Snoring neighbour disturbing our sleep

BOBIDGE

Help! This is not a normal noisy neighbour issue. My partner and I live in a one bed apartment, its on the top floor (of three floors) and its a Georgian style house.

It is a lovely apartment etc..but one issue - the apartment directly below us has a very very loud snorer. Some nights its very hard to get to sleep and sometimes its wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Any advise on how to deal with this? Its getting to the stage where we may have to move due to lack of sleep.

Flatzie_poo

BOBIDGE wrote: »

Help! This is not a normal noisy neighbour issue. My partner and I live in a one bed apartment, its on the top floor (of three floors) and its a Georgian style house.

It is a lovely apartment etc..but one issue - the apartment directly below us has a very very loud snorer. Some nights its very hard to get to sleep and sometimes its wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Any advise on how to deal with this? Its getting to the stage where we may have to move due to lack of sleep.

Have you tried ear plugs?

Seems like the rational remedy to this.

Sam Kade

Ear plugs.

BOBIDGE

I don't not want to go down the earplugs route - what if a fire alarm etc goes off / or I get an emergency call?

Any alternative options?

Bob24

Not convinced by the earplugs suggestions ...

If there is no better solution than earlplugs (or sleeping tablets, etc) to go to sleep, it is time to move out. No matter what the rent is, an apartment which doens't provide an environment where you can sleep properly is not good value for money!

HAving said that it might be a tricky one OP - difficult to blame the neighbor for snoring and force him to do something about it :-/

yellowlabrador

I'd approach the neighbour and tell them. This is a health issue. They need to visit a doctor and get checked out. So you would be doing them a favour.

BOBIDGE

Bob24 wrote: »

Not convinced by the earplugs suggestions ...

If there is no better solution than earlplugs (or sleeping tablets, etc) to go to sleep, it is time to move out. No matter what the rent is, an apartment which doens't provide an environment where you can sleep properly is not good value for money!

HAving said that it might be a tricky one OP - difficult to blame the neighbor for snoring and force him to do something about it :-/

Maybe if he know how bad his snoring was, he might address it?

In saying that, the landlord owns all the apartments. Is it out of line to mention it to the landlord as an issue?

Polo_Mint

theres nothing you can do. its not like they are partying or purposefully making noise.

Its a snorer.

BOBIDGE

Bob24 wrote: »

Not convinced by the earplugs suggestions ...

If there is no better solution than earlplugs (or sleeping tablets, etc) to go to sleep, it is time to move out. No matter what the rent is, an apartment which doens't provide an environment where you can sleep properly is not good value for money!

HAving said that it might be a tricky one OP - difficult to blame the neighbor for snoring and force him to do something about it :-/

Maybe if he knew how bad his snoring was, he might address it?

In saying that, the landlord owns all the apartments. Is it out of line to mention it to the landlord as an issue?

Bob24

BOBIDGE wrote: »

Maybe if he know how bad his snoring was, he might address it?

In saying that, the landlord owns all the apartments. Is it out of line to mention it to the landlord as an issue?

Yes talking to him and hoping he doesn't get offended and is willing to try and do something is probably your only option. But even then, even with the best will in the world is it possible for a heavy snorer to become completely quiet? (genuine question if someone has some experience)

Galadriel

BOBIDGE wrote: »

I don't not want to go down the earplugs route - what if a fire alarm etc goes off / or I get an emergency call?

Any alternative options?

I wear earplugs at night time and it doesn't drown out the sound of alarms etc.

Mrs OBumble

Good luck with the apartment hunting - only solution.

traprunner

Galadriel wrote: »

I wear earplugs at night time and it doesn't drown out the sound of alarms etc.

Same here. I find the 3m E-A-R Soft FX to be great. I buy them in a box of 200 pairs. They are rated for 39db. Alarms have a higher decibel level.

athtrasna

Or get a white noise app or machine and you will tune your brain to sleeping while it's on.

There really is nothing you can do. Snoring is natural and not a cause for eviction or breaking a lease.

dball

if the room is carpeted - perhaps a high quality underlay might absorb some of the sound, if its a wooden floor I dunno

runawaybishop

BOBIDGE wrote: »

Help! This is not a normal noisy neighbour issue. My partner and I live in a one bed apartment, its on the top floor (of three floors) and its a Georgian style house.

It is a lovely apartment etc..but one issue - the apartment directly below us has a very very loud snorer. Some nights its very hard to get to sleep and sometimes its wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Any advise on how to deal with this? Its getting to the stage where we may have to move due to lack of sleep.

Complain to your landlord about the level of sound insulation. Its nothing to do with the snorer.

Sherlof3

Yes I would complain to your landlord - just say you understand it's a delicate situation but you're really suffering and ask if they have any suggestions? Or maybe ask your colleagues in work?

fret_wimp2

runawaybishop wrote: »

Complain to your landlord about the level of sound insulation. Its nothing to do with the snorer.

Will a Landlord honestly do anything about this?
You can hear noise from next door through the walls, thats a common issue. A landlord is not going to put in further insulation. What if once the snoring issue is resolved you can hear the traffic outside at night, will he then have to put in new sound proof windows?

On reading the page for noise nuisance on CitizensInformation :

Rented dwellings
If the noise is coming from a rented dwelling and you don’t get a satisfactory response from the tenants, you can complain to the landlord – whether this is a private landlord, a local authority or a housing association.

Tenants of private rented dwellings have certain obligations. These include not engaging in anti-social behaviour, which includes persistent noise that interferes with the peaceful occupation of other dwellings. You may complain to the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) if a private landlord fails to enforce the tenant’s obligations in respect of noise.

Under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, tenants of local authority housing are obliged to avoid any nuisance (including noise) to the occupiers of any other dwelling. If the noise persists, the tenants are in breach of their tenancy agreement and the local authority can take steps to enforce the terms of the agreement.

Applying to the District Court
If this does not work, the Act allows any person, a local authority or the EPA to complain to the District Court about a noise that is ‘so loud, so continuous, so repeated, of such duration or pitch or occurring at such times as to give reasonable cause for annoyance to a person in any premises in the neighbourhood or to a person lawfully using any public place’ and seek an order to deal with the noise nuisance. There is a small fee.

Consult the Clerk of the local District Court about an appointment for the hearing of your case. You will need to refer exactly to the legislation under which you are making the complaint – Section 108 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 and the Environmental Protection Agency Act (Noise) Regulations 1994.

At least 7 days before the date for the hearing of your case, you must serve notice on the person or business you are complaining about, using the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 - noise form of notice. It is important to use this form of notice only and to complete it fully and accurately.

A person making noise in the course of trade or business may have a defence if it can be shown that all reasonable care was taken to prevent the noise or that the noise is in accordance with a licence issued under the Act.

If the court finds in your favour, it can order the person or body making, causing or responsible for the noise to take measures to prevent or limit the noise. Any such orders must be complied with.

Snoring is not antisocial behavior so thats not something you can complain about.
If you have a PRTB, talk to them, how much success you have is based on how much authority they can exert and how willing they are to approach the other tennant. After this, you will have to go to the district court. Id love to see a report in the Indo on a district court case brought against a guy who snores too loud!


You have two options in my opinion:

1. Talk to the neighbor. Its a toughie as i dont know how you approach this without embarrassing the neighbor and actually get him to address it.

2. Move somewhere more suitable. If the place doesnt suit you find somewhere that does.

Celly Smunt

What is talking to the neighbour going to do?

"Oh sorry, I won't snore anymore so"

The action is really with you to drown it out.

eeguy

If you have a carpet you could place acoustic panels underneath it.

Not a cheap option, but it would help you sleep and it'd stop him complaining if you were making some noise in the bedroom

AlanG

Even putting down a thick rug would make a big difference. Try that.

BOBIDGE

It is a wooden floor and there is a thick rug on it.

Sometimes we leave the window open so there is traffic noise / rain etc but the snoring can still be heard.

I can usually sleep through anything, I have lived beside busy roads, bars etc. This is a different level

howamidifferent

BOBIDGE wrote: »

It is a wooden floor and there is a thick rug on it.

Sometimes we leave the window open so there is traffic noise / rain etc but the snoring can still be heard.

I can usually sleep through anything, I have lived beside busy roads, bars etc. This is a different level

Sorry OP. I'll try to be quieter tonight.

daheff

how about every time hes snoring...go and ring his doorbell & wake him up. If he sees you at the door, just say there was somebody ringing his bell for ages and you went to answer cos the sound of the bell was louder than his snoring.

fret_wimp2

daheff wrote: »

how about every time hes snoring...go and ring his doorbell & wake him up. If he sees you at the door, just say there was somebody ringing his bell for ages and you went to answer cos the sound of the bell was louder than his snoring.

This is malicious. DONT do this.

manonboard

There are really useful pillows that have music players in them. Its for people who like to listen to music but their partner doesn't when sleeping. Suppose to be completely silent unless your lying on it.

One of these might help you if you play some soft ambient music or white noise.

id just get some ear plugs. Your reasoning of not hearing alarms etc is not accurate, and the emergency phone isnt either. Just put the volume on loud.
They only soften the sound, you can get assisting ones rather than deafening ones. All you need is to take the edge of it.

that or some music is the best options i can see.

Victor

daheff wrote: »

how about every time hes snoring...go and ring his doorbell & wake him up. If he sees you at the door, just say there was somebody ringing his bell for ages and you went to answer cos the sound of the bell was louder than his snoring.

Constructive posts only please.

Do not respond on-threadto this post.

Moderator

mrcheez

BOBIDGE wrote: »

Help! This is not a normal noisy neighbour issue. My partner and I live in a one bed apartment, its on the top floor (of three floors) and its a Georgian style house.

It is a lovely apartment etc..but one issue - the apartment directly below us has a very very loud snorer. Some nights its very hard to get to sleep and sometimes its wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Any advise on how to deal with this? Its getting to the stage where we may have to move due to lack of sleep.

No, absolutely nothing you can do about this unfortunately OP, beyond trying to block out the sound from within your own apt.

When I bought my terraced house I was ecstatic to discover I could hear my neighbours through the walls. Had to spend several grand soundproofing the party walls and now the noise is approx 10% of what it used to be (can only hear low bass-frequencies when they blast the radio etc).

It's possible to do this in apartment flooring as well, but I doubt your landlord will pay for it. Perhaps you can do it if you offer to pay for it?

Victor

Not everyone realises they snore, how much they snore or how much they are disturbing others. Don't talk to them during the middle of the night, as they will be half-asleep and won't take it in properly. Talk to them, clearly and calmly, during the day. Tell them how it is disturbing you and suggest they see a doctor.

Ear plugs can be useful.

runawaybishop

Victor wrote: »

Not everyone realises they snore, how much they snore or how much they are disturbing others. Don't talk to them during the middle of the night, as they will be half-asleep and won't take it in properly. Talk to them, clearly and calmly, during the day. Tell them how it is disturbing you and suggest they see a doctor.

Ear plugs can be useful.

Why would you even bother doing this? The issue isn't the snoring, its the terrible sound insulation.

runawaybishop

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

Will a Landlord honestly do anything about this?

Probably not in fairness but you shouldn't be able to hear someone else snoring so it could be that the place isnt up to regs.