Home » Anti-social behaviour (ASB) » ASB toolkit » Noise Nuisance

Noise nuisance

Noise can impact different people in different ways. What is quiet and reasonable to one person may be experienced as overwhelming by someone else. For this reason, individual circumstances may impact how Lifestone responds to reports of noise nuisance.

There will always be some noise to be heard when living in a home, particularly in a block of flats or a house that is terraced or semi-detached. You should expect to experience some normal day-to-day living noises like babies crying or people walking up and down stairs. You should also expect one-off or rare instances of unsociable noise.

We will step in when the noise is particularly loud, unreasonably frequent, or happening at unsociable hours. If someone is coming home very loudly at 3am, slamming doors, shouting and swearing, then that would not be acceptable.

We class unsociable hours as between 11pm-7am.

If noise is unreasonable and affecting someone’s life, this is known as “statutory noise nuisance”. Statutory noise nuisance can be so serious that the local authority will prosecute it as a criminal offence.

If you are experiencing noise nuisance from a neighbour, please talk to them to let them know how you are being affected.

What you can do

Contact us for help and advice on the options available to you.
Use the ASB App to record the noise you are experiencing and create an incident log. We can review the recordings and investigate further if appropriate. This will help us to understand the frequency and pattern of any noise you are experiencing.
If you are unable to access the ASB App, you can request ASB Incident Log Sheets from us by emailing ContactUs@lifestone.co.uk or calling 0300 303 1010. Please make sure you include as much information as possible such as the date and time of the noise, the volume, duration and type of noise you are hearing. Also, explain how it is affecting you.
Give us your permission to speak to your neighbour about the reports of noise you have made.
Participate in any joint conversation or mediation if offered.
Assist us by continuing to keep us updated on what is happening and providing further reports if the noise does not stop.
Make sure you also report the noise to the Environmental Health team of your local authority (as well as notifying Lifestone).
If the noise happens out of hours, you can contact your local authority’s Noise team who will be able to provide advice and assistance.
If the noise is happening in association with other types of ASB or criminal activity, you should report this to the police (as well as Lifestone) and provide Lifestone with any police reference numbers so that we can follow up and investigate.

What we can do

Investigate the information you provide and assess whether it is a statutory noise nuisance.
We can talk to your neighbour on your behalf if you have already tried speaking to your neighbour
We can send a letter to your neighbour explaining the issue and asking them to adjust their behaviour.
Sometimes it is better to talk these things out, so we might invite you and your neighbour to be part of a guided conversation about the issue (sometimes called mediation) to find a resolution everyone is happy with.
Work with the police if reports have been made to them.
If any support needs are identified, we can work with other agencies that might help to reduce the noise nuisance or the impact it has.
Use Acceptable Behaviour Agreements to help people take responsibility for their behaviour and make changes to reduce the noise.
In more serious cases, we can take tenancy enforcement action that can include applying to court for an injunction or seeking possession in the very worst cases where the perpetrator shows no signs of stopping.

What other agencies can do

Local authorities can serve a Noise Abatement Notice where they have enough evidence.
If the noise persists after a Noise Abatement Notice has been served, the local authority can bring a prosecution for statutory noise nuisance where they have enough evidence.
The local authority can use its powers under the statutory nuisance legislation to forcibly remove speakers, stereos, TVs, amplifiers and other noise-making equipment.
If you live in a home that is managed by another managing agent, they may be able to take enforcement action against the perpetrator. Lifestone will be able to tell you if that is the case for your home.

Share This Page