Landlords, complaints, neighbours - help please?

Bamboozled

Sorry for the length, I'd appreciate anyone reading through and offering some help to me though.

According to the Tenancy Act, tenants have the right to live in a peaceful environment.

I moved into an apartment block almost 6 months ago and since the very moment I moved in there has been a ridiculous amount of noise coming from the downstairs apartment. It has steadily been increasing, so much to the point that when they slam doors in their apartment, the floor and walls vibrate here in a way that my picture frames physically move and stuff falls off the table.

Everytime the downstairs couple make love I can hear her screams and can hear their bed moving on their wooden floor (all the apts have wooden floors). Its got to the stage where I'm very uncomfortable to even be present in my home.

Their music, TV and arguments are so loud we can make out the words clearly over the TV here.
If I even drop a pen or a dvd case, she will retaliate with slamming doors for half an hour with thumping music.

I've gone to the agency and asked them to do something about it, either have the landlord do something or say something to the couple themselves. Still the noise increases. We work a swap of dayshift and nightshift and its getting impossible to sleep anytime they're awake. We have to sleep when they do, which isn't ideal when we're on nightshift hours and have a 12-hour shift ahead, with a journey also.

I/We were told by the agency to approach them and if there's no satisfaction afterwards and the noise is still the same, they will then take action. The problem is I've already been attacked a few times in the town and am wary approaching someone - especially to complain. They have also almost hit me with their car in our carpark and have come face to face with me and my car while trying to get out of the car park and have nearly run me into the wall.

Since I've already approached the landlord through the agency numerous times and nothing has been done, can I take a complaint to the local authority without having to approach them personally first? Basically y question is - do I HAVE to approach them personally before action can be taken?

I'd appreciate any help. Its got to the stage where I'm too scared to drive the car for fear of falling asleep at the wheel - which is a stage way too far for it to have gone.

zervi2003

terrible problem.

Id advise you to visit www.threshold.ie and either ring them or call into one of their offices.

They might be able to give you advice.

Do you live in Cork by any chance?

Bamboozled

Thanks for the link.

And yeah I live in that large county - why?
Are you the one making all the noise?? Stop if you are please

Victor

A landlord is responsible to his neighbours for the behavior of his tenants.

Slamming your own doors shouldn't knock stuff off the table. Talk to Building Control in your local council.

Try to get some large rugs for the floor.

http://www.prtb.ie/

Bamboozled

Rugs are on the floor. Doesnt help my glass frames on the table though! All the apartments have heavy firedoors inside so closing them is noisy enough if you forget to hold them. I dunno how they're slamming them but i've not heard any other apartments have slamming doors like that. I've lived in apartments before and lived in ones with fire doors but have never come across people as noisy as this.

Even high heels at 4 am is getting on my goat.

Thanks Victor.

Victor

Fire doors are meant to have doors closers, that should stop them slamming .....

MorningStar

Victor wrote:

Fire doors are meant to have doors closers, that should stop them slamming .....

You can have fire door quality doors in a place but not required as a fire doors. This means no spring leaver required.

The truth is in an appartment block if you have a noisy neighbour there isn't much that can be done if they decide to keep it up. It's easy for them to say the sound is normal behaviour due to poor sound insulation. There is huge problems brewing in the council blocks because all the residents are tenants of the same landlord and all the neighbours are complaining about each other.

The best thing I can think of is set up a residents' comittee to try and address the problem as awhole. While it is one tenant causing the problem it is easier for it to get worse rather than fix itself.

I would think that you would have to talk to the tenants yourself before raising a complaint with the council.

zervi2003

Hahahahaha

No I dont think it is me - I live/rent on the top floor of an apartment complex - and we have carpet - we could be neighbours though!

Where I live is extemely noisy - the doors in the apartments are very "heavy" doors so if the neighbours on either side (or indeed below) closes the door, we can normaly hear it.

And dont talk to me about fire doors - they are the same type of heavy door as in the flats and are very noisy also.

Its my first time renting and to be honest, Ill never live between other apartments again - this has been an educational if not off putting experience of apartments!

One thing though - I am pretty sure that if you live in an upstairs flat/apartment, your landlord or who ever should not have wooden floors down for obvious noise reasons. Only ground floor flats as far as I understand can have wooden floors. I am not 100% sure on that but I remember someone in the property biz tellling me that at one stage. Apparently its some kind of building regulation.

Bamboozled

Oh thank god its not you zervi2003 . All 20 apartments have wooden floors. About the wooden floors though - I'm not surprised the upstairs apartments have wooden ones - these apartments were thrown together as I'm finding out more and more, the longer i live here. Secure parking gates - broken. Pedestrian gates - dont lock. Heating - broken for the 3rd time in 6 months, floors - lopsided, separating and bending, ceilings cracking, walls cracking, all lightbulbs blowing weekly - (same in communal area)... it doesnt stop and they're only built a year.

Dont let it put you off renting an apartment again though. Some people can live in apartments, some cant. The ones that can are usually the ones that had fathers on night shift growing up, thats what i've discovered from talking to people. I've lived in apartments before and never had any of the problems and I've lived in apartments with people below and above in a 3 story and never had a problem.

Other neighbours are beginning to complain about them we found out yesterday. We will be meeting up with them properly during the week due to work times and opposite shifts etc. One of them has a toddler and the child is the first child i've seen with black bags under their eyes. He looks miserable. My heart goes out to him and if only to cheer that poor little boy up, i want this meeting to happen to do something.

It seems that most of the occupants are young couples or young lads, which leads me to think that maybe this is their first home outside of their parents and they dont know how to show consideration to neighbours.

The thingie that stops the doors from slamming thats at the tops of the doors are going the same way as the apartments - not working well obviously. Some of the doors inside such as utilities and bathrooms are just heavy doors without closing mechanisms but bedrooms, kitchen, living room and sitting room have closing things.

Morning star, read my first post again as to why i will not approach them.

Falling apart... just falling apart - both me and the apartment block!

thanks for all the suggestions anyway guys.

I have phone numbers and emails to give to the other neighbours when we meet up again thanks to you.

the_syco

Hmmmph. After reading this, and other threads, I'm less likely to take any sh|t if I ever move into an apartment.

I wish you the best of luck. Also, if the entire block goes to the landlord, you have a greater chance, as its not just "one apartment" compaining, its "one apartment" being the problem.

skywalker_208

Easy resolution - dont live in an apartment! i would never live in one again!

but on a more serious note - threshold will give you all the info you need. you shouldnt have to face these people... thats the landlords job, or the agency you are dealing with...

zervi2003

Hey Skywalker,

I dont want to sound sour about this (plate of milk please) but I dont like the "Easy resolution-dont live in an apartment!" comment - especially as some of us here have actual problems - not really a resolution now is it while someone is still living in the problem area.

People who have problems with things dont need to hear this kind of advice or comment.

Bamboozled

skywalker_208 wrote:

Easy resolution - dont live in an apartment! i would never live in one again!

I've lived in apartmentS before and never had a problem. Hence me moving into another.
Unfortunately our meeting was postpone
Still, at least I had the sense to keep a record. I'm now considering breaking my lease contract as I've had about 15 hours sleep in the past week - and i'm not a light sleeper. It would take a bomb to move me and I dont even budge during thunder storms or building (lived next to a building site at one stage).

Anyway guys, thanks.

LegacyUser

Bamboozled wrote:

I've lived in apartmentS before and never had a problem. Hence me moving into another.
Unfortunately our meeting was postpone
Still, at least I had the sense to keep a record. I'm now considering breaking my lease contract as I've had about 15 hours sleep in the past week - and i'm not a light sleeper. It would take a bomb to move me and I dont even budge during thunder storms or building (lived next to a building site at one stage).

Anyway guys, thanks.

Terrible situation to be in and that the people causing the noise sound a little on the childish side.

Bamboozled

They sound a lot more noisy than childish ( I might as well find some humour in the situation otherwise i'd cry!)

A prelim meeting was today with our neighbours and they've also submitted complaints about the noise, they're suffering worse than us with retailiation getting down to their doorbells being rang at early hours more than a couple of times.. Its not fair considering there are young kids and babies around. We'll be having a further meeting towards the end of the week, but as they've complained and gotten no satisfaction so far, they're considering moving also (like me) as soon as possible.

homeOwner

Ohmygod that sounds terrible. Is your landlord not helping you out? You should complain in writing to him/her and have them contact their management company to find out who owns that apartment and then they should be able to appeal to the owners for some help. YOu shouldnt have to put up with that. After complaining in writing surely you are allowed to break your contract for something as severe as you have put up with. that is outrageous.

good luck

Bamboozled

Nope, we havent heard a word back from the landlord, and he's their landlord too. Discovered a crack in my wall today too coming from their place. F:mad:ks sake.
It may be stating the obvious but that "put it in writing" busines was something we, as zombies without sleep, didnt think of. Thanks.

I've been dragging boxes down from the attic in the hopes of getting out of here.

MorningStar

Bamboozled wrote:

Nope, we havent heard a word back from the landlord, and he's their landlord too. Discovered a crack in my wall today too coming from their place. F:mad:ks sake.

I didn't realise he was their landlord too. Just move out you will never get it sorted out. It doesn't matter if you are right or not. Point out the crack to the landlord and maybe he will change his mind but he could blame you.

annR

Surely if you and the other residents band together, the landlord will have to ask them to move out.
Talk to as many people as you can about it. Someone told me yesterday that the local authority polices the Dept of Environment regulations which cover noise levels.

>>I/We were told by the agency to approach them and if there's no satisfaction afterwards and the noise is still the same, they will then take action. The problem is I've already been attacked a few times in the town and am wary approaching someone - especially to complain. They have also almost hit me with their car in our carpark and have come face to face with me and my car while trying to get out of the car park and have nearly run me into the wall.<<

That's very very worrying. If you put an note through their door asking them to stop, or a note from the other residents as a group - that would qualify as approaching them personally but you wouldn't have to talk to them yourself.

If anyone threatens you please go to the Gardai, not that I've any experience with these things.

LegacyUser

Damn, thats a LOT of hassel, and I'd say your paying top dollar for the rent too. When it gets to the stage when you don't enjoy being in your own home, then its time to move on. If your landlord isn't listening (probably just happy to pocket the money and not have to get involved in what he/she believes to be 'civil') then when you lease is up try to find somewhere else.

I've house-shared with a few messy people (dishes piled high with fungus growing on them - using the dishes for ashtrays etc) .. wasn't happy so I cleared out. I really do sympathise with you becuase it a bloomin pain in the neck moving - especially when driven to it - but it might be for the best in this circumstance to just bite the bullet and 'go west' laddy ..

zervi2003

Bamboozled - did you go to or ring the Threshold place yet? I think you should be doing so immediately if its a case of now not being able to contact your landlord.

Bring the landlord's number and your contract - I guarantee you they will ring the landlord for you and they will know exactly what to say to him regarding this.

As for moving out, you know you are entitled to get your deposit back? even if you break your contract. The only way a landlord can hold your deposit is if it is a case of you broke something and have to pay.

Nearly all landlords will tell you "You know, if you move out during your contract, you loose your deposit". That is not correct. Only in the case that it is explicitly stated in your contract and I bet it isnt in yours (as most contracts dont).

Z

homeOwner

My sister had a bit of a similar problem with the neighbour next door, loud noise from 1am-6am most nights, threatening behaviour when she asked him to turn down music, notes in letter box were ignored etc.... But she got no help from the police (its a civil matter apparently) and no help from the management company because the owner of the apartment next door had not given a contact address to them. It was obvious that the tennant (who was renting a 3 bed duplex by himself, was driving a brand new BMW and appeared to have no job), had some sort of dodgy source of money. Beautiful looking eastern european women were always staying there and partaking in these all night parties. There was a constant stream of people in and out of the apartment. I have a fair idea what was going on but in the end anyway, according to gossip around the complex, he left suddenly owing 2 months rent and a 2K ESB bill. From the letters in his mailbox there were 4 people living there all with the same initials and the place was trashed.

Move out before the situation gets any worse!

Bamboozled

zervi2003 wrote:

Bamboozled - did you go to or ring the Threshold place yet? I think you should be doing so immediately if its a case of now not being able to contact your landlord.

We were goign to wait until we met up with the other neighbours but at this stage its gone too far. Its hard to get us together because there's day shift, nightshift and 9-5'ers. We're spending today getting all info ready, as i've recorded the worst on the days its happened.

Bring the landlord's number and your contract - I guarantee you they will ring the landlord for you and they will know exactly what to say to him regarding this.

We cant get the landlords number. We deal with an agency and yesterday while trying to get his number off them, they nearly fell over with shock as they wanted to know why. They claimed to be the first point of contact and that they couldnt give us that information.

We dont believe the landlord has heard half of whats going on. I dont believe the agency has said anything to him a lot of the time. I dont believe they've said anything to their other tennants either.

We have invited the agency folks up to view the damage as there's another crack above the door after appearing and we dont want to be held responsible for it. The agency dont seem to get it that the tennants that were there before them caused no hassle, no structural damage. All electrics in the communal hallway between us and them are now gone thanks to the cracks causing leaks.

bubby wrote:

then when you lease is up try to find somewhere else.

Its not up til january 2006. Thats why we want it sorted because we cant continue like this and we dont want to break a contract. If it comes to it we will though.

Anyway thanks guys. I've a busy day ahead of me collecting records.

zervi2003

Ok - change all references above from landlord to agency (i.e - get threshold to ring agency instead - you dont all need to go in either).

iguana

All private landlords must register their details with the PRTB, private residents tenancies board. Contact them and you should be able to find out who your landlord is. If the agency isn't dealing with your complaint effectively you have a right to get through to your landlord.

In fact if the property is becoming damaged, I'm sure your landlord will want to know.

http://www.prtb.ie/
thehttp://www.oasis.gov.ie/housing/renting_a_flat_or_house/private_residential_tenancies_board.html

lomb

iguana wrote:

All private landlords must register their details with the PRTB, private residents tenancies board. C

http://www.prtb.ie/
thehttp://www.oasis.gov.ie/housing/renting_a_flat_or_house/private_residential_tenancies_board.html

wrong, under the rent a room scheme u dont have to register at all. from a landlords point of view many only rent rooms

stag39

lomb
Quote>>
wrong, under the rent a room scheme u dont have to register at all. from a landlords point of view many only rent rooms >Quote

So lomb u a landlord then??

sorry to hear about ur plight Bamboozled..wouldn't wish it on anyone

as this is not a rent a room scheme the previous advice from iguana still stands and say to the PRTB that u need the landlords number for complaint purposes..

and to hell with agency, shower of wasters, all they are interested in is collecting money from the landlords! and also afraid of loosing the contract to a better agency, for not doing a good job of looking after the landlords best interest..

hope everything for u guys gets sorted out sharpish.

niall

Bamboozled

We had to fill in forms and give our PPS numbers so i would assume that the landlod is registered.

The agency wont come look at the damage. They say its up to the landlord to inspect the damage. I dont even think they've told him. I've taken photos anyway with time stamps and a date so it'll go in with the records.

According to some dude that came to fix the hallway (communal between us and them), the flashing (think thats what he called it, i dont know about these things) has come away from the wall and is causing leaks into the electrical circuits. The emergency exits sign which is always supposed to be lit even if power goes, is full of water. He said it was probably caused by slamming the entrance door to the hallway.

These apartments were completely chucked together. Gah.