Noise pollution probs...

StickyMcGinty

i've already had a search for other topics regarding sound problems, but i feel this one is a bit different:

I'm renting accomodation in Dublin 9 at the moment, its the corner house in a row of terrace houses. We'd sometimes play music, not too loud, at about 3pm or 4pm for about an hour or so. the problem is that our neighbour feels like she has to come in and complain! i'd say the sound insulation isnt the best in these houses, and i'd understand if it was 4 in the mornin, but whats the laws stance on noise pollution regarding tenants etc. i was reading through oasis, but they're very vague with their interpretations.

Thanks for your help,

Vinny

homeOwner

You could call the environment agency (http://www.environ.ie/DOEI/DOEIPol.nsf/wvNavView/Noise+Pollution?OpenDocument&Lang=)
and ask them for the acceptable noise levels as they are the ones who set the guidelines.

I live in an apartment and have had somepxperience of this. All I would say is that you dont know the circumstances of the people living beside you. Maybe they do shift work and sleep during the day. Maybe they arent well and the noise upsets them. Maybe there is a small child in the house and the noise wakes the baby. Maybe they have lived there for years and up to now have enjoyed quiet afternoons which have been upset by you playing music.

There are any number of reasons why someone might not want you playing loud music and its not all a plan to piss you off. Perhaps you are within the letter of the law but being a considerate neighbour might be a better move than insisting on playing your music loud just because you can. You never know when you might need your neighbours help.

Victor

Consided some measures to moderate the effects of the music.

Is it the bass that gets to them? If so, try isolating those speakers from solid surfaces.

Put the speakers in the room away from their house.

Keep windows / doors closed when playing the music.

Strike a balance between being a good neighbour and living your life.

JimmySmith

If your music is loud enough for the neighbour to feel like they have to complain then you really should consider that it actually IS too loud and you should be a good neighbour and turn it down.
After all if they couldnt hear then they wouldnt be complaining would they.

LundiMardi

earphones

StickyMcGinty

JimmySmith wrote:

If your music is loud enough for the neighbour to feel like they have to complain then you really should consider that it actually IS too loud and you should be a good neighbour and turn it down.
After all if they couldnt hear then they wouldnt be complaining would they.

but there is such a thing as being overly-fussy, we're entitled to our freedom as much as she is.

i do always turn it down if she complains, i'm not trying to piss the her off, and then we cap the sound levels to the sound she's happy with after she complains. then she comes in the next day at half 5 in the evening and tells us to turn it down more. i'm not being unreasonable.

Victor wrote:

Consided some measures to moderate the effects of the music.

Is it the bass that gets to them? If so, try isolating those speakers from solid surfaces.

Put the speakers in the room away from their house.

Keep windows / doors closed when playing the music.

Strike a balance between being a good neighbour and living your life.

cheers victor, i've already done most of this, but i'm gonna try to improve it, i just wanna play some music in the evening i dont want to cause any hassle. i'm prob gonna have to look in to sound proofing certain areas of the house.,..

homeowner wrote:

You could call the environment agency (http://www.environ.ie/DOEI/DOEIPol.n...Document&Lang=)
and ask them for the acceptable noise levels as they are the ones who set the guidelines.

I live in an apartment and have had somepxperience of this. All I would say is that you dont know the circumstances of the people living beside you. Maybe they do shift work and sleep during the day. Maybe they arent well and the noise upsets them. Maybe there is a small child in the house and the noise wakes the baby. Maybe they have lived there for years and up to now have enjoyed quiet afternoons which have been upset by you playing music.

There are any number of reasons why someone might not want you playing loud music and its not all a plan to piss you off. Perhaps you are within the letter of the law but being a considerate neighbour might be a better move than insisting on playing your music loud just because you can. You never know when you might need your neighbours help.

i know what you mean, but they are just elderly neighbours, neither work. they're the parents of an aquaintence of mine, so i know a bit about them, no kids in the house at all.

LundiMardi wrote:

earphones

why bother replying? trying to get your post count up?

LundiMardi

yes, yes i am. Am i cooler now?

Seriously, earphones.

StickyMcGinty

LundiMardi wrote:

yes, yes i am. Am i cooler now?

Seriously, earphones.

i hate when people like you wander out of after hours

cheers for all the help anyway, Victor i'm gonna try most of what you said i'm looking in to cheap soundproofing options, dont want any bad blood with next door, not worth it!

Victor

LundiMardi wrote:

yes, yes i am. Am i cooler now?

Behave!

the_syco

Meh. Once its before 9pm, there's no real limit. After 9pm, it can't be excessive, but it sounds like they're bored. Try seeing what you can hear from the next room, and ensure all bass/speaker eqipment is not on the floor, but elevated somehow, as it may be the bass they hear/feel.

If they still complain, ignore them. They may do it as they know you'll bow down to them.

Also, try asking your aquaintence what their problem is. It may be something stupid like "it interfers with Corrie", or something equally bizarre.

boardy

Fair play to you VinnyL for trying to come up with a solution to fix the problem. Too many people exasperate or totally ignore their neighbours when these issues crop up. At least you are making an attempt to solve the problem.

Also let them know that you working to fix the ‘lack of soundproofing’ between the houses and maybe your elderly neighbours will appreciate your effort.

raging_bull

People keep saying I have a right to play music in my house. But what about your neighbour's rights, why should they have to hear your music. I have the same problem with mine they wait until we knock in, only we don't knock in until we can't bear it anymore, why should we have to knock in at all. We have two babies, I think they are the lowest form of humans to keep doing it until we knock in, try and think of it from their point of view.

Get earphones!

base2

You have a right to play your music in your house. There is a balance in this case and if you feel you've done your compromise then thats enough.

Since legally you're in the right it just becomes a personal relations issue. Do you want to sacrifce your enjoyment of your music over someone elses neuroticism?

As far as soundproofing and deadenining goes.....Forget it. I use a home studio and if you want to soundproof you have to design the building in advance to accomadate it. Its also very expensive.

mad m

Sure lads beside me have scooters and they drive it through the house out to back,sometimes 2am sometimes earlier than that.I cant see why they dont just wheel the scooters in.It wakes me but I nod back off.They have been excessive a few times with the noise and my daughter came into us one night at 2.30am saying the noise of they lads next door.

Had to knock on the door and tell them to keep it down,which they did but recently they were up to their tricks again and my kids couldnt goto sleep(mid week).I knocked in and asked nicely to keep it down,then handed them the print out from the oasis website.

One fella knocked in spouting all sorts of stuff,till I stoped him dead in his tracks saying does he have kids.Not a sound from them since,so fairplay to them.Its rented house btw....

Having just re-read I thought it said you played music 3-4am and not 3-4pm.Have to say at that time I cant see the problem.But I was working up in Ballyfermot last week and some of the houses beside were I was working they had music blarring,not for just an hour either,probably from 11pm from till I was leaving.But I suppose its kids off with the easter holidays and no doubt it will go back to normal next week.

antoinolachtnai

I think there is an 'inner game' to think about here too. Why does your elderly neighbour _really_ complain about the music? Is he/she really upset about it? Or is there something else?

It could be that they just feel lonely at that time of the day and just want some human contact. It sounds like a weird way of getting human contact, but it's surprising how often it happens this way. It's not easy for old people to relate to younger people.

Of course, I know nothing about your neighbour's circumstances, but it is worht thinking laterally about these things. It could be a lot simpler to resolve than it looks. A cup of tea and a biscuit might make a big difference.