Noise guidelines

Seanachai

If a tenant is talking in a flat into the early hours on a continuous basis, does this constitute a noise nuisance, or is this a failure on the part of the landlord to provide adequate sound protection in the building?

godtabh

Or its part of living in an apartment?

Building regs at the time of the building of the apartment will inform part of any issues you have.

Seanachai

godtabh wrote: »

Or its part of living in an apartment?

Building regs at the time of the building of the apartment will inform part of any issues you have.

I can't accept that, I'm not getting at you, but if you experienced it yourself, I don't think you'd accept it either. There was no building really, it's a room in an old Georgian house with the normal ceiling\floor that you'd have as standard. I'm at my wits end so I'm willing to possibly pay for soundproofing myself as a last resort, but I thought that there may be regulations that state that the landlord has to ensure that the tenants have peace and quiet.

Gumbo

Seanachai wrote: »

I can't accept that, I'm not getting at you, but if you experienced it yourself, I don't think you'd accept it either. There was no building really, it's a room in an old Georgian house with the normal ceiling\floor that you'd have as standard. I'm at my wits end so I'm willing to possibly pay for soundproofing myself as a last resort, but I thought that there may be regulations that state that the landlord has to ensure that the tenants have peace and quiet.

Part E of the Building Regulations legislates for sound transfer between dwellings. Bear in mind that its based on the regs in place at the time of construction.

If the building is an old Georgian building, then quite possible the building is protected and the landlord is not allowed carry out upgrade works with planning and significant investment which will mean tenants out.

Seanachai

kceire wrote: »

Part E of the Building Regulations legislates for sound transfer between dwellings. Bear in mind that its based on the regs in place at the time of construction.

If the building is an old Georgian building, then quite possible the building is protected and the landlord is not allowed carry out upgrade works with planning and significant investment which will mean tenants out.

It would only involve putting up some rails and then new slabs over them, I'll enquire if this requires planning permission.

Seanachai

It's not on the protected list fortunately

Is it one of those ones with a bedroom above sitting room with an open balcony ?

Seanachai

BrownFinger wrote: »

Is it one of those ones with a bedroom above sitting room with an open balcony ?

No, it's what would have been the kitchen at the back of an old house with what must have been a bedroom above it. It's just floorboards on top of joists with plasterboard on the ceiling below. If the lady above me kept her talking in reasonable hours it wouldn't bother me, she literally talks non-stop for 8-10 hours, it's crazy.

listermint

You may not accept it, but this is part and parcel of living in Apartments, more so if you choose to live in subdivided buildings where the standard of fitout may not be like brand new construction.

tbh im not sure what your hoping for here as to put it realistically you can either talk to the perpetrator to sort it . Or move.

Earplugs and a white noise generator.

Gumbo

Seanachai wrote: »

It's not on the protected list fortunately

Not a lot you can do. Fitting additional boards to the internal face of your bedsit will not reduce the noise enough to make the investment worthwhile in my experience.

You would need to treat the building as a whole and properly insulate between the units, between the floor joists etc

Some form of resilliant board or mat would be required in the units above you also.

Seanachai

kceire wrote: »

Not a lot you can do. Fitting additional boards to the internal face of your bedsit will not reduce the noise enough to make the investment worthwhile in my experience.

You would need to treat the building as a whole and properly insulate between the units, between the floor joists etc

Some form of resilliant board or mat would be required in the units above you also.

I'm not sure what you mean by internal face?, outside the flat is a hallway leading to a side-entrance, the other tenants flat is directly above mine, so the sound is travelling downwards. My kitchen is an extension to the building, so it's not connected to her flat in any way.

Seanachai

ronoc wrote: »

Earplugs and a white noise generator.

Tried it, even used expensive ear muffs that I used in construction and I could still hear her.

Dav010

Surely this is a matter of talking to the tenant above and explaining the situation. I really don’t see how you can curtail your neighbour aboves right to talk whenever he/she wants. I could understand a “noise” issue if he/she was blaring music in the early hours. Ask/him her to be more considerate.

If the house met the building regs when built/converted, I would imagine that it would be difficult to retroactively impose on the LL a requirement to put new suspended ceilings in.

BrokenArrows

Seanachai wrote: »

Tried it, even used expensive ear muffs that I used in construction and I could still hear her.

Have you considered asking her to stop taking late at night?

Gumbo

Dav010 wrote: »

Surely this is a matter of talking to the tenant above and explaining the situation. I really don’t see how you can curtail your neighbour aboves right to talk whenever he/she wants. I could understand a “noise” issue if he/she was blaring music in the early hours. Ask/him her to be more considerate.

If the house met the building regs when built/converted, I would imagine that it would be difficult to retroactively impose on the LL a requirement to put new suspended ceilings in.

Georgian house. No building regulations applicable at the time of construction.
Minimal rental standards should apply though. Maybe the environmental health section of the council can advise?

Seanachai

listermint wrote: »

You may not accept it, but this is part and parcel of living in Apartments, more so if you choose to live in subdivided buildings where the standard of fitout may not be like brand new construction.

tbh im not sure what your hoping for here as to put it realistically you can either talk to the perpetrator to sort it . Or move.

I tried it, she ended up pounding on my door and windows looking for a row. The perpetrator is the kind of person who would knock the wing mirror off your car and then scoff at you when you confronted them about it. The landlord told me he's had serious issues with her besides this. I get the feeling she's been moved from pillar to post.

You make it sound like moving is an easy option, it's not financially or in practical terms. If there isn't already regulations that impel landlords to provide proper sound insulation, then there should be, irregardless of the age of the building. I do my bit by paying the rent in full and on time for ten years and not causing any trouble. I've never had an issue with anybody else in the building.

robp

Seanachai wrote: »

I tried it, she ended up pounding on my door and windows looking for a row. The perpetrator is the kind of person who would knock the wing mirror off your car and then scoff at you when you confronted them about it. The landlord told me he's had serious issues with her besides this. I get the feeling she's been moved from pillar to post.

You make it sound like moving is an easy option, it's not financially or in practical terms. If there isn't already regulations that impel landlords to provide proper sound insulation, then there should be, irregardless of the age of the building. I do my bit by paying the rent in full and on time for ten years and not causing any trouble. I've never had an issue with anybody else in the building.

Georgian structures in my limited experience are reasonable good in sounding proofing due to the dense lath and plaster construction. If it is plasterboard it is not Georgian or Victorian and its not as historic.

Maybe the renovation which put in the plasterboard was subject to sound regulations?

She is above? There is lining for under carpets that can stop some sounds and it is not hugely expensive.

kceire wrote: »

Georgian house. No building regulations applicable at the time of construction.
Minimal rental standards should apply though. Maybe the environmental health section of the council can advise?

BTW there were building regulations in Georgian times. Not useful here though.

Fol20

Trying to improve noise insulation would more than likely be a costly job that you want to fob off to the ll. It sounds like your staying in a retro fitted pre 63 building where insulation among many other things would be below the standards of new builds. Normally you pay less as a result so as the old saying goes. You pay for what you get. If your not happy with the noise insulation. Either move or try warplug,white noise machines or you could buy black foam soundproofing tiles and put them on your ceiling to see how effective they would be. These are all at your cost though.

Seanachai

robp wrote: »

Georgian structures in my limited experience are reasonable good in sounding proofing due to the dense lath and plaster construction. If it is plasterboard it is not Georgian or Victorian and its not as historic.

Maybe the renovation which put in the plasterboard was subject to sound regulations?

She is above? There is lining for under carpets that can stop some sounds and it is not hugely expensive.


BTW there were building regulations in Georgian times. Not useful here though.

I've checked the age and the building is Victorian, given that it's a small room and soundproofing wouldn't be hugely expensive, if I were a landlord, I'd see it as a good solution.

Both of us are exasperated trying to reason with her, we're stuck in a cycle of asking her to be respectful, she quietens down for a while and then it starts over again. As much as she's affected my sleep, I still wouldn't like to see her on the street, which is where she would most likely be going if she's evicted.

Dav010

Seanachai wrote: »

I've checked the age and the building is Victorian, given that it's a small room and soundproofing wouldn't be hugely expensive, if I were a landlord, I'd see it as a good solution.

Both of us are exasperated trying to reason with her, we're stuck in a cycle of asking her to be respectful, she quietens down for a while and then it starts over again. As much as she's affected my sleep, I still wouldn't like to see her on the street, which is where she would most likely be going if she's evicted.

I think the LL would struggle to win a case in the RTB if he/she evicted a tenant for talking at night.

robp

Seanachai wrote: »

I've checked the age and the building is Victorian, given that it's a small room and soundproofing wouldn't be hugely expensive, if I were a landlord, I'd see it as a good solution.

Both of us are exasperated trying to reason with her, we're stuck in a cycle of asking her to be respectful, she quietens down for a while and then it starts over again. As much as she's affected my sleep, I still wouldn't like to see her on the street, which is where she would most likely be going if she's evicted.

Just for your sake and for the landlords, although the building may be Victorian, based one the description I think the ceiling is (at least partially) not Victorian.

Seanachai

Dav010 wrote: »

I think the LL would struggle to win a case in the RTB if he/she evicted a tenant for talking at night.

Talking at night, singing, wailing, moving furniture, tampering with the gas heating & fire alarms, chucking other tenants washing out of the machine mid-cycle. I'd say if it comes down to it he could have her out pretty easily, but like I said as troublesome as she is, neither of us want to see her homeless.