Problematic neighbour

omac

Hi, just wondering if anyone could lend some advice..............

We moved into our house in April '14, there is an adjoining apartment which was vacant when we moved in. A tenant moved in in June and we done our best to get along with him, let him use our broadband, kept our covers well over in the driveway so he wouldn't have any problems parking etc and all seemed to be going well......until, a couple of weeks ago he came out to complain that our dog is barking at night(she's not, she sleeps indoors in the room with us! but he wasn't willing to accept that). Then a while later, I ran the bath at 10pm and he started banging on his ceiling(which is below our bathroom). we have also noticed he is trying to antagonise our dog when she is outside.
Last week, at 12pm I had to go out and ask him to please turn down his music a bit as the kids were in bed and it was quite loud. Last night we arrived home from holidays at 11.30pm, we were sorting out some food and talking(no more than normal!) in our living room when we heard the banging starting again!!!! he pounded on the walls, his ceiling, everything etc. Now he has started banging on the ceiling everytime we use the toilet, or go up the stairs.
He's making it impossible to actually live our family life as we feel like we are walking on eggshells. It seems that we can't move in our house without him banging on the walls and shouting to shut up. Our neighbours on the other side have absolutely no complaints about us at all, and said they never hear us/kids unless they see us in our front garden.
My husband and I both work antisocial hours in the care industry and I (maybe im wrong!) don't think that it's unreasonable to want to have a shower when we come home from work(which could be 11pm or 8am).
I have spoke to the letting agency about his behaviour a few weeks back and the response I got was "yeah... he seems to have a bit of a short fuse, we've had issues with him in here shouting and screaming for no reason". We are at the stage where I actually feel uncomfortable being alone here at night with the kids if my husband is working, and we don't feel comfortable leaving our 16 year old here in the evening for an hour or 2.

Is there anything the letting agency can do about him, or can we leave our lease with our deposit.... we are at our wits end with him, there is just no talking to him at all....

mphalo1

I take it you have stopped letting him use your broadband then and dont leave him as much parking space anymore and show him what its really like to be noisy , walk heavy on the floor ,sing in the shower etc.. the hell with him and tell your husband to have a real talk with him sometime n dont be a wuss ( I'd love this so I would I'd make his life a living hell

triple nipple

mphalo1 wrote:

I take it you have stopped letting him use your broadband then and dont leave him as much parking space anymore and show him what its really like to be noisy , walk heavy on the floor ,sing in the shower etc.. the hell with him and tell your husband to have a real talk with him sometime n dont be a wuss ( I'd love this so I would I'd make his life a living hell

ehhhhhyyyyyyyyeeeeeah

omac

Yeah we switched the wifi password and informed him that he would no longer be using it. We both have had stern conversations with him and have advised him that if he continues his behaviour we will contact the guards about his disturbances. Heading down to the letting agency in the morn to complain, yet again!

SupaDupaFly

omac wrote: »

Yeah we switched the wifi password and informed him that he would no longer be using it. We both have had stern conversations with him and have advised him that if he continues his behaviour we will contact the guards about his disturbances. Heading down to the letting agency in the morn to complain, yet again!

Omac I sympathize with you! I've dealt with it for 2 years and all I can say is pack up and go if you can. There is nothing anybody can do. We've done everythingz letting agent, their landlord, prtb, environmental health. Not worth the hassle. Hope it works out for you.

Diane Selwyn

I can't envisage the layout of your place - you say it's a house with an adjoining apartment that is below you? It certainly sounds like your neighbour is being unreasonable by making noise you can hear up to 12am but then expecting you not to disturb him after 10.00pm on other nights - can you come to some agreement about what days/times both you and he can and cannot play music/run showers? I know that's not ideal or convenient but you unfortunately have to make compromises in high density living. If he is completely non-receptive to negotiations you will have to complain to his landlord (if he is renting) or to the management company. It might be a good idea to document the incidents of annoyance/complaint.

Cuddlesworth

Diane Selwyn wrote: »

I can't envisage the layout of your place - you say it's a house with an adjoining apartment that is below you?

Duplex. A ground floor apartment with a 2-3 story house overhead. I honestly have no idea why anybody would ever buy one. But it lets a developer sell twice the amount of units.

Diane Selwyn

So you both are renting but with different landlords? Sounds like it could become a nightmare if you don't reach some kind of compromise I'm afraid. I do think from what you've said that your neighbour is being unreasonable so I hope you can work something out!

Thargor

He was still using your broadband for free when he was antagonizing the dog and banging on walls/playing loud music? He sounds like a complete asshole, did he pay you for the broadband?

Mrs OBumble

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Duplex. A ground floor apartment with a 2-3 story house overhead. I honestly have no idea why anybody would ever buy one. But it lets a developer sell twice the amount of units.

Properly built (ie with adequate sound insulation), they're the equivalent of having a granny-flat built onto the side of a house, but take up less space.

Sadly not many are done properly here.

Marcusm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Properly built (ie with adequate sound insulation), they're the equivalent of having a granny-flat built onto the side of a house, but take up less space.

Sadly not many are done properly here.

Nope; they will never be equivalent to something built into the side as impact noise on the floor and down running waste pipes are harder to insulate noise wise. The problem is that they need to be built with apartment building type construction but are built like a semi d.

mphalo1

there is an acoustic mat you can lay beneath the floors and works amazing we have put it in houses where the person is renting upstairs and you can't hear a thing downstairs but you would have to take up all the floors to do it so I doubt your landlord would do it.

pawrick

Marcusm wrote: »

Nope; they will never be equivalent to something built into the side as impact noise on the floor and down running waste pipes are harder to insulate noise wise. The problem is that they need to be built with apartment building type construction but are built like a semi d.

Have to agree - was renting the top two floors of one of these and although I had no issues with with noise my neighbor in the apartment below who never complained had to endure the loud creaking of the pipes when ever i was using water such as turning on the washing machine at night - I stopped doing night time washes once I realised how bad it was.

athtrasna

I've lived in a duplex for 10 years with a ground floor apartment underneath and the same neighbours there from Day 1. They say they never hear noise from our duplex.

OP does the neighbour work or is he home all day? Sometimes behaviour like this can be attention seeking by someone who is lonely or may have other issues.

As an aside are you allowed to have a dog in your duplex? I've never heard of dogs being allowed in one before.

Mrs OBumble

pawrick wrote: »

I stopped doing night time washes once I realised how bad it was.

Ahh, not doing night washes is simply courtesy in pretty much any shared building.

rawn

My mother lives in a ground floor apartment below a duplex. Her upstairs neighbour complained constantly about noise from her apartment when she had the radio on about 6/7 o clock with the back door open, so she invited him in one time. Shut him up fairly sharpish when he heard the racket from upstairs from his wife hoovering and her footsteps across the floor. He just didn't realise how bad the sound insulation was and assumed my mother had the radio on full volume. I sleep in the spare room when I stay there, and the bed is right next to a wall, and whenever he flushes his toilet it sounds like a bag of wrenches being dropped through the wall. I imagine your place is like they, and the sounds traveling between your apartments seem like they're amplified. The best thing you can do is discuss it with him, and come up with some (reasonable) ground rules to keep the peace. Barring that, you may have to start looking elsewhere, as feeling intimidated like that is an awful situation to be in. Good luck

hmmm

This guy sounds like a crackpot, there'll be no use talking to him and I'd be worried about your safety if you do talk to him. The letting agent doesn't care, they get his money and you get the hassle. I'd get on to your landlord and tell him you are thinking of leaving because of the aggravation, and ask him if there's anything he can do - in particular, if he knows who owns the apartment and whether they can get yer mans lease ended. If it was me I'd put all this in writing.

castle2012

I totally understand where your coming from. I had the same problem. I was in a mid terraced town house. Problem started with parking. My neighbour taught she owned the parking in front of my house.When id park in front of my house I would be boxed in etc. Trouble was my neighbour was friends with our neighbour on the other side of us. Over a number of years it got worse and worse. We found ourselves been intimidated every time we went in or out of our house. They seem to have an alcohol problem to. Anti social behavior, abuse etc.Called the Garda one evening , was told it was a domestic issue noting could be done. In the end the stress , we believe caused my wife to loose 2 baby's . We had to pack up and got out last year. I bought the house in 2005 so big negative equity. Had to let the house out and are renting ourselves now.

Sun in Capri

You are entitled to peaceful enjoyment of your home in a lease, and as you clearly are not experiencing that, I think you should be able to get out of your lease and leave. From the sounds of it this person is not going to change so if he is not going to leave you will probably have to unfortunately, which I know is not great. You should however take solace in the fact that you did not buy the duplex, now that would be a nightmare.

dhaughton99

That's why you can't have apartment living in Ireland. Too many feckers with no consideration for other people. They need an island to themselves.

Does he work?

Sun in Capri

In other countries, such as Germany, there is a charter that residents/ tenants have to sign up to and which is policed, which gives the rules for living in the complex. If the rules are not obeyed a warning is given and then the tenant must leave - this is aside from the lease of the property. The whole area of tenancy in Ireland needs to be looked at, especially now when more people than ever are renting. Stricter rules mst be put in place for both Landlords and Tenants and the rules must include the minumum standard for rental properties. There are rules I hear you say - well they are clearly not sufficient and no rules are any good without proper policing of them.

OP I have to say your experience has made me decide not to purchase an apartment. I know you can have similar problems in a house but having to put up with noise above and/ or below you and having people complain if you flush your loo at night is not conducive to peaceful living.

Hope you get a resolution to your problem.

omac

Sorry, only getting back to you all now! Our house isnt a duplex. Its a 4 bed house with an apartment attached(like a granny flat)bit part of (what we assume was a regular size)kitchen has been partitioned off to serve as part of the apartment. So while its not a duplex, part of his apartment is under our bathroom and one of the bedrooms. His behavior has continued, and worsened! Every time we flush the toilet he starts screaming and pounding the walls and then turns on music so loud our house vibrates. He seems a wee bit psycho! We're just back from the letting agents yet again, but this time with a positive result They are going to ask him to leave with his deposit......or else be put out, with no deposit

omac

athtrasna wrote: »

I've lived in a duplex for 10 years with a ground floor apartment underneath and the same neighbours there from Day 1. They say they never hear noise from our duplex.

OP does the neighbour work or is he home all day? Sometimes behaviour like this can be attention seeking by someone who is lonely or may have other issues.

As an aside are you allowed to have a dog in your duplex? I've never heard of dogs being allowed in one before.

Hiya its not a duplex..... Its a 4 bed house with a granny flat style apartment attached. We have a large back garden and landlord is the same for both the house and apartment, landlord has no problem with the dog. she is a small house dog
The neighbor works

JaMarcusHustle

omac wrote: »

Sorry, only getting back to you all now! Our house isnt a duplex. Its a 4 bed house with an apartment attached(like a granny flat)bit part of (what we assume was a regular size)kitchen has been partitioned off to serve as part of the apartment. So while its not a duplex, part of his apartment is under our bathroom and one of the bedrooms. His behavior has continued, and worsened! Every time we flush the toilet he starts screaming and pounding the walls and then turns on music so loud our house vibrates. He seems a wee bit psycho! We're just back from the letting agents yet again, but this time with a positive result They are going to ask him to leave with his deposit......or else be put out, with no deposit

Keep us updated. Would like to know how he reacts to that ultimatum.

magicmushroom

Delighted you got a positive result from the letting agecy, my blood was boiling reading about him!

Do keep us updated, I wish I could see his face when he gets that phone call

omac

They're sending him a letter so he should get it in the morning

omac

Update: we're moving.

Penny Tration

omac wrote: »

Update: we're moving.

he refuse to leave?

Mick Murdock

Had a problem like this a last year with an old b*tch living beside us. Had a good verbal jousting with her one day and it seemed to put her in her place. I actually thought (hoped) she was dead for a while but she's still there.

Glad to hear you got sorted, OP.

Eldarion

omac wrote: »

Update: we're moving.

Put that in the benefits to renting column. Ease of movement.

cerastes

omac wrote: »

Yeah we switched the wifi password and informed him that he would no longer be using it. We both have had stern conversations with him and have advised him that if he continues his behaviour we will contact the guards about his disturbances. Heading down to the letting agency in the morn to complain, yet again!

How did he even have access to it? I mean how did that ever come up as an arrangement? Just cant see how someone would bring it up? especially if they weren't going to be paying a share.

omac wrote: »

Sorry, only getting back to you all now! Our house isnt a duplex. Its a 4 bed house with an apartment attached(like a granny flat)bit part of (what we assume was a regular size)kitchen has been partitioned off to serve as part of the apartment. So while its not a duplex, part of his apartment is under our bathroom and one of the bedrooms. His behavior has continued, and worsened! Every time we flush the toilet he starts screaming and pounding the walls and then turns on music so loud our house vibrates. He seems a wee bit psycho! We're just back from the letting agents yet again, but this time with a positive result They are going to ask him to leave with his deposit......or else be put out, with no deposit

I was replying before I saw further down that you have decided to move, what happened? seems good the letting agent appeared to even be listening, but suprised too, that they might have been putting themselves on thin ice, becuase just telling him he'd have to go might have left them exposed to a case from the PRTB. While it seems he'd be due to be thrown out, they'd have to cover themselves with some record of complaints.
Personally, I dont agree good people should have to move because of bad people, that entrenches them in their view being an asshole can get them their way, someone mentioned earlier about apartment living not being possible here, I tend to agree, it should be possible, but because properties arent designed or finished even to standards, people will always be inconsiderate and not consider the greater good.
Personally, Id love to blast away with loud music from time to time, but I never do, aside from it being selfish, it might be at a time it is inconvenient or disturbs someone else and it gives an open view that others can and will do the same and god knows at what time that might be.

Whatever of housing standards, which I think have improved anyway, there are a few areas which need to be dealt with regarding renting and shared building living. 1 Needs to be rules on joint living behaviour so consistent anti social noise or behaviour is dealt with and promptly, maybe even where tenants and owners have to agree to complex (accomodation rules) and upon entry do a brief orientation course about, noise, how it affects, disposal of waste, add whatever you can think of. 2 buildings need to be designed so noise, even from use of normal facilities like flushing toilets and draining sinks isnt a nuisance at anytime, or even from appliances.