Acceptable level of noise from housemate early in the morning

Diamond Doll

I feel that any time from around 6am is fair game to be up and about, business as usual, unless you had specifically agreed otherwise when the person moved in.

If anything you could maybe ask them to stop singing and to be careful closing doors so that they don't bang, however I don't think you should ask them not to use the blender. It's obviously part of their normal morning breakfast routine and they're not doing it at an unreasonable time (even if it's not a time that suits you!)

I actually love being in a house where there are others up and about and I can lie smugly in bed knowing that I can stay there for a while yet - maybe you could try looking at it that way! And perhaps have some chillaxing music ready to go when you're woken in the mornings, so you can listen to that instead of focussing on every little noise being made.

Honestly I've had to put up with a lot worse in houseshares.

bonyn

Diamond Doll wrote: »

maybe you could try looking at it that way! And perhaps have some chillaxing music ready to go when you're woken in the mornings, so you can listen to that instead of focussing on every little noise being made.

+1. Attitude plays a big part.
Personally, dog barking drives me mental and was causing me a lot of anxiety. Then I discovered, it was actually just contributing to my anxiety, and the more anxious I got, the more anxious it made me.

Advice for the op, chat with your housemate to fix what you can.

Then see what you can do for yourself. Maybe get up earlier and go to the gym if you're not tired. Try counselling if the cause of your annoyance is anxiety. Maybe get to bed a bit earlier so you get a good night's sleep regardless of being woken early.

The other option is to move, but no guarantees there won't be other annoyances elsewhere.

Idbatterim

the singing is ridiculous. Is he pushing the doors shut or do they close themselves? The blender is ridiculously ignorant also IMO, he should do it the night before or if that doesnt work with his food types, not do it at all...

Alf Veedersane

Idbatterim wrote: »

The blender is ridiculously ignorant also IMO, he should do it the night before or if that doesnt work with his food types, not do it at all...

That would qualify as an unreasonable request, imo

Idbatterim

That would qualify as an unreasonable request, imo

Throwing on a blender before 7am, while people are sleeping or attempting to sleep, if unreasonable to me...

dutopia

It sounds like the housemate is being inconsiderate, whether he realizes it or not.

Things like banging doors, singing, etc need to be discussed in a polite but stern manner.

Something like a blender IMO he should be allowed use if making breakfast.

Diamond Doll

Idbatterim wrote: »

Throwing on a blender before 7am, while people are sleeping or attempting to sleep, if unreasonable to me...

What's the cut-off though?

To me, it's reasonable to expect housemates to make minimal noise between say 11pm and 6am, roughly. I personally often go to bed earlier than that, or get up later than that, but those are the hours I'd consider socially acceptable. That's after a decade or so of living in houseshares.

You just end up having to give and take a bit, accept that others operate on a different schedule to you. Sticking on the blender at 3am would be a definite NO, but 6.30am sounds grand to me, I wouldn't have a problem with it even if it woke me up earlier than I needed to get up.

smeal

From living in quite a few house shares myself its safe to say that some people are COMPLETELY oblivious to the noise they are making! I think this stems from the type of house they grew up in though.. For example in my own house growing up, my parents room was above the sitting room, my mum was an incredibly light sleeper and if the tv was on past midnight at a reasonable level you could guarantee she would be down whinging about it so some people grow to be more conscious of noise.

It's incredibly difficult to find a house share where you are all on the exact routine and to me, 6.30/7.00 definitely isn't early and 8.30 would definitely be quite late to be rising if it is a typical Mon-Fri job you work. The best thing to do in your situation is to bring it to their attention- I can guarantee they don't realise they are doing it, they probably don't realise how much sound flows up to your bedroom because they don't sleep there themselves and how much sound generates around the house when it is quiet because they are always up first. The singing is definitely uncalled for. Just ask them to go easy on the doors and explain nicely that the blender is really loud in the mornings so if they wouldn't mind blending their breakfast the night before. General rummaging in the kitchen noise should be reasonably expected though- they're only human!

Seriously, talk to them about it. They are definitely oblivious to it unless they are an assh**e. I lived with one girl last year who was a student and was somehow weirdly oblivious to the fact that hoovering her room at 1.30am in the morning didn't generate noise until I said it to her! People haha.

Alf Veedersane

Idbatterim wrote: »

Throwing on a blender before 7am, while people are sleeping or attempting to sleep, if unreasonable to me...

It's not willfully making noise. It's being used to make food.

The person using it can try and reduce the noise it makes but it's compounded by the fact that the OP's room is above the kitchen.

There's nothing unreasonable about using a blender at 7am. I would venture that a large portion of the working population would be up at that hour.

In any case, the OP doesn't think it's necessarily unreasonable nor is it unreasonable for the OP to ask them to try keep the noise level down.

But it is unreasonable to expect them to not do something as basic as make a smoothie that they have for their breakfast if it is something that cannot be made the night before

F412

athtrasna wrote: »

Almost everyone I work with and close friends are up by 6.30am, 7 at the absolute latest. Nothing abnormal about it. Commuting, family obligations, prework exercise, flexitime or just early morning meetings.

Anything before 7 would be very rare even in my group of friends (and unheard of with work colleges, well the ones I know well anyway), 7:30 to 8 I'd say would be more normal but after 8 would account for lots too particularly the people I work with, our office is deserted until about 9:30. So for me 6:30 is an extremely early hour to be getting up.

Diamond Doll wrote: »

I feel that any time from around 6am is fair game to be up and about, business as usual, unless you had specifically agreed otherwise when the person moved in.

I don't see why noise should be fair game from 6am when people are sleeping and not fair game at 1am.

Diamond Doll wrote: »

I don't think you should ask them not to use the blender. It's obviously part of their normal morning breakfast routine and they're not doing it at an unreasonable time (even if it's not a time that suits you!)

I think its very unreasonable to be honest and its only a new addition to the routine recently. 6:30am is extremely early and should be treated like 1am on the other end of the scale. I had to alter my late evening when I realised this person got up early, I would have listened to tv shows loud on my surround sound system up to and after 1am but now I keep the volume low.

Diamond Doll wrote: »

I actually love being in a house where there are others up and about and I can lie smugly in bed knowing that I can stay there for a while yet - maybe you could try looking at it that way! And perhaps have some chillaxing music ready to go when you're woken in the mornings, so you can listen to that instead of focussing on every little noise being made.

I want to be asleep not listening to a person going around the house.

Idbatterim wrote: »

Is he pushing the doors shut or do they close themselves?

Pulling them shut, its the amount of time that gets me. Like if they enter and leave the bedroom 3 times in a minute the door gets open and fully closed every time they enter or leave when it could be just left open say and the noise would be much less regular. Its very easy to close the door gently rather than just pull them after you and close them with a bag.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

That would qualify as an unreasonable request, imo

I think making as much noise as a hammer action drill at 6:30 am when both other house mates are asleep is a very unreasonable action.

Diamond Doll wrote: »

What's the cut-off though?

To me, it's reasonable to expect housemates to make minimal noise between say 11pm and 6am, roughly. I personally often go to bed earlier than that, or get up later than that, but those are the hours I'd consider socially acceptable. That's after a decade or so of living in houseshares.

You just end up having to give and take a bit, accept that others operate on a different schedule to you. Sticking on the blender at 3am would be a definite NO, but 6.30am sounds grand to me, I wouldn't have a problem with it even if it woke me up earlier than I needed to get up.

I think they should try to make minimal noise if people are asleep regardless of the time. Why the cut off between 11am and 6am? 11am is only late evening to me Id be awake another 2 or possibly 3 hours, why should I have to be extremely quiet at 1am when someone else is asleep and they not be quiet at 6:30 am when I'm asleep?

To me blending at 3am would be pretty much as reasonable as 6:30am.

smeal wrote: »

From living in quite a few house shares myself its safe to say that some people are COMPLETELY oblivious to the noise they are making! I think this stems from the type of house they grew up in though..

I suppose I'm sort of on the other end of this, I'm from the country side and we have a big well built house. You could have a party in the sitting room and it would be almost silent in my bedroom so I spent most of my life having nothing disturbing my sleep which I suppose makes it more difficult now. I've been lucky enough in houseshares up to now also with most people on a similarish time scale to me. This is the first time I've had a housemate regularly waking me so early basically everyday.

Apologies if I have been a bit sharp with some replies but I'm quiet tired this morning despite moving out my alarm to 9:20 when I was woken early in order to get an extra bit of sleep.

Alf Veedersane

F412 wrote: »

I would have listened to tv shows loud on my surround sound system up to and after 1am

But a blender (not a hammer drill) about 7am is unreasonable?

Right.

F412

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

But a blender (not a hammer drill) about 7am is unreasonable?

Right.

No it would not be reasonable to watch tv with the volume turned up at 1am when someone in the house has an early start, hence I stopped doing it when they moved in. In the same way a blender at 7am is not reasonable when other people in the house are asleep.

Trust me the blender is as loud as a drill, its appears to be a powerful one.

Alf Veedersane

F412 wrote: »

No it would not be reasonable to watch tv with the volume turned up at 1am when someone in the house has an early start, hence I stopped doing it when they moved in. In the same way a blender at 7am is not reasonable when other people in the house are asleep.

Trust me the blender is as loud as a drill, its appears to be a powerful one.

Anything between 11pm and 6am is unreasonable (if hasn't been agreed from the start, e.g. where a new housemate is working shifts that start early/finish late).

Last house-share I was in, the electric shower was as close to the wall the bathroom shared with my bedroom. My housemates would often be up before 7 and shower. The shower wasn't exactly quiet. But I don't think they were being unreasonable or inconsiderate to have a shower when i was still asleep.

Have a word with the person. A lot of the noises could be cut down. The blending could be done with a towel under it so the vibrations on the counter aren't as loud. One over it could reduce the sound. Aside from that, there is nothing unreasonable about what they do.

tinz18

F412 wrote:

I think they should try to make minimal noise if people are asleep regardless of the time. Why the cut off between 11am and 6am? 11am is only late evening to me Id be awake another 2 or possibly 3 hours, why should I have to be extremely quiet at 1am when someone else is asleep and they not be quiet at 6:30 am when I'm asleep?

I would say because in most estates and apartment blocks these are generally the quiet hours where people are not meant to make a lot of noise. I've lived in places where the quiet time was all evening because my housemate worked nights, it wasn't an issue because it was mentioned before I moved in. I would be a late riser myself but I consider from 6 onwards as reasonable because people have to work. I don't share but my bedroom overlooks a courtyard so on a given morning I could be woken by the child next door crying or the motorbike across the way starting up.

Yes it's annoying but its part and parcel of sharing and being in an urban area. I'm the same as you OP as I'm from the countryside but imo if you want the quiet you get there you're going to have to either rent alone in a properly soundproofed place or find a place out in the countryside. I agree with the others- blended smoothies separate quickly so the night before is useless (I've personal experience of this).

Imo it was a mistake on your part to assume their hours were the same as yours and the only remedy is to say something to them along the lines of "do you mind keeping it down the door/blender/singing is waking me up". Don't start justifying by mentioning your surround sound etc otherwise you'll come across as petty.

Squall Leonhart

F412 wrote:

For me 6:30 is an extremely early hour to be getting up.

I don't see why noise should be fair game from 6am when people are sleeping and not fair game at 1am.

I think they should try to make minimal noise if people are asleep regardless of the time. Why the cut off between 11am and 6am? 11am is only late evening to me Id be awake another 2 or possibly 3 hours, why should I have to be extremely quiet at 1am when someone else is asleep and they not be quiet at 6:30 am when I'm asleep?

...moving out my alarm to 9:20 when I was woken early in order to get an extra bit of sleep

There seems to be some sense of entitlement here. YOU keep the irregular hours. It is not within an ass's roar of being unreasonable to be up and going about your day midweek at 6:30am onwards.

Aside from shift workers, hospitality staff, medical staff etc, having your breakfast at 7am is completely normal and acceptable.

Playing music and watching tv with your surround sound system until or after 1am is not typical behaviour in a house share situation, and to be fair to you, you've modified this to cater to your housemate. However, it is you who keep the unusual hours so I wouldn't expect him to cater to you by getting up later or tip toe-ing about the house. I would expect courtesy and some consideration of those asleep which it seems he is doing, he doesn't have the telly on blaring or the radio waking the house, he's making his breakfast!

You are the square peg trying to fit into the round hole here, not the other way around.

Tar.Aldarion

I usually would only get up for work at 8:30 at the earliest but usually approaching 9 or even later on occasion while the other housemate gets up even later.

I think you assume people you work with and you are the norm, you are not. It is perfectly normal to be up at 6/6:30 for people. These are the norm for getting ready for work for a lot of people, yes people work later but that doesn't matter, it is still normal hours. That is why 3:30am is different than 6:30am. You get up very late compared to 90% of working people

F412

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

You are the square peg trying to fit into the round hole here, not the other way around.

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

I think you assume people you work with and you are the norm, you are not. It is perfectly normal to be up at 6/6:30 for people. These are the norm for getting ready for work for a lot of people, yes people work later but that doesn't matter, it is still normal hours. That is why 3:30am is different than 6:30am. You get up very late compared to 90% of working people

In fairness I don't think getting up at 6 to 6:30 is the norm at all. I would say 7am to 8am would cover quite a lot of people but still even looking at this poll (which wont be overly accurate but still gives an idea) almost 50% of voters get up after 8am.

As I mentioned I've lived with quite a few different people in the last few years, accountants, IT professionals, finance workers, engineers, construction workers and I work in a science related discipline myself and I wold say 7:45 onwards was when most people I have lived with would start getting up. Out of say 15 or 16 different housemates I reckon only two or possibly 3 (including my current one) got up before 7:30am. I usually aim to get up between 8:30 and 9 which is very normal in my area of work and also for a lot of people working in IT, various different roles in multi-nations etc which all have very flexible start times.

Alf Veedersane

F412 wrote: »

In fairness I don't think getting up at 6 to 6:30 is the norm at all. I would say 7am to 8am would cover quite a lot of people but still even looking at this poll (which wont be overly accurate but still gives an idea) almost 50% of voters get up after 8am.

As I mentioned I've lived with quite a few different people in the last few years, accountants, IT professionals, finance workers, engineers, construction workers and I work in a science related discipline myself and I wold say 7:45 onwards was when most people I have lived with would start getting up. Out of say 15 or 16 different housemates I reckon only two or possibly 3 (including my current one) got up before 7:30am. I usually aim to get up between 8:30 and 9 which is very normal in my area of work and also for a lot of people working in IT, various different roles in multi-nations etc which all have very flexible start times.

What's normal isn't defined by the area you work in or your own straw poll though.

Construction workers in bed until 7.30? Not unless they sleep on site.


There's nothing particularly early about getting up at 6.30. Not for me or any of the people I've ever lived with who worked. Last house I lived in we'd have all been out of the house by 7.30/7.45 and those people included scientists, engineers, architects and people working in finance.

F412

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

What's normal isn't defined by the area you work in or your own straw poll though.

The link I was referring to was from a poll on this site with a few hundred replies but the link I inserted didn't show up in the post.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Construction workers in bed until 7.30? Not unless they sleep on site.

Well I worked for a construction company myself for a number of years in the summers and weekends while I was an undergrad and bar a handful of people working on contract rather than actual employees of the company people started between 9 and 9:30, I was never up before 8:30 for work then either.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

There's nothing particularly early about getting up at 6.30. Not for me or any of the people I've ever lived with who worked. Last house I lived in we'd have all been out of the house by 7.30/7.45 and those people included scientists, engineers, architects and people working in finance.

I still maintain that before 7am is very early to get up and only a minority of people are up at 6 or 6:30.

As far as noise in the morning, I think that before 8am when (personally I'd say when ever people are asleep people should make an effort to keep quiet but lets set a time) people should make an effort to keep quiet in the house, close doors gently, try to avoid noisy appliances, no loud talking etc.

Alf Veedersane

F412 wrote: »

Well I worked for a construction company myself for a number of years in the summers and weekends while I was an undergrad and bar a handful of people working on contract rather than actual employees of the company people started between 9 and 9:30, I was never up before 8:30 for work then either.

Not something I've encountered so. I've been on many a site through work and my brother works as en engineer on site and it would be rare that the majority of workers wouldn't be on site by 8.[/QUOTE]

F412 wrote: »

I still maintain that before 7am is very early to get up and only a minority of people are up at 6 or 6:30.

As far as noise in the morning, I think that before 8am when (personally I'd say when ever people are asleep people should make an effort to keep quiet but lets set a time) people should make an effort to keep quiet in the house, close doors gently, try to avoid noisy appliances, no loud talking etc.

It's not early.

It's just early for you. And yes, you can have a conversation with them about managing the sound level. But there isn't anything unreasonable (though singing is pushing it) in what the housemate is doing.

F412

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It's just early for you. And yes, you can have a conversation with them about managing the sound level. But there isn't anything unreasonable (though singing is pushing it) in what the housemate is doing.

If I do bring it up it will be the blender I mention as its the biggest problem, its extremely loud (I'd be surprised if the neighbors weren't hearing it also) and the most inconsiderate thing of the lot imo. Anyone I have mentioned it to in person sees it as totally unreasonable but I decided to post here just to get a idea of what more people thought and as I expected the answers are mixed and heavily influenced by posters own personal routine.

Magicmatilda

Dublin city council consider Night Time to be 11pm - 7am when it comes to noise levels. I think that is a good guideline and thankfully fits in with my schedule.

The problem here is OP consider that they are RIGHT and the housemate WRONG, other posters are feeding into that. Whereas neither is right or wrong, just different. When living in a house share this happens and it is part of the deal. If you want total enjoyment and comfort you rent alone and pay the premium for that.

I suggest the OP start by simply asking the flatmate to keep it down a bit in the mornings. Most likely they will. Most people are reasonable in my experience. If they don't then the OP has a different issue. If they do and the OP is still being woken up then it is a different issue. But the first step is a conversation with the flatmate.

Triceratops Ballet

F412 wrote:

As far as noise in the morning, I think that before 8am when (personally I'd say when ever people are asleep people should make an effort to keep quiet but lets set a time) people should make an effort to keep quiet in the house, close doors gently, try to avoid noisy appliances, no loud talking etc.

I'm open to correction here but isnt 8am the limit as to when construction can commence in a residential area ie the time assumed that most people are up and have or are about to leave the house?

My houseshare days are over but if I was looking at a house where quiet hours are up to 8am I would find it unreasonable. 6.30 -7am are reasonable getting up hours. If the housemate was having a power shower at 6.30 would you tell them they couldnt?

I would say it in passing if I were you but dont go in all gung ho with the idea that their behaviour is unreasonable. You have different schedules and you have to compromise.

Tar.Aldarion

F412 wrote: »

In fairness I don't think getting up at 6 to 6:30 is the norm at all. I would say 7am to 8am would cover quite a lot of people but still even looking at this poll (which wont be overly accurate but still gives an idea) almost 50% of voters get up after 8am.

As I mentioned I've lived with quite a few different people in the last few years, accountants, IT professionals, finance workers, engineers, construction workers and I work in a science related discipline myself and I wold say 7:45 onwards was when most people I have lived with would start getting up. Out of say 15 or 16 different housemates I reckon only two or possibly 3 (including my current one) got up before 7:30am. I usually aim to get up between 8:30 and 9 which is very normal in my area of work and also for a lot of people working in IT, various different roles in multi-nations etc which all have very flexible start times.

This is just cognitive bias, see availability heuristic.
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/cognitive-biases-that-affect-decisions-2015-8
Yes your group does not get up at that time, that is not reflective of a society that has a lot of people already at work by the time you are getting up, even if it is 50% of society or less that still makes it normal hours. When you are getting up people in my office are already working here. My doctor opens from 7, when I am on the way there I see loads of people on their way to work and already working, particularly council and retail and delivery and etc And while that is early to be in work people are generally up earlier than you imagine.

Alf Veedersane

F412 wrote: »

If I do bring it up it will be the blender I mention as its the biggest problem, its extremely loud (I'd be surprised if the neighbors weren't hearing it also) and the most inconsiderate thing of the lot imo. Anyone I have mentioned it to in person sees it as totally unreasonable but I decided to post here just to get a idea of what more people thought and as I expected the answers are mixed and heavily influenced by posters own personal routine.

As is your perception of your housemate being up and about at 6.30

F412

Magicmatilda wrote: »

When living in a house share this happens and it is part of the deal. If you want total enjoyment and comfort you rent alone and pay the premium for that.

This I totally understand, there has to be give and take when sharing and I have no problem being more aware of making noise late at night etc and the many other things that go with house sharing.

As for renting alone, I would really love to and I am in a position where I could do so now with good jumps in salary in the last year or so but the value and choice out there is terrible at the moment saving the money towards a deposit for my own place in the future appears a better course of action for now.

lainey316

renting alone doesn't necessarily make a difference depending on what you rent - in my flat I can hear quite a bit from the neighbours, and my downstairs neighbour has one of those pneumatic blenders too, but luckily he gave it up after a few weeks. talking to housemate in short term and saving for deposit long term seem most practical.

eeguy

F412 wrote: »

I still maintain that before 7am is very early to get up and only a minority of people are up at 6 or 6:30.

Anyone who has to commute from Louth/Meath/Wicklow to Dublin will be up around 6.30 to make a bus and account for traffic.

J Mysterio

F412 wrote: »

I usually aim to get up between 8:30 and 9 which is very normal in my area of work and also for a lot of people working in IT, various different roles in multi-nations etc which all have very flexible start times.

I work in IT and always set my alarm for 7. I leave the house before 8 and am at my desk around 8:30.

My previous job was more flexible (in 8-10 out 5-7) but still 95% of the people were at their desk at 9.

I do agree though, profession aside, that people should try and be quiet to let others sleep in the morning. It's just being considerate.

AiAiAi

What amazes me is you've spent 24hrs talking to an internet forum about it and debating what a "normal" time to get out of bed is.......... when all you have to do is talk to your housemate about it an resolve the issue ?

Go home and discuss the issue face to face like an adult. What's the worst that could happen ??