary and not all times and dates of the noise.

MaireadK4

gordongekko wrote: »

Noise is a very difficult situation to resolve. It you are renting try contacting your own landlord to get him to resolve the issue. If you are renting the easiest solution is unfortunately to just move.

If you own the apartment then you need to contact the environmental department of the local council. Also contact the gardai and ask them to open a file on the matter. Ask for the local community gardai to contact you and to arrange a visit with the noisy neighbours. Keep a diary and not all times and dates of the noise.

I had kept a record of times and dates but it's everyday now from 6.30am until they go to bed. The mother works while the rest of the family stay at home 24/7. They never leave the house so the noise never stops. I've had a week off work and spent 95% at home and they never left the apartment. The father never even took the kids out on the green. He just let them cycle their bikes inside. I hear him constantly shouting at them and yesterday I seen the older child take his younger sister out and he was crying at the bins. Really strange situation.

Teyla Emmagan

Will the kids be going to school soon? Could you tell Social Welfare they never leave the house? That has to be bad for them, as must be being shouted at all the time. I guess the family may not realise that they're being noisy. Other cultures have very different attitudes to space and noise than we do. If you haven't started recording them do it now. Have evidence for their landlord, and do lodge a complaint with the environment dept of the council as mentioned above. That will take time, but if you get rid of them it will be well worth it. My sister lived in an apartment once that had similar noise levels. I don't actually know how she didn't have a breakdown - noise that is inescapable would drive you bananas.

MaireadK4

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Will the kids be going to school soon? Could you tell Social Welfare they never leave the house? That has to be bad for them, as must be being shouted at all the time. I guess the family may not realise that they're being noisy. Other cultures have very different attitudes to space and noise than we do. If you haven't started recording them do it now. Have evidence for their landlord, and do lodge a complaint with the environment dept of the council as mentioned above. That will take time, but if you get rid of them it will be well worth it. My sister lived in an apartment once that had similar noise levels. I don't actually know how she didn't have a breakdown - noise that is inescapable would drive you bananas.

Thanks. I was thinking of contacting someone about the children alright. I have been reporting the noise to the landlord since February but he won't so anything about it that's why I need to go another route with it like the PRTB.
If I did a record of the noise there would be an entry every 5 minutes! I have videos of the noise etc I offered to show these to the landlord and management company but they weren't interested. I also offered for them to come sit in my apartment and listen to the noise but again they refused.

Teyla Emmagan

The landlord and management company obviously don't give a sh(te, and are unlikely to change their position. You'll have to go around them. You need this, ultimately.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/environmental_protection/noise_regulations.html

Henry Ford III

Gather evidence OP. Record the noise.

Mrs OBumble

MaireadK4 wrote: »

Thanks. I was thinking of contacting someone about the children alright. I have been reporting the noise to the landlord since February.

So there has been a 14 year old child in your neighbourhood since February who isn't going to school, and no one has reported it to the Welfare yet?

stateofflux

Nothing will happen with this OP, if anything does it could take months and months. This happened to me. i sorted it with some Slayer and Metallica at 5.30am at full volume. they got the message.