Advice with Noise Regulations

NaDamantaSam

Having a slight problem in my new apartment. Moved in the end of January and as I'm usually playing drums in some band or another, I bought an electric drum kit to practice with and so as not to p**s off the neighbours too much with a proper drum kit!
As I know even an electric kit makes some noise as it still involves hitting pads, I don't play at weekends and usually only 2 or 3 times per week. I only play it between 3 and 8pm and never for more than an hour and a half at a time.
After about 3 weeks I got a call off the landlord saying he'd received complaints from the people living above us. I explained to him that I don't play it at unreasonable hours or even all that often and that it can't make that much noise as it's only an electric kit. He seemed fairly ok with that, and mentioned he might call down to sort something out if there are any other problems.
Today I got another call from the landlord saying he's had more complaints and that an apartment isn't the place for playing drums. I argued the same thing again and offered to speak to whoever had made the complaints, but he said he would just come down to sort it out this weekend
Now I'm presuming it's the same people from last time that live above me, so I know they definitely don't have any babies that it might be keeping awake and I'm fairly sure they're unemployed due to the fact I can usually hear them walking around up there all day and playing loud dance music until all hours of the night most nights.
So what are my rights here? I've done everything I can to be reasonable and they don't seem to want to speak to me directly. I don't practice all that often here and never at unreasonable hours. I don't want to give up drumming!

athtrasna

Basically drums and apartments are compatible. Not everyone works 9-5 and regardless of whether people have kids or not, they are entitled to quiet enjoyment of their home.

Just spotted the box off an electronic drum kit in our bin shed tonight. If it's any of my neighbours and they start disturbing me then I will report it too.

BC

Have to agree with Athtrasna, apartments are not the place for drums. If one of my neighbours started playing I'd be straight on to the landlord too. Its irrelevant what time of the day it is, i don't want to hear loud noises coming from my neighbours at any time.

MistyCheese

Seems like the ideal thing to do would be to talk to your neighbours, ask them is there any time when they are generally out of their apartment and ask if you could play then.

If, for example, they are out of the apartment between 5pm and 8pm then surely a compromise could be reached where you could play then. If they're constantly in the house though and rarely leave then this probably won't work but maybe it's worth asking, if you can.

Little Miss!

i have to agree with the majority, an apartment is not the place for drums, if u lived near me i'd complain too. everyone is entitled to relax and enjoy their home, not sure that's possible if there's constant tap, tap tapping going on for over an hour and a half at a time!!

if u wanna play ur drums why not live in the country where u can play to ur hearts content

NaDamantaSam

I do understand what ye are saying, but these neighbours aren't exactly quiet themselves! They have house parties until around 5am almost weekly and often play loud dance music til late at night, several nights per week. I kinda tolerated this stuff as I only found it mildly annoying and kinda in hope that they would tolerate the drumming. Suppose I'll just have to become one of those neighbours that calls the landlord anytime I can hear anything from their apartment and bangs on the ceiling with a broom stick:P

Anywho, I'll be heading to the Threshold office in the city today to see if there is anything I can do to keep drumming and what my legal position is and shall let ye know how it goes.

NaDamantaSam

MistyCheese wrote: »

Seems like the ideal thing to do would be to talk to your neighbours, ask them is there any time when they are generally out of their apartment and ask if you could play then.

If, for example, they are out of the apartment between 5pm and 8pm then surely a compromise could be reached where you could play then. If they're constantly in the house though and rarely leave then this probably won't work but maybe it's worth asking, if you can.

I told the landlord to get whoever made the complaint to come talk to me so I could sort something out with them, but he wouldn't say who it was to me, I'm just presuming it was the same as the first time. I'm more than willing to come to some kinda mutual arrangement but not much I can do.

Little Miss! wrote: »

i have to agree with the majority, an apartment is not the place for drums, if u lived near me i'd complain too. everyone is entitled to relax and enjoy their home, not sure that's possible if there's constant tap, tap tapping going on for over an hour and a half at a time!!

if u wanna play ur drums why not live in the country where u can play to ur hearts content

I'm in college in UCC so I'm kinda stuck in the city for the foreseeable future.
My proper drum kit is at my parents house in the countryside in Tipperary. I used to even take the kit into the garden to practise with the band during the summer.... ah those were the days!

lau1247

Complain back against them when they play loud music at unreasonable hour..

Just give them a taste of their own medicine?

Little Miss!

NaDamantaSam wrote: »

I do understand what ye are saying, but these neighbours aren't exactly quiet themselves! They have house parties until around 5am almost weekly and often play loud dance music til late at night, several nights per week. I kinda tolerated this stuff as I only found it mildly annoying and kinda in hope that they would tolerate the drumming. Suppose I'll just have to become one of those neighbours that calls the landlord anytime I can hear anything from their apartment and bangs on the ceiling with a broom stick:P

Anywho, I'll be heading to the Threshold office in the city today to see if there is anything I can do to keep drumming and what my legal position is and shall let ye know how it goes.

to be fair if ur landlord continues to get complaints from the management company or from whoever, he more than liking will terminate ur rental contract as i'm sure he probably signed a contract with the management company agreeing to abide by management company rules, one of these in our complex that no noise should be heard outside apartments at any time of day or night. crazy i know but rules are rules

Little Miss Cutie

Hi OP,
Very funny that you just started this thread, I was about to start a thread as our neighbours below us have gotten a drum kit in the last couple of weeks.
To be honest - I am going to complain to the management company because as far I am concerned it is not accecptable. I like to be able to have a cup of tea and a conversation in the evening and with the drums going full volume the constant noise drives me mad, it is even worse if I sit on the balcony as they have their windows open.

I think any sort of drums / loud instruments are just not compatable with apartment living, that said I dont have parties every weekend or listen to loud dance music so I dont think I am interferring with their lives.

NaDamantaSam

Threshold wasn't free today so have an appointment tomorrow. Not too sure what to expect though.

Little Miss! wrote: »

to be fair if ur landlord continues to get complaints from the management company or from whoever, he more than liking will terminate ur rental contract as i'm sure he probably signed a contract with the management company agreeing to abide by management company rules, one of these in our complex that no noise should be heard outside apartments at any time of day or night. crazy i know but rules are rules

I don't think there is a management company, tis landlord owned and run as far as I can tell. There was no real specific mention of noise levels in the lease agreement, though I'm quite sure there was a "no house parties" section! As lau1247 said, I'll just have to start complaining when they play their music loudly.

Little Miss Cutie wrote: »

Hi OP,
Very funny that you just started this thread, I was about to start a thread as our neighbours below us have gotten a drum kit in the last couple of weeks.
To be honest - I am going to complain to the management company because as far I am concerned it is not accecptable. I like to be able to have a cup of tea and a conversation in the evening and with the drums going full volume the constant noise drives me mad, it is even worse if I sit on the balcony as they have their windows open.

I think any sort of drums / loud instruments are just not compatable with apartment living, that said I dont have parties every weekend or listen to loud dance music so I dont think I am interferring with their lives.

I agree completely when it comes to using an acoustic drum kit or other loud instruments. I'd love to be able to use my acoustic kit but the noise from it is so bad that it probably wouldn't just be people in this apartment block complaining! But the kit I use now, I just plug in head phones and work away. It's kinda of a tapping or knocking noise from when I hit the pads that's the problem, similar to tapping loudly on a coffee table with your fingers.
So if I was the person living below your apartment (using a much quieter electric kit though) and wanted to arrange times when I could practise while you were out do you think that would be reasonable?

Little Miss!

NaDamantaSam wrote: »

Threshold wasn't free today so have an appointment tomorrow. Not too sure what to expect though.



I don't think there is a management company, tis landlord owned and run as far as I can tell. There was no real specific mention of noise levels in the lease agreement, though I'm quite sure there was a "no house parties" section! As lau1247 said, I'll just have to start complaining when they play their music loudly.



I agree completely when it comes to using an acoustic drum kit or other loud instruments. I'd love to be able to use my acoustic kit but the noise from it is so bad that it probably wouldn't just be people in this apartment block complaining! But the kit I use now, I just plug in head phones and work away. It's kinda of a tapping or knocking noise from when I hit the pads that's the problem, similar to tapping loudly on a coffee table with your fingers.
So if I was the person living below your apartment (using a much quieter electric kit though) and wanted to arrange times when I could practise while you were out do you think that would be reasonable?

I find it hard to believe that there's no management company in place, i suggest you speak to ur landlord regarding this. tbh if u were living below my apartment and were making noise i'd complain and wouldn't enter into any discussions regarding practise times, no loud noise means no loud noise.

NaDamantaSam

Little Miss! wrote: »

I find it hard to believe that there's no management company in place, i suggest you speak to ur landlord regarding this. tbh if u were living below my apartment and were making noise i'd complain and wouldn't enter into any discussions regarding practise times, no loud noise means no loud noise.

There are only 6 apartments here and we deal with the landlord directly if there are any problems.
No discussions at all? But how would it cause you any annoyance if you weren't even in your house? Is that not extremely uncompromising and rigid?

Anyway, I thought allowable noise levels were different depending on the time of day? Though I may be wrong...

angel01

If it is heard outside of your apartment, then it is too loud. I have to say I would complain if it was me also. Playing instruments & living in apartments do not go hand in hand. Think of the others in the building, it is not fair on them.

Elle Collins

NaDamantaSam wrote: »

So if I was the person living below your apartment (using a much quieter electric kit though) and wanted to arrange times when I could practise while you were out do you think that would be reasonable?

I personally wouldn't consider that unreasonable NaDamantaSam. I'd just ask you to practice when I knew I was going to be out in work; but you have to bear in mind that the times one other tenant is in work may not match the times another tenant may be, so one way or the other you'll probably find yourself with somebody complaining.

Graces7

angel01 wrote: »

If it is heard outside of your apartment, then it is too loud. I have to say I would complain if it was me also. Playing instruments & living in apartments do not go hand in hand. Think of the others in the building, it is not fair on them.

I agree wholeheartedly; but by the same token, parties with loud noise until 5 am?

Pot calling the kettle black, it seems.

NaDamantaSam

angel01 wrote: »

If it is heard outside of your apartment, then it is too loud. I have to say I would complain if it was me also. Playing instruments & living in apartments do not go hand in hand. Think of the others in the building, it is not fair on them.

Really? I can hear them watching tv, walking around and sometimes drunkenly singing at night.
As far as I know, the complaints have been from just 1 apartment. But yeah, if the neighbours were quiet themselves then perhaps I would be more open to stopping completely. But even now, their tv is turned up loud enough for me to hear!

angel01

NaDamantaSam wrote: »

Really? I can hear them watching tv, walking around and sometimes drunkenly singing at night.
As far as I know, the complaints have been from just 1 apartment. But yeah, if the neighbours were quiet themselves then perhaps I would be more open to stopping completely. But even now, their tv is turned up loud enough for me to hear!

Then have a word with your landlord, It is the only way to stop it

am i bovvered

NaDamantaSam wrote: »

Really? I can hear them watching tv, walking around and sometimes drunkenly singing at night.
As far as I know, the complaints have been from just 1 apartment. But yeah, if the neighbours were quiet themselves then perhaps I would be more open to stopping completely. But even now, their tv is turned up loud enough for me to hear!

Seems to me that there is a sound insulation problem with the building.