Can I resolve noisy neighbour issue for my tenant?

Can I resolve noisy neighbour issue for my tenant?

11:12 AM, 26th January 2021, About 4 years ago 9

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I have a Maisonette that has been let to the same tenant for three years, and she is the absolute perfect tenant. It is a two-level building in an affluent area and there have been a couple living above (not my Flat) for the last two years without any issue.

My tenant is now having noise and disturbance issues with late-night doors slamming and lots of comings and goings. In the last month, the Police have been called a couple of times by a different Neighbour because of the disturbance between the couple.

I have tried to speak with them, but their reaction is anything but wanting to discuss it. Looking at the Head Lease it provides for peaceful. co-existence between all tenants. I want to help and do right by my tenant otherwise I fear she will leave.

I would appreciate views from anyone that has encountered a similar problem and how they approached it. I am prepared within reason to do whatever it takes to try and resolve for the sake of my tenant, but I am also aware that there will be difficulties enforcing because of the Covid situation.

Indeed, this situation may have been brought about because of the close living together of couples. Any suggestions helping resolve or to point me in the right direction would be appreciated.

Tony


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Reluctant Landlord

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12:42 PM, 26th January 2021, About 4 years ago

Contact the Council on behalf of the tenant, stating you as the LL have tried to make direct contact with the noisy neighbour but to no avail. Tell your tenant to also contact the Council. While I am not sure exactly what they do once a compliant is made, at least it is logged that you as the LL are doing what you can. Ask your tenant to make a timeline/log of incidents dates and times for future use if necessary. Do you know the LL of the noisy flat? If you make them aware perhaps he/she could have a word with their tenant too? If you don't know the owner look it up via the title deeds and write to them at this address. If they are savvy, they will contact their tenants to discuss the issue.

Gunga Din

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12:52 PM, 26th January 2021, About 4 years ago

I've enquired about similar. At my local authority there is a guy responsible for dealing with noise complaints. Apparently stage 1 is to write to the miscreant and inform them complaints have been made, and also they send diary sheets to the complainants to create evidence. Dates/times/type of disturbance etc.

Suggest search "noise disturbance" or similar on your council site.

Fed Up Landlord

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12:53 PM, 26th January 2021, About 4 years ago

My advice, having dealt with this many times, both as a former police officer, landlord, and an agent, is to give your tenant written advice on how to deal with it. That includes keeping a log, contacting the local authority, calling the police if the noise is excessive etc or indicates domestic violence etc. If you deal with it on their behalf you become the "middleman", constantly going between the tenant and the neighbour, taking up incessant amounts of your time. Ultimately, the only people who can resolve it without recourse to legal action is your tenant and the people causing the problem. I realise there is a risk that the tenant will move out - but even if you get involved that may well happen anyway. If the problematic tenants are actual tenants- i.e. the leaseholder is their landlord then you can look at the lease and see what breaches are being committed and make it known to both the landlord leaseholder and the block managing agent that forfeiture can be applied for in relation to breaches of the lease. It's a bit of a bluff as it's costly, time consuming, and needs the Freeholders consent. But it's a lever.

Paul Shears

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13:06 PM, 26th January 2021, About 4 years ago

I had a similar issue many years ago with a pub.
The pub was nowhere near my house, but they had a loud music system that occasionally became a problem.
I spoke to the council noise abatement officer.
He advised me that he could do nothing unless he could catch them in the act.
This was particularly true because I was the only one that had made a complaint.
But he noted that I was a significant distance from the pub.
The music was so loud that I knocked on the doors of most of the houses between my house and the pub to speak to the occupiers.
Nobody was at home!
However the council noise abatement officer told me that if I rang him to tell him that the loud music was currently playing, he would come out immediately with a noise meter and he could then get the music system permanently shut down.
This took two attempts but the matter was rapidly sorted.
I wonder if the same thing could be done here but with your tenant driving the situation rather than yourself.
Obviously the noise is not continuous but the rows must go on for a bit.
It all depends on how much the noise abatement officer can be bothered.

DPT

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14:30 PM, 26th January 2021, About 4 years ago

I agree with Gary Nock. This is for your tenant to deal with and you should only intervene if the situation escalates without resolution. They have to keep a detailed log of activity, noise level, impact of the disturbance, date and time for each occasion. They should persuade the other neighbours to do the same and they can then coordinate their approach to the Council. I understand the anxiety on your part as the tenant could just quit and leave you with an unlettable flat, so in your shoes I would go out of my way to empower this tenant and the neighbours to do this and supply them with what they need.

GunturHakim

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9:42 AM, 27th January 2021, About 4 years ago

talk to them to resolve the problem
https://roomme.id/

St. Jims

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7:12 AM, 30th January 2021, About 4 years ago

If you lose the tenant, tell the couple upstairs that you'll be re-advertising the property with a sign saying "DSS & drummers welcome".

I'm only half-joking. If they're costing you money, give as good as you get. If they don't care about anyone but themselves, find someone similar to them. They'll soon move.

Bill

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9:28 AM, 30th January 2021, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by RL at 26/01/2021 - 12:42
When I contacted the local council regarding noisy neighbours on behalf of the tenant, I was advised that the tenant had to do so herself and they could not accept 3rd party complaints. The tenant was too frightened of them to do this and she eventually left. The new tenant, a male just puts up with their raging rows.

Paul Shears

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12:11 PM, 30th January 2021, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by St. Jims at 30/01/2021 - 07:12
I am selling my home due to a dispute with my neighbours and I would love to "give as good as I got". Perhaps I should sell it to a landlord who would very easily turn it into a HMO for state benefit people. However, unfortunately, water would not find it's own level in such a scenario. My neighbour is simply too dumb and ignorant and he has already bred the next generation of unemployable burden.

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