My neighbour is a hermit, a fitness freak and a moaning...

[Vini]

I've been living in a ground floor flat with the other half for 4 months now. The flat is approximately 10 years old. Prior to us moving in the flat was empty for 12 months as it was flood damaged back in mid 2007.

The day we moved in my GF and I celebrated our first night by watching a film, during the film the guy from above came downstairs and told us to keep the noise down. Whilst the film/tv wasn't abnormally loud, we agreed as you do, and finished watching the film. It was about 11pm when it finished, and was a Friday night, so it wasn't abnormally late...

This was just standard speakers aswell, I'd yet to install my full system.

Over the next couple of weeks he complained to me in person a further 3 times. Which annoyed me, and obviously still does. As; I've not seen him for a while and I was still using my standard TV speakers.

By this time, I just wanted to get my sub and surrounds in to annoy him further. He was doing my head in.

What annoys me more now, is that, I've had about 10 days holiday off in the past six weeks, and the guy above just doesn't seem to work/go out. He is always in! I can tell because, I would estimate that he walks about 500 miles a day, he has heavy feet and we can hear him marching!

In addition to him walking 500 miles, he likes to bang his feet when he's not happy with the noise coming from our flat.

Now I've got my sub and surrounds in, I've got a backlog of films I want to watch, but daren't due to the fact they might be noisy (Wall-E and Dark Knight).

I'm pretty sure we're not breaking any noise level laws, and we're both always in bed by 11pm so we're definitely not being noisy late on.

Are there any decibel levels/noise during certain times I need to familiarise myself to keep within? and what about the sub? I guess this is going feel nice vibrating on his feet... is there anything preventing a sub being used?

I don't want to be a cook () but, we all pay our bills, and at the minute it's like being a prisoner in your own home/having your parents moan every two seconds when the noise is too loud.

[Kumagoro]

How about the next time he complains ask if you can go into his place and see how bad it is.
Either he is over reacting at the slightest sound, the sound is just going right though or you are
a noisy git and you just dont know.

That way you could also work out how loud you can go without it being very noticeable.

You could also ask what time he works so you can plan around that, then if he doesnt he is
probably claiming some disability thing and you could inform on him. Also every time he makes
a lot of noise go round and complain.

[Barakka]

Take a look Here in the "How to take informal action", it's from the opposite side of the fence but worth reading.

Do you have other neighbours to the sides ?

[Vini]

Cheers guys, having lived in similar accommodation for the past 4 years, receiving no complaints, I'm struggling to believe we are 'noisy'.

We have been on the otherside before, and have complained about neighbours, who were 4 across and 2 down from us. But they were playing loud music until 4am sometimes. With bass you could feel that far away.

The only time my sub gets used is for films with DD/DTS etc... and I rarely watch films. So for him to complain during these times is typical.

His attitude makes me want to be noisy though...

[G4Z]

Some really good suggestions here but I can see where you are coming from about him making you want to be noisy.

I am a bit of a home DJ, and I love banging out some tunes at high volume. I only play for an hour or so at a time and normal its around 6pm in the evening. If I had somebody telling me to keep it down at that kind of time I would tell them to piss right off tbh. Yes it might be loud, but in turn I won't complain about any noise coming from next door at a reasonable time.

[PeteSmith]

Do you not have a garden you can bury him in? Or perhaps a nearby lake and a bit of old carpet?

[Moby-Dick]

Some really good suggestions here but I can see where you are coming from about him making you want to be noisy.

I am a bit of a home DJ, and I love banging out some tunes at high volume. I only play for an hour or so at a time and normal its around 6pm in the evening. If I had somebody telling me to keep it down at that kind of time I would tell them to piss right off tbh. Yes it might be loud, but in turn I won't complain about any noise coming from next door at a reasonable time.

6pm might be early to you , but what about people trying to get small children to bed ? It depends on the volume , but if its essesive , its pretty anti social what ever time of day it was. I remeber working nights and trying to sleep through the cacophony of the 17 year old a few door s down trying to set up his car stereo. I had brief words with him and to be fair he did stop. I'm acutely aware of noise making when I'm working on the car ( and have a large colleciton of old tshirts to baffle the exhaust with to reduce it. )

[Barry]

I used to have a bloke that lived up stairs from me when I used to live in a flat (converted house) and he would do nothing but complain about noise to the point where he complained when I was not even at home, he ended up complaining to the landlord and getting abusive to a point where I just have to move out of the place and stay with the missus.


Some people complain and moan just because they can do :/

[samcross]

Give him some of this:

[handscombmp]

11pm isn't late but if your trying to sleep due to have a late shift or something it can be.

As Kumagoro see if you can go in his flat to see how bad it is.
He's probaly overeacting.
And see what times he works.

I feel you pain by the way and hope you get it sorted

Could always deafen him by turning everything up to full.

[Vini]

Some really good suggestions here but I can see where you are coming from about him making you want to be noisy.

I am a bit of a home DJ, and I love banging out some tunes at high volume. I only play for an hour or so at a time and normal its around 6pm in the evening. If I had somebody telling me to keep it down at that kind of time I would tell them to piss right off tbh. Yes it might be loud, but in turn I won't complain about any noise coming from next door at a reasonable time.

I'm a little like this, I run an electronic music site and need to listen to my music in all its glory to be able to review it!!

2009 might just make me say F it, and ignore his moaning. If I had the balls to be 'so I don't care what you think' I'd do it, but I haven't!

6pm might be early to you , but what about people trying to get small children to bed ? It depends on the volume , but if its essesive , its pretty anti social what ever time of day it was. I remeber working nights and trying to sleep through the cacophony of the 17 year old a few door s down trying to set up his car stereo. I had brief words with him and to be fair he did stop. I'm acutely aware of noise making when I'm working on the car ( and have a large colleciton of old tshirts to baffle the exhaust with to reduce it. )

If he gave me a reason like this, I'd be more understanding... If he works nights, fair enough, if he has a small child, fair enough. To my knowledge he does/has neither.

Give him some of this:

He's quite big

Could always deafen him by turning everything up to full.

It's getting to that stage.

[shadowmaster]

He's quite big

A sledge hammer should even the odds

[kalniel]

[Zadock]

Why not indulge in some very noisy late night lovings... see if he has the nerve to complain about that

[Whiternoise]

He has heavy footsteps?

Two can play at his game.. if you want to be a pedant about it, just go up and complain whenever he does something vaguely noisy.

But yeah, see how loud it is in his flat and if you can't hear it at all then have a moan to the council about being harassed. Legally there's nothing he can do about it, unless he can prove that you're playing it either very loudly, or in the middle of the night. 11pm is quite late, i generally call 10pm as the cut off for loud music on my computer - my room is next to the bedroom in the neighbouring house and they have a baby so it's a little unfair - so after 10 either down to low or headphones. The neighbours here were using power tools on the wall next to my room at around 9:30 when i had exams on (disconcerting when it sounds like they're going to break through any second ), but they were pretty good about shutting it up except in the day time.

That said, there's nothing stopping you - IMO - from watching the television in the evening, yes people have reasons - but it doesn't sound like he has kids and tbh just sounds like he's being a miserable sod about it.

One thing you could do that might sound counter-intuitive would be invite him round for a coffee and a chat - that way you'll get a much clearer picture of the guy you're pissing off, and maybe even come to some sort of compromise.

[G4Z]

6pm might be early to you , but what about people trying to get small children to bed ? It depends on the volume , but if its essesive , its pretty anti social what ever time of day it was. I remeber working nights and trying to sleep through the cacophony of the 17 year old a few door s down trying to set up his car stereo. I had brief words with him and to be fair he did stop. I'm acutely aware of noise making when I'm working on the car ( and have a large colleciton of old tshirts to baffle the exhaust with to reduce it. )

Ah yes of course, a fair point and being the reasonable chap that I am of course I would modify my habits if a neighbour worked nights. At the moment I have Chinese students next door who don't seem to work or go to university so its no problem!