Renting out spare room - noise issues tenant

Fiona

We have been renting out our spare room for the last 2 months. We have had to ask the tenant numerous times to use headphones when on the phone.

He is constantly speaking to his girlfriend and he has her on speaker phone early in the morning (before 11am my partner works shift so he does nights) The television we have provided in the room is also up full blast some mornings and we have offered to buy him headphones.

Can I provide written warnings in this situation, my first time renting out a room so I am a bit clueless. I did a tenancy agreement and I have the following in it:

'The Tenant agrees to control and minimise any noise in the house (including TV, radio and such instruments) after 10.00pm'

Is it possible to amend it? We did verbally say to him 11am / 11pm was the noise limits after the first time we had to ask him to turn down the tele at midnight one night and when he woke us up on the phone one morning.

He is a nice lad but my god the phone is getting unbearable, I just don't see how he doesn't see having his phone up full blast at 9am in the morning is not a problem when he knows another person living in the house has been working nights!

You’re not cut out for this

berocca2016

Is it your house that you own or you are the sole person on the lease with the landlord? If so the person is not a tenant, they are a licensee and have little to no actual rights in comparison to a tenancy agreement.

If so, the contract that you made him sign has little to no legal validity regardless so what you say literally goes. You would be legally within your rights to make any stipulations.

moceri

Sharing your home always includes compromises

KaneToad

This is a licensee arrangement. You can ask occupant to leave with minimal notice. He can also leave with minimal notice.

https://threshold.ie/faq/i-am-a-tenant/

His behaviour isn't outlandish but it is incompatible with what you require. He is better off in a scenario that is not as restricted as yours.

You could mention it to him that you don't think arrangement is working out and outline the reasons why. He may modify behaviour but he may decide to seek alternative arrangements.

The other option is to end arrangement and get a more suitable licensee who is aware of the restrictions from the start.

You should also consider whether your situation is compatible, at all, with a licensee.

Fiona

Just for some context on this

Saturday morning we were woken up by him having a full scale row with his girlfriend on the phone. I had to knock on the door and ask him to stop.

Yesterday morning woken again at 8.30am with the tele up full blast

This morning, the girlfriend on the speaker phone again at 9am I had to text him to turn it down.

Myself and my partner use headphones all the time on our phones, we tip toe around the house in the morning as we get up before him.

There is no respect returned by way of noise control and it's draining at this stage, there is no limits on times of showers or cooking that's free reign in the house and the sitting room is his to use just no phones on speaker phone and keep the tele down low is the only thing we are asking for here.

road_high

Kick them out

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814689#Comment_119814689

Yeah it's our house.

My partner's daughters (12 & 13) stay withs us every second weekend and they even tip toe around in the morning and use their headphones so as not to wake others so I mean if a child can understand the logic of being quiet when somebody gets home from work at 4am.......

callaway92

As a previous poster said, you’re not cut out for it

Cut your ties with him now and remove him from the house. No matter what, anything he does now will annoy you, even if he makes minor adjustments

I’d worry (just by the time of your posts here) that you may struggle to remove him though

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814712#Comment_119814712

Yeah I thought we were being nice not imposing resrictions on shower and cooking times as I have heard some horror stories of people not being allowed to shower after a certain time but getting woken up on a Saturday morning by people having a fight is not cool.

I WFH and I won't take calls until 11am when he is on his day off - starting to get really annoyed that respect is not being reciprocated back ya know?

berocca2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814743#Comment_119814743

I think that maybe regardless of the legality, that maybe it would be hard to find a licensee who will stay quiet. Like using the phone at 9 am is completely reasonable in a normal situation.

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814703#Comment_119814703

Fully agree but the respect we are giving him to have a comfortable and relaxing home environment is not being reciprocated back so now I just need to learn about my options.

Tonesjones

The noise he is making is during "normal " hours. Daytime hours.

A)

You need to get a tenant who works shift work also

B)

Get a different shift hours

C)

Stop trying to be a landlord and leave the room empty

Furze99

One final warning and make it clear.

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814748#Comment_119814748

So just so I know is it acceptable for people to be using their phones like that in a rental situation?

As I said he is a nice lad, he is clean and tidy the phone is the only issue so I wouldn't say I am not cut out for it just because of one issue.

I could easily just start waking him up at 5.30am in the morning and be petty and have my Mam on speaker when I am in the shower and then we would all be even ya know.

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814765#Comment_119814765

But what are considered day time hours at the weekend? Would it not be a little bit later in the day?

The weekend is where we have the problems x

Tonesjones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814781#Comment_119814781

8 in the morning most of the world is up and active.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814768#Comment_119814768

I would say it is acceptable. To be brutal about it, the hours he’s on the phone aren’t unreasonable - It’s just unlucky that your husband works shift - but that’s not the tenant’s fault. That’s an awkward term for any tenant to deal with, having to tiptoe at a reasonable hour

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814766#Comment_119814766

Yeah I will have to have a proper chat with him.

I have said it before if the bedroom door is closed somebody is sleeping so just keep it down and if it's open you can scream shout as loud as you want and I won't care.

Once everybody is awake I don't care how much noise ya make!

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814768#Comment_119814768

Once again it's not a rental system. He is a lodger. You shouldn't need rules about phone use or TV volume. He either respects you and your home or he finds somewhere else to live. You have the power here, use it.

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814787#Comment_119814787

If he just didn't have her on speaker phone up full blast it would be grand, if somebody is speaking a bit low on the phone nobody is going to bat an eye lid at that.

Maybe I am just too nice in that he is paying to live here and when my partner is out the door at 5am and I am starting work across the landing from him I am quiet as a mouse so as not to wake him cos I know how hard it is for people these days and we all just want somewhere nice to call home.

I helped him out he had to leave his girlfriends house at short notice, he is very young as well. This is what happens when you do a good deed lol

Giblet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814811#Comment_119814811

A good deed? He pays you.

cuttingtimber22

Some tough love needed. He is not compatible. And no not unreasonable for you to be annoyed that someone uses the speaker for phone calls and keeps in mind the noise of the tv/music. As you say no excuse with headphones offered. I have rented out rooms and it is always give and take but within established rules.

SteM

You're kidding yourself OP. You say it's just the phone you have issues with but it's not, it's the TV too so it's really a noise issue.

The real problem is your partner's shift work, you're asking someone to pay you to rent a room but they're not allowed to make noise between 8am and 11am when most people are up and about. You need someone that works the same hours as your partner or you need to stop renting a room in your house. The kids being quiet means nothing, they're not paying rent like the lodger.

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814854#Comment_119814854

Yes, the room was not available until a certain date as we didn't have it finished yet and we gave him a bed for two weeks in my step daughters room as he was badly stuck at a reduced rate as he was desperate for a bed.

I know he pays, but you would think when somebody helps you out that you could give just a little bit back but lesson learnt.

Still stihl waters 3

Its not normal hours if the owner and other resident has laid out the rule that the hours are 11 to 11 for keeping the noise down due to 1 person doing shift work, the majority of the rest of the world may operate from I in the morning but the rules in this situation are 11 to 11 which the licencee knows about, it's just lack of respect if he carries on ignoring what is not a very unusual rule with someone working night shifts

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814878#Comment_119814878

If the television was a bit lower it wouldn't be a problem, the room is small, he has it up at about 20, there is just no need. I have offered to buy bluetooth headphones. I could be a right hag and take the tele off the wall lol.

I would certainly be a lot clearer on rules around morning noise next time around, pointless me being quiet in the morning for the benefits of others. My partner does not work nights all the time, I have the shift on view for the tenant to see along with the kids schedule so he knows when his girfriend can come over to stay without asking.

I have been too nice from the start with not enough clear rules lesson learnt!

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814917#Comment_119814917

Put the foot down, or ask them leave.

You've asked them to keep it quiet, you should have told them.

If you really need the dosh then get somebody else and outline the rules.

As somebody else mentioned, it's not a favour. You're getting money. Stop with the mammy attitude in future

rainbowtrout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814917#Comment_119814917

There's a pair of ye in it. Being up and about and living your life normally after 8am is a reasonable expectation in any house. Now he isn't playing ball by having the girlfriend on speakerphone, but you also can't expect him to tiptoe around the house until 11am each day. Having said that its your house, so your rules, if it's not working out ask him to leave.

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814951#Comment_119814951

Is now a bad time to say I do his washing too 🙈

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814954#Comment_119814954

He doesn't have to tip toe, he can shower cook etc but we are in the room next door there is no need to have the phone up full blast on speaker phone.

Or else take up the offer of a pair of decent headphones to be bought for you and use them for 1 or two hours in the morning.