We have a flat within a 1930's converted house. Since we've had new neighbours they keep complaining about the noise from our flat (mainly the bedroom which is above thiers), but we didn't have any problems with the people who lived there before. We can hear the same noise from the flat above which we have put down to the fact that this is a conversion and not purpose built.
We have tried to rent out the flat but the neighbours seem to keep pushing our tenants out. We have tried to talk to them and put rugs down etc... but they keep knocking on the door and complaining to our tenants. What should we do?When a Neighbour Keeps Complaining About Noise
Living in a converted property often means dealing with sound travelling between flats. If your neighbour regularly complains about noise from your home, it can be stressful and frustrating, especially when you feel you are doing nothing unusual.
This situation is common in older house conversions where soundproofing was not a priority during the building work. The structure itself may be the real problem rather than your behaviour.
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In many converted houses, sound insulation between flats is poor. Everyday activities like walking, talking or watching television can travel through floors and walls more easily than in purpose built blocks.
If previous occupants of your neighbour's flat had no complaints, this might be relevant, though it is worth remembering that different households have different routines and activity levels. It may also help to consider whether you can hear similar sounds from other flats in the building. If noise travels both ways equally, this points to a structural issue rather than unreasonable behaviour on your part.
That said, repeated complaints suggest your neighbour genuinely feels disturbed, whatever the cause. It is often more effective to find a practical solution rather than simply dismissing their concerns.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
What the Law Says About Noise
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 covers statutory noise nuisance in England and Wales. Local councils can investigate complaints and take action where noise amounts to a legal nuisance.
The bar for statutory nuisance is fairly high. It typically applies to things like:
- Persistently loud music
- Frequent shouting or arguing
- Dogs barking repeatedly
- Excessive noise from parties or gatherings
- Loud DIY work at antisocial hours
Ordinary household sounds, such as footsteps or conversation at normal volume, will not usually meet this threshold, though assessments can be context dependent. In exceptional circumstances, everyday noises that are persistently disruptive or worsened by poor building insulation could still be relevant. Councils also pay particular attention to noise occurring after 11pm, though nuisance rules apply at any hour.
If your neighbour has complained to the council, you can ask what specific allegations have been made. The council should be able to explain the process and what happens next. For detailed guidance on noise complaints and council powers, check the GOV.UK website.
Practical Steps to Consider
Even when you believe complaints are unreasonable, taking some steps can help reduce tension and show goodwill. Consider whether any changes might make a difference:
- Adding rugs or carpet to hard floors
- Moving speakers or televisions away from shared walls
- Being mindful of noise levels late at night
- Keeping a record of your normal daily activities in case disputes escalate
- Checking your lease or property agreement for any specific clauses about noise
Speaking directly with your neighbour, calmly and without confrontation, sometimes helps. If direct conversation is difficult, a mediation service may assist. Some councils offer neighbour mediation schemes, though availability and cost vary between areas.
If you rent your flat, your landlord or managing agent may also be able to help, particularly if the building's soundproofing could be improved.
Where complaints continue without clear grounds, you are entitled to carry on living normally. Keep records of any harassment or unreasonable behaviour from your neighbour, as this may become relevant if the situation worsens.
No complaints have been filed by me! I tried to tel her it wasn’t us, but she was having none of it. She was even verbally aggressive towards my sister one night as a result. What do you do in this instance?
MOST cases are mental people so keep a record they will get sectioned
Tenants like that usually get asked to leave due to causing trouble unnecessarily so don't worry too much .
Don't forget the neighbors the other side know the tenants behaviour anyway its been going on for a while so!!! Best to put cctv cameras in you're flat so that when they start screaming for no reason at 4am in the morning when u use the toilet they are caught out . Be smart and don't let anyone take you for a mug . Who hears stuff through walls their lives must be so sad and dim
I've been homeless most of my life living in hostels shelters and any place I can ,
So I've come to a point in my life where I am so respectful and my advice to you all is to do what you can to improve you're home like
Making sure floor boards are fitted correctly
Perhaps getting the front door oiled or replaced with one that doesn't express the same problem ,
Also in regards to complaints it all helps you to understand the character of the people you live around.
I am a person that cannot be fooled or intimidated because if that was ever the case then they would find them self homeless with no where to live cos I am that person that will take action against a person if for a second I thought they were harassing me or finding ways to make me move out. You have to protect where you are at in you're life.
So to anyone that's getting complaints about anything that isn't classes as antisocial behaviour my advice is to put those clowns were they deserve to be and PUSH THEM OUT INSTEAD.
This feed is interesting !!
how they have the cheek to say they feel the victim and downstairs is harassing them by banging back a few times is beyond me, you fill their whole flat with bangs non stop.
if you want to live in hell, live in a downstairs flat, if you value your health, sanity, sleep, live in a house!
My neighbour is making false complaints on us saying we are making lot of noise. I live in a second floor flat with 2 young children and my husband. The person living downstairs keep complaining about the heavy footfall even when my children are just moving around the house. We are receiving letters from council regarding the noise. We have called the council and mentioned it is when my kids are walking. But it’s of no use. The person living downstairs keep banging their roof when my kids walk around. They also yell at us when my younger kid cry in the balcony when she fell. They also come and bang our doors sometimes. It’s been 3 years since this is ongoing. We tried to complain police regarding this false complaints but no use. I feel so helpless. Due to the lockdown my kids can’t go outside much. At the same time they are not allowed to play even inside our own house because of fearing for the neighbours. Could anyone provide guidance?
Thanks
The neighbour below has an app on her phone from the council to record any noise. Now I've been wondering why she has been randomly banging on her ceiling at all different times of the day. It turns out the noise recorded goes straight back to the council and reports me for the noise. But my next door neighbours are always making noise and their kids run around a lot. I just don't complain about it because I like to leave people to do what they want.
Has anyone had neighbours using this app against them, recording noises that you actually haven't made? Please help me. Thank you for reading my comments.
Neighbours moved in below me 3 years ago, and havent stopped complaining about alleged
noise coming from my flat.
The neighbours are falsely accusing us of making banging noises during the night and have shouted through their window at me about it. I made a complaint to the council to tell them to stop shouting through the window and they were told to stop. However, these neighbours have told the council that we are making noise during the night when we are asleep, and the council keep harassing me about this. I have told the council many times that we are not making banging noises during the night. We only make low level domestic noise and no noise at night. How can I stop the council from harassing me about these neighbours who have no proof . Their complaints are unjustified and unreasonable.
Also we have health problems and dont need this harassment.
Please can anyone advise.
She doesn't just make our lives hell, even though we live in a house, she lives in a bottom flat next to us. she texts the people living upstairs to her that they walk too loud, speak too loud etc.
We contacted environmental health, citizens advice and they have said she can't do anything because we haven't done anything wrong and she's being overboard. However, it's reached breaking point now. My sister has finally conceived and expecting in November, but instead of being excited, she burst into tears as she knows that she'll be complaining about the noise of the baby.
We've tried moving living rooms, we've gone to bed early and she causes so much arguments between us. My sister wants to move before the due date of the baby, but I feel that we've allowed this woman to take everything from us, soon a place we called home.
The final straw was trying to find out information about her landlord in hope to explain everything. Turns out the landlord is the guy she's sleeping with and sharing a flat. And the landlady, well she's so keen in trying to keep her happy that it makes our lives a misery.
The other neighbors like us. One spoke up for us and said they never hear us. What makes me angry though is that this woman dictates who is allowed to make noise, when a few times you can hear her cackle loudly, singing with her friends about quarter past eleven at night. It just doesn't seem fair that we are the ones who have to move when we don't bother anyone ??
My grandchildren visit occasionally and although we do tell them to be as quiet as they can ...she moans that they run riot! She complains that they are too noisy even on just walking aling my hall which constantly squeaks. Other neigbour to left of us complains my tv is loud and she hears it from my wall at 9pm when she goes to bed . Between them they have driven 2tenants from my flat and im getting really stressed to the pount im afraid of my grandchildren visiting me . The neigbour downstairs even posted notes through my door telling me to move my partners or my car off the drive (it would hold 4cars)
They constantly call my landlady and although she knows their history she messages me to say they are moaning again.
Im at my wits end
The letter said that it was so noisy. According to the noise act 1996 she would complaint the council if this continues.
I've only invited friends twice so far and will have to have play dates. But not every week. But I'm really stressed about the neighbour complaint. Should I reply and if I do what should I say. Thanks!
My partner and I recently bought an upstairs flat in a 1920s conversion. As a result the walls and floors are very thin.
Our neighbour is having issues with us being "noisy." I have read a lot of posts where downstairs neighbours feel like upstairs neighbours make unnecessary noise (suggesting that they stomp) and I can say in our case that this is not true. We don't wear shoes in the house and we are not excessive walkers, half the time we're glued to the sofa!!!
Our neighbour (who we can also hear but accept that it's part of life living in an apartment) has recently started banging on the ceiling in the middle of the night (when we are asleep!!!) our room is over his. We believe this may have something to do with a slightly squeaky bed frame. This is causing us a lot of distress, he shouts and swears that we are constantly waking him up! This wakes us up and terrifies my dog, which then causes him to pace thus annoying the neighbour more. (The floor is so thin that we can have a conversation). Having sunk all of our money into the flat we are unable to purchase carpets, which we have explained to him. We are just trying to live and want to be amicable but after having been woken up with what I thought was someone breaking into my flat, I am at the end of my tether. Him suggesting that we don't go to the toilet past 10.00 pm is the final straw. Is there anything we can do to try and get him to stop? Diplomacy and chatting has not worked and the relationship is deteriorating rapidly.
I’ve been living in a council owned first floor flat since I was a toddler and in the twenty years since I’ve been fortunate to have rather quiet neighbours and silence at night from the flat beneath me. However, coming close to a year ago, I got a new neighbour down below and since then have had problems with noise. I can hear conversations, music, the TV (and other more embarrassing things – I think people can guess what). I could also hear these things from the neighbours before, but the difference was the volume and the time, I was happy to tolerate a few hours of loud music during the day because I knew my previous neighbour went to sleep around the same time I did, and didn’t have loud music in the evenings. However, my new neighbour seems to have a nocturnal life and sometimes has music going from dusk till dawn.
It's not really his fault, I have talked to him about it and he’s an alright guy, if just a little thoughtless (I'd tell him I'm being disturb by his music, but within a month it would gradually return to the problematic volume again). Neither of us should be having a negative impact on the other’s lives. The problem is with the building itself. From what I can tell my floors and walls are thin and hollow, with little (if any) sound insulation, and my bedroom sits right above his lounge, my bed is directly above his TV. I have been buying earplugs, taking sleeping aid products, but even then I am sometimes still woken in the early hours of the mourning. It’s beginning to stress me out to the point that I’m on edge almost constantly. Talking with another resident, he told me he heard that these flats (I think built in the 80s) were built as ‘temporary’ accommodation (which makes no sense – why build flats only to knock them down again?), which, if true, I feel was an excuse for the builders to build on the cheap.
My question is: Can I get a soundproofing company to come in and install sound installation in my small bedroom, even though I’m renting? Preferably, I’d like both floor and walls done, at the very least the floor would help. I’m am willing to paying 100% towards the costs, making no demands on the council. Yet, despite this (that I’d pay and that it would be only for one small room), how likely would it be that if I ask permission from the council to do this would they reject it? If so, why would they and would I be able to challenge it? Surely this does no harm and will only benefit future tenants if I ever move out?
"What time did your day begin?
Mine began at 2:49, when you came home, (quoted my partners name), and proceeded to stomp around the flat (with your shoes on) for the next 30 minutes, then wake (quoted my name) up for a chat.
I am really at my wits end guys. I feel as though every 6-7 weeks I need to remind you that there's someone that lives beneath your flat.
I feel you are terribly inconsiderate neighbours and as such, I've now raised this issue to my landlord, your landlord and your property management company.
Your landlord is less than pleased. He is friends with my landlord and understands the value of a tenant (like myself) who is quiet and respects others in the building. I 've been in the building nearly 8 years-so the value of my tenancy is important to him and he doesn't want me to go anywhere.
Rest assured, if this middle-of-the-night noise continues your landlord will SERVE YOU NOTICE WITHOUT HESITATION.
(Quotes my partner's name), please-for the thousandth time... when you come home in the middle of the night... PLEASE WILL YOU BE LIGHT ON YOUR FEET?
Why is not possible for you to come in the door, brush your teeth & go to bed? I AM WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY ONCE WOKEN UP... so until you go to bed (:30 minutes later)- we are both awake together.
I am open to a discussion about this but really I've said all I need to. NORMAL PEOPLE WORK NORMAL HOURS AND REST BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 11PM AND 7AM. Clearly you do not work these hours so therefore you must (please) learn to think about people living around you and underneath you"
This just one of her lovely letters.The previous one thanked us for going on holidays. Could this be considered harrasment??
Thanks for your help.
We live in a first floor maisonette. Since our daughter (16 months) began walking a few months ago our neighbours started complaining about how early they were being woken up on weekend mornings - we have a hard floor in the corridors and kitchen. At first they asked us politely and we agreed to try to reduce the noise but also explained that it was going to be limited as to what we could reasonably achieve. Since then, they have become increasingly impatient. Shouting at us and thumping on our front door - we didn't answer. We have since exchanged letters and we have encouraged them to speak to the council if they have any further problems but since then they have started thumping on the ceiling any time there is noise. We have asked them to be patient with us while we look into our options. Tonight they did it when we were playing a game with our daughter. We have been trying our hardest on weekend mornings, and have laid out rugs in the hallway to dampen the sound of footsteps. It seems that they are so frustrated now that they're intent on making us upset. We don't want to get the authorities involved but feel as though we need an independent mediator to try and resolve this. Do you have any advice? Thanks
I rent the flat and before I signed the tenancy I asked the agent if the neighbours downstairs could hear any noise. She said no,that the floor is fairly thick. I signed up and have been here ever since.
My 7 year old son is quite active,he likes to run and jump around alot. At weekends or after school he tends to jump about alot.He watches gymnastics and acrobats on his tablet ,so he tends to want to copy them and jumps off the sofa onto the floor.He does forward rolls and handstands .It's not excessive and its not like we make a noise late at night or anything. Anyway,today I was busy cleaning the kitchen and doing washing and ironing. My son's were playing making a den nicely and then occasionally there was jumping about.Also sometimes my youngest will get upset and stamp his feet .So I get a bang on the door.It was the elderly lady downstairs.She asked abruptly what all the noise was about. I said it was my son's,and was sorry.She went on saying it has been going on constantly and it is making her ill. She said the tenants before me would make a noise too by dancing and stamping their feet.She told them about it. She said the floor/ceiling is only thin and they can hear every noise we make ,that includes the vacuum and the washing machine. I told her I will try and keep the noise down. Now how do I do that? How can I live watching every move we make and not making a noise.I needed to vacuum today as the place was a mess but I put it off because of the neighbours. Not only that the man who does the neighbourhood watch came complaining about my son's one time because they left a few small toys outside and a bit of dirt they were playing with their digger toys.He said they were making the place a mess and it should be cleared up.I thought the cheeky so and so. I am to renew my tenancy soon and so do I tell the letting agent? Also could I tell the council about it and see if they could help me with finding somewhere else to live?
We have explained to our kids about keeping the noise down specially on the stairs and the neighbours even acknowledged that ie, that they hear us telling the kids about it..my kids don’t make banging noises or shout and they listen when we remind them about the noise. Also we have completely stopped inviting friends and family in the evening because we don't want to disturb the neighbours.
We have apologised many times but what is frustrating is that they are still complaining about their nearly 2 yr old child waking up for the noise when my kids use the stairs..!
I am very upset as we have tried everything we can and it is annoying reminding the kids about the noise all the time.
Appreciate your advice.
I have complaint so many time about the neighbor dog barking and i have called the noise patrol and the neighbor still have her dog
I have been living in the flat since 2003 and only the last 3 months has been constant visit from the police and the council about my TV which is very low, my exercise bike and me walking in my own flat
i have ask the council to make some changes they have put the new carpet and new thick underlay and the noise still and the neighbors still complaining
and the council are threatening me to take me to court to get evicted
Please any help or any guidance will be appreciated the intervention officer is coming on Thursday the 7/4/2016
Sami
Are your rabbits thumping at night (mines do.. foot stamping) it's a predator alert!!. i have an old bag next to me and it's constantly complain complain to the cops council etc... old bag syndrome!!...apparently mine were seen using hammers at night.. DIY'ng their hutches etc... just ignore her!!..
I have an 18 mnths old baby, and we stay in rented apartment since 3years.
We never had any complain from the earlier neighbor.Though lately we have got a letter from agency that neighbor has complaint about us over the jumping and running noise from our flat.Out hall's floor is a laminate flooring, on which we always walk bare foot to avoid any kind of noise.but about baby we cannot do anything, we can not keep her confined to a single place.
We are feeling helpless as our baby is too small to understand anything, and we can not refrain her walking or running in home. and she is active between mostly 8am to 9pm only, which we have conveyed to the agency as well.. Along with the point that, we donot play loud music or party at home.
I am worried and not sure what can i do .Kindly advice and what is our rights in this situation.
THanks
They seem intent on making life miserable for us constantly complaining and we are now afraid to do anything to the property as they will complain about that too.
Does anyone know how to put an end to this constant petty complaining?
A friend said maybe they were used to livingnext door to a little old lady who didn't do much or make any noise and now they don't like it that a family has moved in, but surely this cannot be an excuse, they don't own the street.
Advise is much needed, we are currently living withmy parents whilst the building work is done, but their constant interfering and complaing is causing longer and longer delays.
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