Noise Tops Neighbour Complaints
by Patricia Montgomery, LincsMag Writer.
Date: 12 August 2011
Getting a bit upset with your neighbour?
Well, you are not alone as at least five million people are currently annoyed with their neighbour, and over 10 million have had a neighbour problem in the last year, but of these a quarter fail to take any action.
So what upsets neighbours the most?
A recent survey found that noise tops the list of neighbour complaints, with around three in five people annoyed by loud voices or arguing, blaring music and TVs.
A quarter of those affected are irritated by door slamming, a similar percentage have been disturbed by their neighbours’ noisy pets, and one in five by regular parties. An unlucky five per cent it seems have even been privy to hearing their neighbours having sex, well it was either that or in my opinion they had the womens tennis turned up really loudly.
'Rock-a-bye Baby'
Noisy neighbours disturb four in ten people’s sleep, while others complain that the noise makes them irritable, angry or stressed. One in five sufferers have seen their work or health affected.
Despite this, a quarter of people who are frustrated with their neighbours have made no attempts to rectify the problem – in fact, ten per cent chose to take revenge by becoming nuisance neighbours themselves. A third spoke calmly to their neighbours about the issue, while one in five contacted their Local Authority. An unfortunate 17 per cent of people were forced to call the police.
The top 10 neighbour irritants among those who are currently or who have been affected in the last 12 months were:
1. Loud voices/ arguing (38%)
2. Loud music/TV (38%)
3. Door slamming (27%)
4. Noise from pets (23%)
5. Noise from regular parties (21%)
6. People stomping around (20%)
7. People coming and going at all times of day (17%)
8. DIY noise (eg drilling) (17%)
9. Overgrown trees/hedges (15%)
=. Parking in my parking space (15%)
The top 10 effects that neighbour annoyances have had on people were:
1. Made me irritable (49%)
2. Made me angry (47%)
3. Affected my sleep (39%)
4. Made me stressed (39%)
5. Affected someone else in my household (19%)
6. Affected my health (10%)
7. Affected my work (9%)
8. Caused arguments between my partner and I (7%)
9. Led me to have a better relationship with my neighbours (3%)
10. Caused me to move house (2%)
(Health and work combined total = 17%)
When annoyed by their neighbours, people did the following:
1. Spoke to calmly to my neighbours (34%)
2. Complained to friends and family (28%)
3. Nothing (23%)
4. Contacted my Local Authority/ Environmental Health Dept (22%)
5. Kept a record of what occurred & when (20%)
6. Contacted the police (17%)
7. Argued with my neighbours (12%)
8. Got my own back by creating annoyances for them (10%)
9. Spoke to landlord (1%)
Don't suffer in silence – if trying to solve the problem with your neighbour doesn’t work or simply isn’t possible, then get in touch with your Local Authority who can take action for you.
Top Tips
Here are some top tips for how to deal with neighbour disputes:
1. Note down disturbances: Keep a diary of when noise or an incident occurs, and how long it lasts.
2. Speak calmly: Talk to your neighbour about the problem to see if they will stop doing it.
3. Contact the freeholder: If you live in a flat and own the leasehold, contact the freeholder who may be able to take action against the other leaseholder.
4. Use your Local Authority: If there is no change, you can contact your Local Authority’s Environmental Health Department who will investigate the issue and can prosecute where necessary.
5. Consider further action: If all else fails, consider legal proceedings, but these are costly and should only be considered after taking legal advice.
