Noise Complaint

DaveyDave

Hi all,

At wits end here. Living in a ground floor apartment for two months now, the neighbor above me is constantly playing loud music and TV between 10pm and 2am most nights.

I've knocked up several times in the last few weeks to ask to turn it down. I've even called the Gardai who unfortunately have no authority here but I made the call anyway.

If it was the odd weekend or whatever I wouldn't mind but it's consistently 10pm-2am most nights. Tonight I knocked in at 10pm and said to turn it down, now 12am and it's louder. I'm up at 6am to work a 12 hour shift, this is absolutely ridiculous.

If I remember correctly I need to file a complaint with the EPA? I also need to contact my landlord so she can inform the management company of the noise issues. If she's renting hopefully she'll get kicked out. There isn't any noise from other apartments so it's not like the walls are paper thin or anything.

I've been making a log of all the times and dates it's going on as well as the date of my phone call to the local Garda. What else can I do? After I contact the EPA, I bring a civil case against her in court?

I suppose I might write her a letter stating I'll proceed legal action if she doesn't stop? The thing that pisses me off the most is I've said it to her a number of times and she doesn't seem to get it or just doesn't care. It's an apartment, you don't get to do this kind of thing. I got foam isolation pads for my large speakers to be considerate of other neighbours.

Anyone have any advice?

the_syco

How many floors in the apartment? Is the guy above an owner? Is there only the two of ye in the building, or multiple rooms?

Cilar

- Written letter to her as first step to have this in writing. There are number of templates online. Include the noise log.
- Call your landlord (he probably does not want to lose a tenant..) and the management agency for the building. Get the name of her landlord from mgm agency.
- Send letter to her landlord
- If no improvements, complain against her landlord to the ptsb
- Check if other neighbors are impacted, and see if you can do a common action (more strength).

If she's the owner:
- Management agency
- Then the district court (it just cost a few euros to open a claim - but you may want to involve a solicitor)


http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/environmental_protection/noise_regulations.html

Del2005

Cilar wrote: »

- Written letter to her as first step to have this in writing. There are number of templates online. Include the noise log.
- Call your landlord (he probably does not want to lose a tenant..) and the management agency for the building. Get the name of her landlord from mgm agency.
- Send letter to her landlord
- If no improvements, complain against her landlord to the ptsb
- Check if other neighbors are impacted, and see if you can do a common action (more strength).

If she's the owner:
- Management agency
- Then the district court (it just cost a few euros to open a claim - but you may want to involve a solicitor)


http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/environmental_protection/noise_regulations.html

The OP is renting so the Management Agent won't deal with them. All they can do is hassle their landlord and check the RTB to see if it is rented out to log a complaint there.

DaveyDave

the_syco wrote: »

How many floors in the apartment? Is the guy above an owner? Is there only the two of ye in the building, or multiple rooms?

It's actually a duplex. We're the ground floor apartment and she has a two story above us. It's just myself and the GF in our apartment. There's a family with two kids on one side of her and other tenants on the other side, I don't think the two ground floor units beside me would hear much. Her living room is directly above my bedroom but the noise can generally still be heard out in our living room on the other side of the apartment.

Cilar wrote: »

- Written letter to her as first step to have this in writing. There are number of templates online. Include the noise log.
- Call your landlord (he probably does not want to lose a tenant..) and the management agency for the building. Get the name of her landlord from mgm agency.
- Send letter to her landlord
- If no improvements, complain against her landlord to the ptsb
- Check if other neighbors are impacted, and see if you can do a common action (more strength).

If she's the owner:
- Management agency
- Then the district court (it just cost a few euros to open a claim - but you may want to involve a solicitor)

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/environmental_protection/noise_regulations.html

Yeah I was thinking of knocking to the other neighbors and seeing if they've had any issues. As there's kids in the apartment beside her I'd be surprised if I was the only one with a problem. The noise can be heard outside at the back of the apartment and is worse when my window is open, which is fairly frequently as it's quite warm most evenings.

I know with an apartment it's to be expected to hear more noise due to having people on each side but I very rarely hear any noise from the other neighbors other than a door closing when it's quiet and even then that's only once or twice so far.

davindub

DaveyDave wrote: »

It's actually a duplex. We're the ground floor apartment and she has a two story above us. It's just myself and the GF in our apartment. There's a family with two kids on one side of her and other tenants on the other side, I don't think the two ground floor units beside me would hear much. Her living room is directly above my bedroom but the noise can generally still be heard out in our living room on the other side of the apartment.



Yeah I was thinking of knocking to the other neighbors and seeing if they've had any issues. As there's kids in the apartment beside her I'd be surprised if I was the only one with a problem. The noise can be heard outside at the back of the apartment and is worse when my window is open, which is fairly frequently as it's quite warm most evenings.

I know with an apartment it's to be expected to hear more noise due to having people on each side but I very rarely hear any noise from the other neighbors other than a door closing when it's quiet and even then that's only once or twice so far.

Her landlord is obliged to deal with it, there are anti-social provisions within the RTB act to allow you to take a case against the landlord if they fail to resolve the situation.

I would get the landlord's details from the management company, contrary to what they have told you, they also have a responsibility to ensure the complex rules are adhered to.

ted1

DaveyDave wrote: »

Hi all,

At wits end here. Living in a ground floor apartment for two months now, the neighbor above me is constantly playing loud music and TV between 10pm and 2am most nights.

I've knocked up several times in the last few weeks to ask to turn it down. I've even called the Gardai who unfortunately have no authority here but I made the call anyway.

If it was the odd weekend or whatever I wouldn't mind but it's consistently 10pm-2am most nights. Tonight I knocked in at 10pm and said to turn it down, now 12am and it's louder. I'm up at 6am to work a 12 hour shift, this is absolutely ridiculous.

If I remember correctly I need to file a complaint with the EPA? I also need to contact my landlord so she can inform the management company of the noise issues. If she's renting hopefully she'll get kicked out. There isn't any noise from other apartments so it's not like the walls are paper thin or anything.

I've been making a log of all the times and dates it's going on as well as the date of my phone call to the local Garda. What else can I do? After I contact the EPA, I bring a civil case against her in court?

I suppose I might write her a letter stating I'll proceed legal action if she doesn't stop? The thing that pisses me off the most is I've said it to her a number of times and she doesn't seem to get it or just doesn't care. It's an apartment, you don't get to do this kind of thing. I got foam isolation pads for my large speakers to be considerate of other neighbours.

Anyone have any advice?

Sounds like apartment living isn't for you, best option is to move.

Cuddlesworth

ted1 wrote: »

Sounds like apartment living isn't for you, best option is to move.

Really? Because to me it sounds like apartment living isn't for the person above.

Technocentral

ted1 wrote:

Sounds like apartment living isn't for you, best option is to move.

You are wrong. Playing music or making any kind of loud noises after 11am is totally unacceptable, that tenant needs to be kicked out.

Tipsy McSwagger

ted1 wrote: »

Sounds like apartment living isn't for you, best option is to move.

Sounds like you haven't a clue what you're talking about, it must be nice and cosy in your caravan and having the option to drive off anywhere you want.

DaveyDave

ted1 wrote: »

Sounds like apartment living isn't for you, best option is to move.

What makes you say that? Thumping bass for hours at midnight several days of the week isn't acceptable under any circumstances. This goes against the EPA Act and the rules set by the management company.

I got 5 hours sleep because of it last night. I work 12 hour shifts, it doesn't make life very easy for me. I come home at 1:30am after a night shift and I can watch TV or listen to music for hours with no issue, same with the other 4 apartments around me, no noise from them. There's no reason she can't do it too.

pimpmyhat

ted1 wrote: »

Sounds like apartment living isn't for you, best option is to move.

Thats a very inconsiderate comment.
It may not be possible for the op to move for a host of reasons.
And no tenant should be subjected to that on a continuous basis regardless of whether it's an apt or not.

I went through something similar and couldn't afford to just up and leave.
Sleep deprivation is not a nice thing.