Anti-social behaviour

Excessive noise in the neighbourhood you live can sometimes have an impact on your wellbeing.

No home is totally soundproof so everyone can expect a degree of noise from neighbours.

If you are being disturbed it may be because:

• The neighbours are behaving unreasonably. For example, playing loud music late at night or allowing their dog to bark all day.
• The neighbours are behaving normally, but the sound insulation in the floors and walls may not fully stop the sounds of everyday living, such as noise from doors banging occasionally, DIY and washing machines.

What noise nuisance in the house can be 

• Household chores
  Some household chores can be very noisy. Before you decide to do some vacuum cleaning or mowing the garden, stop and think about the time of day you are doing this work. Neighbours might not like to be disturbed by these noises in the early morning or late evening, especially if they have young children who may be in bed. Housework during the day would not necessarily be classed as noise nuisance.
• DIY
  Home maintenance is essential, but lots of DIY can be very noisy. Hammering, sanding, scraping and car maintenance can take their toll on neighbours and the rest of your household. Please consider your neighbours when you are carrying out work. Let them know if you plan to do anything that involves work on walls or floors that could be extremely noisy. Try to avoid drilling and making banging noises late at night and early in the morning.
• Children and / or babies
  We are not able to take action on noise from children playing during the day (unless it becomes anti-social behaviour) or babies crying. If you are worried about the safety of child, please report it.
• Dog barking
  Examples of excessive barking includes dogs constantly barking or regularly barking early in the morning or late at night.
• Loud music and parties
  If you are planning on playing loud music or having a party, make sure speakers are away from walls and floors, and keep the volume reasonable. Please think about the time of day when you are playing music and let your neighbours know sooner rather than later.
• Playing a musical instrument
  If you play a musical instrument and need to practice, think carefully where and when. If you tell your neighbours that you will be making a noise and agree what days and times will cause them least disturbance, you are less likely to have complaints.

Approaching your neighbour

If you feel you are able to, you can approach your neighbour to discuss the noise.

They might not realise they are disturbing you.

We understand some people may not feel comfortable doing this and would rather we investigate this and discuss it with your neighbour on your behalf.

How to report noise nuisance

If you report noise nuisance to us, we will take it seriously and take appropriate action to deal with the issue. 

You can report noise nuisance by calling our Contact Centre on 0300 123 6633.

A Housing Officer will then contact you and work with you to resolve the issue.

You may be asked to complete an incident log sheet. 

Our Good Neighbourhood Management Policy describes in more detail how we will support you if you have these sort of noise concerns.