A problem at home...

I live in a flat in a quiet residential area... low rise, so only 3 levels, ground, 1st and 2nd floors...


I live on the 1dt floor, and it's been lovely for the first 3 years... until a selfish twat moved into the flat above me about a year ago... and it's been ruining my life...


Started off with her building furniture and doing other DIY at around 11.00pm til gone midnight... moving shit about all over the place on her floor (my ceiling)... when I have to be getting sleep as I'm up at 6.00am in the morning...


I tried to ignore it at first... but after a few times... I snapped... and went up there and knocked on the door to ask her to stop the noise... only for her to try to have a go at me for daring to object... her words were "What...? So you expect me to live without a wardrobe...!?"...


Then I had water pissing in through my bathroom ceiling... obviously a leak from her bathroom was the cause... so I went up to tell her about it and ask her to sort it out... I said "sorry to bother you but I've got water dripping quite bad through my bathroom ceiling, you must have a leak, can you sort it out please"... and her reply, along with the look at me with complete contempt was... "well, I can't see no water!"...


It took over a week of suffering with getting rained on while I was trying to have a shit, and several phone calls to the block management and council, for her to finally bother to do something about it...


And now over the last couple of months... she has started with another load of bollocks... it's nice and quiet all night up til about 11.00pm... but then she starts stomping around up there on my ceiling, loudly opening and closing doors and draws etc...and this goes on for at least a couple of hours, and sometimes even up until 1.30 or even 2.30 in the morning... when I'm trying to sleep so I can get up for work at 6.00am and earn some money...!


There have been numerous days where I have not been able to go to work because of the sleep deprevation she is causing me... which is not only costing me a big chunk of money every time, as I'm quite well paid but self employed, meaning that if I don't get in to work then I don't get paid at all that day... but it is even costing me jobs where I am told that I'm not needed anymore cos I've had too many days off and I'm too unreliable!!!



What am I supposed to do in this situation...?


Its driving me mad!!!

The stomping about has been going on til now... and I'm still awake... 1.10am...


Got to be up at 6.00am...

Tommy she's obviously doing this out of spite and sheer nastiness.

Contact the council and tell them of this. They must act surely as this is blatant disruption to your life. If not call the police and ask them to talk to her, that might be enough to silence her.

Good luck.

Tommy Monk wrote:The stomping about has been going on til now... and I'm still awake... 1.10am...


Got to be up at 6.00am...

Record the noise level from your flat and contact the council

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/noise-nuisance-and-neighbours

Get your phone, take pictures.  Record sounds.  Then go to the landlord.

You might involve the police on threat of a nuisance charge, but mostly their attitude is We've got bigger fish...

Civil action if it gets bad enough?

Once I had a neighbor who complained incessantly that I was stomping around. It was at a time I was usually asleep.

I looked into it and it turned out to be the hot water system. When it gets bubbles in the line, they go thump, thump, thump as they hit the valve.

Ask the council to look into the system.

Here in Oz :

In a rented flat or apartment, the first report should be to the building's management;   or, with a rented house, to the landlord or managing real estate agent..

If you owned the flat/apartment/unit, after complaining to the neighbour, next call would be to the block's "body corporate" (i.e. the owners' association..).

If the flat is rented/leased --  does the lease cover such things as noise, water leaks, etc.;  and if so, does it cover dispute & complaint procedures  ?

Tommy, I sympathise with you so much. I lived in a private flat with OH and young son for the first 5 years of our marriage. The first 4 years were great, then nightmare neighbours moved in below us and made our life hell.
It ended up in a court case and was all over the local papers at the time.....something I would never wish on my worst enemy.

Re your situation, I would speak again to the woman and tell her you are losing sleep and money because of her actions and if she carries on making noise after 11pm you will have no choice but to report her to the landlord...that might work.
If not like has been said, complain to landlord in writing, record any phone conversations if you can, and record noise and list times of all the unsociable things she is doing.
The council can come round and assess  noise levels. If you live in a council run property you do have more rights than if you live in a privately owned residence.

One of the drawbacks of living in a block of flats is unfortunately not everyone behaves in a rational/normal way.

Good luck.

All the block people would say is that you should make a diary of all the events and try to gather footage on video or sound recording...


But the stomping around and draws/doors opening and closing, isn't loud enough to be a real noise issue like loud music would be... but a real bloody annoyance and disruption to sleep...


There aren't any laws against her walking about in her flat and looking in her cupboards etc... so it's all a bit difficult to get anything done about it...


But... what I did do... after I managed to get up thismorning after 4 hours sleep... was make a bloody lot of noise myself!!!


Banging cupboard and other doors bloody hard... and I turned my bedroom clock radio on bloody loud on the talk sport radio channel and left it going all day today!!!

Tommy Monk wrote:All the block people would say is that you should make a diary of all the events and try to gather footage on video or sound recording...


But the stomping around and draws/doors opening and closing, isn't loud enough to be a real noise issue like loud music would be... but a real bloody annoyance and disruption to sleep...


There aren't any laws against her walking about in her flat and looking in her cupboards etc... so it's all a bit difficult to get anything done about it...


But... what I did do... after I managed to get up thismorning after 4 hours sleep... was make a bloody lot of noise myself!!!


Banging cupboard and other doors bloody hard... and I turned my bedroom clock radio on bloody loud on the talk sport radio channel and left it going all day today!!!

The other alternative is to invest in some ear plugs, so you can get some sleep

Tommy Monk wrote:All the block people would say is that you should make a diary of all the events and try to gather footage on video or sound recording...


But the stomping around and draws/doors opening and closing, isn't loud enough to be a real noise issue like loud music would be... but a real bloody annoyance and disruption to sleep...


There aren't any laws against her walking about in her flat and looking in her cupboards etc... so it's all a bit difficult to get anything done about it...


But... what I did do... after I managed to get up thismorning after 4 hours sleep... was make a bloody lot of noise myself!!!


Banging cupboard and other doors bloody hard... and I turned my bedroom clock radio on bloody loud on the talk sport radio channel and left it going all day today!!!

Meh...not much satisfaction in revenge, innit?

But some good advice: Keep notes: date/time; take pictures; record noises...all evidence you'll need to make your case somewhere.

If you contact your Council, [and keep at 'em] they will send round a person with recording equipment and set it up for you, you have to record for one week and keep notes !

Thor wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:All the block people would say is that you should make a diary of all the events and try to gather footage on video or sound recording...


But the stomping around and draws/doors opening and closing, isn't loud enough to be a real noise issue like loud music would be... but a real bloody annoyance and disruption to sleep...


There aren't any laws against her walking about in her flat and looking in her cupboards etc... so it's all a bit difficult to get anything done about it...


But... what I did do... after I managed to get up thismorning after 4 hours sleep... was make a bloody lot of noise myself!!!


Banging cupboard and other doors bloody hard... and I turned my bedroom clock radio on bloody loud on the talk sport radio channel and left it going all day today!!!

The other alternative is to invest in some ear plugs, so you can get some sleep

genius! have a green


even better, tommy put in some ear phones connnected up to some soothing music or whatever and you should be able to drown her out

gelico wrote:

Thor wrote:


The other alternative is to invest in some ear plugs, so you can get some sleep

genius!   have a green


even better, tommy put in some ear phones connnected up to some soothing music or whatever and you should be able to drown her out

Thanks and like your idea better with soothing music, so have a green too

nicko wrote:If you contact your Council, [and keep at 'em]  they will send round a person with recording equipment and set it up for you, you have to record for one week and keep notes !

Xlnt idea. ^

Tommy Monk wrote:All the block people would say is that you should make a diary of all the events and try to gather footage on video or sound recording...


But the stomping around and draws/doors opening and closing, isn't loud enough to be a real noise issue like loud music would be... but a real bloody annoyance and disruption to sleep...


There aren't any laws against her walking about in her flat and looking in her cupboards etc... so it's all a bit difficult to get anything done about it...


But... what I did do... after I managed to get up thismorning after 4 hours sleep... was make a bloody lot of noise myself!!!


Banging cupboard and other doors bloody hard... and I turned my bedroom clock radio on bloody loud on the talk sport radio channel and left it going all day today!!!

Thought of trying some ear plugs but they don't stop all sound, just lessen most sound a bit, plus thought they would be just an alternative distraction as the feel of them would be a new sort of noticeable discomfort etc...


Earphones I tried but I normally sleep on my side so again was uncomfortable, as well as music being another new distraction, plus woke up at other times with the leads tangled up round my face etc...


I thought of just plugging a small fan in to provide a bit of light but constant background noise to drown out any other external sounds while being a sort of constant inert sound that I could quickly get used to hearing and tuning in to etc... I have heard this can be a really good solution... but the only fan I had was an old one and didn't work any more...


But... funnily enough... after my own noisy start to thismorning and my leaving my clock radio on loud all day... there hasn't been the usual stomping about or noisy draw/cupboard/doors opening and slamming going on...


Although I've not been relaxed enough to actually feel like going to bed to try to sleep so far as I've still been a bit on edge with anticipation of the usual shit starting to happen at any moment... and this is after only getting about 4 hrs kip last night and only 5 the night before... so obviously properly tired, still not been able enjoy a proper nights sleep... so gonna be even more fukked in the morning when my alarm starts going at 6.00am...


It shows how much this shit has been getting to me that it doesn't really even matter if there is the noise or not any more... but just the anticipation of the bullshit starting to go on has become enough of a disruption to me to stop me being able to relax enough at home after work and feel able to crash out and sleep at a sensible time so as to be able to get up for work again in the mornings...


And I've not wanted to resort to any vindictive tactic of being really loud and overly noisy in the morning as a type of revenge attack for her being a twat the night before... at least so far... because I have too much respect for the rest of my neighbours, and I don't want to inflict such disruption on all of them just so I can take out some revenge on the twat upstairs... but... I did have a good go thismorning... and it seems to have done the trick so far...!

Good luck Tom .

Sounds to me like this person's impossible to reason with, and you may just have to fight fire with fire. Find out when she sleeps and turn the tables on her.

Tommy Monk wrote:

I live in a flat in a quiet residential area... low rise, so only 3 levels, ground, 1st and 2nd floors...


I live on the 1dt floor, and it's been lovely for the first 3 years... until a selfish twat moved into the flat above me about a year ago... and it's been ruining my life...


Started off with her building furniture and doing other DIY at around 11.00pm til gone midnight... moving shit about all over the place on her floor (my ceiling)... when I have to be getting sleep as I'm up at 6.00am in the morning...


I tried to ignore it at first... but after a few times... I snapped... and went up there and knocked on the door to ask her to stop the noise... only for her to try to have a go at me for daring to object... her words were "What...? So you expect me to live without a wardrobe...!?"...


Then I had water pissing in through my bathroom ceiling... obviously a leak from her bathroom was the cause... so I went up to tell her about it and ask her to sort it out... I said "sorry to bother you but I've got water dripping quite bad through my bathroom ceiling, you must have a leak, can you sort it out please"... and her reply, along with the look at me with complete contempt was... "well, I can't see no water!"...


It took over a week of suffering with getting rained on while I was trying to have a shit, and several phone calls to the block management and council, for her to finally bother to do something about it...


And now over the last couple of months... she has started with another load of bollocks... it's nice and quiet all night up til about 11.00pm... but then she starts stomping around up there on my ceiling, loudly opening and closing doors and draws etc...and this goes on for at least a couple of hours, and sometimes even up until 1.30 or even 2.30 in the morning... when I'm trying to sleep so I can get up for work at 6.00am and earn some money...!


There have been numerous days where I have not been able to go to work because of the sleep deprevation she is causing me... which is not only costing me a big chunk of money every time, as I'm quite well paid but self employed, meaning that if I don't get in to work then I don't get paid at all that day... but it is even costing me jobs where I am told that I'm not needed anymore cos I've had too many days off and I'm too unreliable!!!



What am I supposed to do in this situation...?


Its driving me mad!!!

Get a Brass Band CD and play it full throttle when you know she's sleeping. If your neighbours knock on to complain, blame her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOhTLe2-zlg


you can find a whole load of these which are designed to help you sleep - never mind waking up with earplugs on your face. as long as you sleep shouldn't matter

fan is a really good idea as it's just a constant hum at one pitch and should be easy to fall asleep to.

**brass band CD**

brilliant!!!!

and tommy you mentioned that earphones are uncomfortable cos you sleep on your side

just to clarify i was talking about the little ones you stick inside your ears not the big old over your head ear muff style ones

i dont get why the little ones would be uncomfortable although they can fall out of course unless you ram a bit of foam in as well

I know what you mean Tommy about not being able to relax even when it's quiet because you are anticipating it all starting again.
IF she has stopped her midnight activities you will gradually get used to not waiting for it all to start over again.

Do other neighbours hear her banging about? If they do you could always get a petition started about her anti social behaviour, I did this when I had a problem many moons ago, and it did help me in court.

I dont go along with the fight fire with fire method, you will only upset everyone else and possibly make her act even worse than she does now.

The final and most drastic solution is to move.... sometimes that's price you have to pay for peace so it may be worth it.

gelico wrote:

and tommy you mentioned that earphones are uncomfortable cos you sleep on your side

just to clarify i was talking about the little ones you stick inside your ears not the big old over your head ear muff style ones

i dont get why the little ones would be uncomfortable although they can fall out of course unless you ram a bit of foam in as well

There is another alternative Gelico

He could start dating a woman with large breasts. They could act not only as comfort pillows, but help muffle out any noise.

I think this woman could be perfect for Tommy



https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/white-model-martina-big-unveils-13946820



Sorry, Tommy could not resist

or this one

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/chesty-morgan?sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=chesty%20morgan

Lord Foul wrote:or this one

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/chesty-morgan?sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=chesty%20morgan

Yes geli, the little plug in earphones, bit uncomfortable and just woke me up a bit later with them being tangled round my head...


I much prefer didges suggestion!!!

Tommy Monk wrote:Yes geli, the little plug in earphones, bit uncomfortable and just woke me up a bit later with them being tangled round my head...


I much prefer didges suggestion!!!

Thanks for all your suggestions guys...!


And even bigger thanks for caring...!

Tommy invest in one of these for 'targeted acoustic attacks'  
if you don't want to annoy your other neighbors
just attach to your ceiling point up. find some low frequency tracks (like elephant infra-sound calls) if you really want to mess with them


You got to watch for a bit while he moves the mic around, the sound difference is pretty incredible

Amasing technology there Veya. Though, am sure it would piss me off as much how it responds to noise lol

Kind of self defeating to be honest in my opinion

I’d get up well early and blast some music - speakers as loud as they go - and fuck off out for the day.