Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Noisy Neighbours - Rear Shed

Options
  • 13-08-2018 11:26am
    #1
    Mimojo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭


    Noisy Neighbour

    Looking for some advice. We moved into a two bedroom house a few months ago. The configuration of our house is that the back of our neighbours house faces inwards to the communal space at the back of our house (so at a right angle to our house). That’s fine. At the back of the houses (6 houses in total) there is communal space, again fine. However when I looked up the land registry map, this area to the rear of all our properties is communal, i.e. the same designation as the green area to the front. So basically when our landlord purchased the house they literally only purchased the house itself, the area to the rear was not included within the red line.

    Our neighbours, at some stage, build a shed in this communal space. This shed is directly across from our kitchen window. There is a window in their shed that directly opposes our kitchen window. It is approx. 3.5metres from window to window.

    Now I know they would not have needed planning permission per se, but how could they just have build a shed on a communal rear space?

    Anyhow our neighbour uses this shed on a constant basis. Not sure what he is doing, but it is some kind of carpentry, so involved intermittent drilling and sanding. At first the noise wasn’t too bad ,however he now uses the shed from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 9pm Sat, 12md to 9pm Sunday. Now he is in and out, and as I said using the equipment intermittently, but it has really started to wear us down. The confirmation of the shed means that the workshop is facing the back of our house so we are getting the brunt of the noise, even more so that the back of their own house. He runs a cable from the house out so doesn’t have power out there.

    The neighbours are very nice, they are foreign so have broken English at best. We know we are going to have to approach them on it, just wondering where do we stand really? We have contacted the landlord on it today, but really what can they do for us?

    Any advice would be much appreciated.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Doop
    Registered Users Posts: 1,470 ✭✭✭Doop


    Who looks after the communal areas? Is there a management company?

    Realistically I think its up to your landlord to pursue if they want re siting of the shed.

    In the mean time would you talk to them about the noise perhaps suggest they upgrade the acoustic insulation?


  • Options
    #3
    Mimojo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭Mimojo


    Communal areas are looked after by a Residents Association as far as I know. I might approach them on it.

    I figured it would be up to the landlord to purse about the shed. They live abroad, from what I can see they got the property at a great price, probably due to the shed, so I doubt they will want to bother to chase it up.

    When I originally viewed the property the letting agent was very clear to show me the shed, and that it belonged to the neighbours, she didn’t tell me that it would be in use all the time. But I feel the fact that she did that means there may have been an issue with it with the previous tenants, just a hunch.

    Yes we do plan to speak to them. Only problem is their English is very poor. The shed itself is very basic, it doesn’t have power, and just one bulb for light. The work bench is located right in front of the window, I assume for light, but that is making the noise so much worse as it is directly across from our window. I really don’t think they would insulate it to be honest.


  • Options
    #4
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,991 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    Talk to him is he working on a project that is going to end soon. Do you want to go to war over something which will be finished next week?


  • Options
    #5
    .......
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,057 ✭✭✭.......


    Whats to stop you putting up your own structure that blocks the view from their shed into your kitchen?

    Like, a shed next to his shed? If he can put up a shed in a communal space - so can you?


  • Options
    #6
    Mimojo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭Mimojo


    spaceHopper wrote: »
    Talk to him is he working on a project that is going to end soon. Do you want to go to war over something which will be finished next week?

    I am guessing he is retired, and this is his hobby to be honest. He gets deliveries of pallets, that is the only thing I have ever seem going in or out of the shed. Whatever it is it is very labour intensive.
    ....... wrote: »
    Whats to stop you putting up your own structure that blocks the view from their shed into your kitchen?

    Like, a shed next to his shed? If he can put up a shed in a communal space - so can you?

    There really wouldn’t be room to build a shed between his shed and our window. Also we are tenants only. I don’t want to antagonize the situation either, I don’t mind him using the shed, but the excessive noise in the evenings and weekends are the main issue for us.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    BarryD2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,732 ✭✭✭BarryD2


    Mimojo wrote: »
    Anyhow our neighbour uses this shed on a constant basis. Not sure what he is doing, but it is some kind of carpentry, so involved intermittent drilling and sanding. At first the noise wasn’t too bad ,however he now uses the shed from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 9pm Sat, 12md to 9pm Sunday.

    Is he running a business from from the shed? Or is this just hobby use on some project that'll be finished up in a few days? If it's the former, you'd need to tackle it, ask you landlord too.


  • Options
    #8
    Mimojo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭Mimojo


    BarryD2 wrote: »
    Is he running a business from from the shed? Or is this just hobby use on some project that'll be finished up in a few days? If it's the former, you'd need to tackle it, ask you landlord too.

    We cant actually figure it out to be honest. He is working 60-70 hours per week, but we have never seen anything coming out of the shed as finished! To me it must be a business with that amount of time put into it, but there is no branding, cant find any hint of a website, and all that was ever delivered was pallets. Now we both work full time so easily stuff could be going on and out while we are at work.


  • Options
    #9
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,306 ✭✭✭✭endacl




  • Options
    #10
    site_owner
    Registered Users Posts: 955 ✭✭✭site_owner


    if its in dublin you can check and make a complaint from a planning perspective.

    http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-planning-observations-objections-complaints/complain-about-development


  • Options
    #11
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,994 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    Move. It's the best part of renting, not having to deal with that crap.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    OP so sorry. Best always to check the neighbourhood etc at all times of day before taking a rental

    I once was about to when I checked the place next door.. a working large timber yard, closed as it was evening ...

    Hope you get it sorted.


  • Options
    #13
    Mimojo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭Mimojo


    site_owner wrote: »
    if its in dublin you can check and make a complaint from a planning perspective.

    http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-planning-observations-objections-complaints/complain-about-development

    Not in Dublin but yes did think about going down the planning route. Only problem is a) generally a shed doesnt need permission if under a certain size b)if its built on a common area Im not sure that planning will be able to deal with it c) we are only tenants so again not sure if it would need to be the landlord that would have to deal with it d) Noise is not really deal with in planning, apart from if it direct contravenes one of the conditions of an approval, which is not the case here
    Cuddlesworth wrote: »
    Move. It's the best part of renting, not having to deal with that crap.

    We really dont want to move. As with everywhere else in the country the availability of decent quality rental properties is really low, competition for them is fierce, and very little alternatives available. We love the house, the estate, the area, its safe, in close proximity to transport links and the town. Just the noise is a a thorn in our sides.
    Graces7 wrote: »
    OP so sorry. Best always to check the neighbourhood etc at all times of day before taking a rental

    I once was about to when I checked the place next door.. a working large timber yard, closed as it was evening ...

    Hope you get it sorted.

    I did check the area on 4 occasions before we moved in at different times, and at weekend, unfortunately neighbour was not making noise in the shed on any occasion.


  • Options
    #14
    .......
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,057 ✭✭✭.......


    Have you spoken to the neighbours at all?

    The best thing to do would be to go out to him while he is making noise and tell him that the noise is disturbing you.


  • Options
    #15
    site_owner
    Registered Users Posts: 955 ✭✭✭site_owner


    Mimojo wrote: »
    Not in Dublin but yes did think about going down the planning route. Only problem is a) generally a shed doesnt need permission if under a certain size b)if its built on a common area Im not sure that planning will be able to deal with it c) we are only tenants so again not sure if it would need to be the landlord that would have to deal with it d) Noise is not really deal with in planning, apart from if it direct contravenes one of the conditions of an approval, which is not the case here

    even if its a legal building, the use may not be.
    but getting it stopped without pissing off your LL and the shed-guy is probably impossible


  • Options
    #16
    Mimojo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭Mimojo


    ....... wrote: »
    Have you spoken to the neighbours at all?

    The best thing to do would be to go out to him while he is making noise and tell him that the noise is disturbing you.

    That is our plan to go out and speak to him. He has very broken English so it might not be that easy.
    site_owner wrote: »
    even if its a legal building, the use may not be.
    but getting it stopped without pissing off your LL and the shed-guy is probably impossible

    Thats the worry!


  • Options
    #17
    April 73
    Registered Users Posts: 846 ✭✭✭April 73


    If you get no joy from the neighbour the next port of call is the management company (assuming that this is a development which has a management company). You may need to ask your own landlord about this - as he would need to make the complaint.
    Next step if no joy from that is to google “unauthorised development” on your local authority website and make a complaint that it appears that a business is being operated from a residential area in an unauthorised development. The council will have to send an investigator.


Advertisement