Issue with neighbour's kid kicking a ball indoors at night

MrsBean

Hi all - looking for advice.

Myself and my partner live in an apartment and love everything about the place except for an issue with the neighbours. They are a family with three children. At night one of the kids kicks a ball against the internal wall over and over. There's regular screaming and squealing and, because they seem to keep weird hours, all of the noise begins around 8pm lasting until 2-3am.

When the ball-kicking happens we've started trying to knock (as politely as possible, not aggressively) to indicate to stop. We don't want to start a war but I suppose we were hoping common sense would occur for the ball-kicking to stop. To no avail.

It's a difficult situation because I'm sure the parents are driven mad with 3 kids in a two bed apartment during this pandemic but every evening our heads are also wrecked with this noise after both of us working all day too.

What would you do?
It's not a case of simply knocking in to talk to them as there are separate entrances to our buildings so I can't actually access their front door (although we share a wall). Thinking of writing a letter and asking politely to please not allow ball kicking indoors and to try keep noise down after 10. Seems ridiculous but don't know what else to do.
Is it completely unreasonable to get in touch with the management company/letting agency? Our lease states no noise after 10pm so wondering if I should bring that up, but for all I know they could own their property so maybe that won't make a difference.

Any advice appreciated.

Atlantic Dawn

Start kicking your own ball between 3am-6am.

ted1

“ When the ball-kicking happens we've started trying to knock (as politely as possible, not aggressively) to indicate to stop”


You are just winding them up and annoying them. They won’t be seen it as politely


Kid could be on the spectrum and really struggling with the situation

anewme

Blunt is your only way. No nice guy with this.

"You need to stop bouncing footballs off walls every night till 3am"

Straight to mgt company with this one.

anewme

ted1 wrote: »

“ When the ball-kicking happens we've started trying to knock (as politely as possible, not aggressively) to indicate to stop”


You are just winding them up and annoying them. They won’t be seen it as politely


Kid come be on the spectrum and really struggling with the situation

Agree the knocking back is not helping and could be adding stress.

Sorry, not acceptable to be bouncing balls off walls at 3am. You cant expect people to put up with this, whatever your own situation is.

Everyone has their own challenges during this pandemic.

MrsBean

Thanks for the feedback folks. Think I'll write them a letter first and cancel the knocking. I'm trying to do this as nicely as I can.

I take the point about the possibility of there being a child on the spectrum - that has occurred to me. But just to be clear, it is the football being kicked about against the wall that is the issue and that has been going on for months before the lockdown.

I appreciate that screaming and squealing is something that comes with having children and I actually take no issue with that. I just think it's unreasonable to allow a ball to be kicked against an indoor wall. There is a grassy area in our shared courtyard where other children play that I think would be a more appropriate space for that.

ted1

ted1 wrote: »

Kid could be on the spectrum and really struggling with the situation

That doesn’t give them a free pass to be torturing the op.

Victor

Have the child kick the ball against one of the internal walls within the apartment.

Baby01032012

Get straight on to the management agent in the morning. It’s a breach of the house rules. Let them talk to the owner who in turn has responsibility for the tenant if it is a tenant.

Mrs OBumble

Have you talked, face to face, to the parents yet? If not, then that is what you need to do first.

Quit with the knocking (childish AF) and letters (passive aggressive).

anewme

OP you are excusing screaming and shrieking at 2 and 3am.

You dont owe the parents anything. I would not engage.

They will be aware of the noise.

This is what you pay your management fee for.

I would not post letter either.

Flimsy_Boat

Management needs to do it or you will just be the bad guy neighbour with a problem who doesn't understand kids.