New noisy neighbours

[peacefulpakefield]

Hi all,

I've been reading your posts for several months now being a fairly new business... its all been worth reading, thanks..and now a question.

We started our small guest house www.peacefulpakefield.co.uk in July in a house we bought and renovated.

All was well for many months, we offered it at low costs via ebay and the website and have been busy.

The problem came with our very first repeat customer ... who called me at 11 on a wednesday night as the music was so loud from next door. It turned out that the neighbours had moved and in the place of a charming quiet nurse we now have an oil rig worker who parties hard and long ever time he comes back from a trip.

I've given money back to disrupted guests and cancelled guests once when I was given warning of a party but it cant go on like this.

The new neighbour ( who is renting) says he has the right to party whenever he wants and says our guests make so much noise its all fair. This is blatantly untrue as we market the place as a peaceful get away.

Anyhow anyone had experience in any of this?

Your thoughts are welcome.

Jonathan

[greenbarn]

I don't think you are alone - there's a dedicated website www.noisyneighbours.net which includes advice on approaching the authorities.

I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a clause in their tenancy agreement regarding causing a nuisance; even if there isn't you have some recourse against the neighbour and the landlord or letting agency. There are "reasonable limits" as to the amount of noise and disturbance that anyone can make, and it seems like they might have overstepped that!

Hope you can get it resolved.

[Hells Bells]

Contact your local council about this, they have noise control officers who will tell you exactly how to proceed.

[Mouse]

Before you start to go down the official route I would put something in writing to your new neighbour (then it looks more official) and send a copy to the landlord.
This way you can alert them to the fact that you're serious about approaching the authorities, but would show both landlord and local council that you've tried to do something before involving them.

The landlord may be perfectly reasonable and unaware of the problems his renter is causing.

Mouse
x

[miss mouse]

The new neighbour ( who is renting) says he has the right to party whenever he wants

No he does not. You have spoken to him, my next step would be to contact the landlord or agent asking for this to be resolved. I would contact the agent every time the neighbour is noisy, it is for him/her to resolve. I would also contact the noise abatement people at the local council and start to keep the log they send, this process takes time. Are other neighbours disturbed? Will they complain as well? The landlord is the most likely person to put a stop to it.

and says our guests make so much noise its all fair. This is blatantly untrue as we market the place as a peaceful get away.

This is probably not true but as you are not there you cannot be certain. If he says this again ask for dates, times and types of noise in a pleasant way and say that you will deal with it.

Keep going, be persistent and good luck. mm

[bongolier]

Think about joining Federation of Small Business. It only costs around £120 per year.

Amongst many benefits is a free to use 24 hour legal helpline. If things start to get sticky, they are very good and might be able to help.

We have used them in another business and service is very handy.

Just a suggestion - I am not affiliated to FSB in any way.

[miss mouse]

Think about joining Federation of Small Business. It only costs around £120 per year.

That sounds like a good idea for future disputes, or the landlord federation I think has legal insurance. This mousehole is indebted to legal help insurance through a professional body subscription.

Mouse says;

[Before you start to go down the official route I would put something in writing to your new neighbour (then it looks more official) and send a copy to the landlord. ]

I disagree. The OP has had a neighbourly discussion with the noisy neighbour who has proved to be un-co-operative and hostile. It is the Landlord's problem. Bug the landlord. Hmm, bet he/she is really happy to have all these people destroying his house.

Oh, I hope I do not sound ratty, though I am rather, I have been through this so many times; currently our above neighbour ( a perfectly pleasant young woman) has sub-let to a deeply unpleasant person who makes a lot of noise. I, and the neighbours, have asked him to turn it down. His response is to crank up the music and stomp across the floors and crash down the stairs and smash the door closed at every opportunity. Hmm, how do I adjust the annual building maintenance bill to reflect this abuse of the building?

Anyway, she has to sort it out in my view.

It is bully behaviour IMO which is common. mm

[peacefulpakefield]

Thanks for your thoughts... will take it all on board and hopefully let you know how it goes... happy new year to all

[peacefulpakefield]

I am happy to post that I have received a letter of apology from the neighbours ... So my fingers are crossed for a peaceful 2012....