Avoiding Noise Nuisance Guidance - EPS33E

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Noise from domestic activities, use of domestic appliances and the keeping of pets can cause problems of noise and disturb your neighbours. This page gives some simple precautions you can take in your home to avoid causing a nuisance and to minimise the impact of noise.

Music and Entertainment

• Noise from these sources is the most frequently complained about. With music and entertainment noise, one person's pleasure can be pain for someone else!
• To avoid annoyance - or worse, follow these simple rules:
• Keep the volume down - whether it's a TV, car stereo or conversation - especially at night or early morning
• Place speakers away from partition walls, floors or ceilings. Standing speakers on an insulating material can reduce transmission of sound
• If you are having a party, inform your neighbours and even consider inviting them around! Keep windows and doors closed, and if someone complains, turn it down
• With personal entertainment, for example toys and computer games - be considerate, keep the volume down. Avoid using them in the same room where someone is watching TV or listening to the radio. Turning up the volume to drown out the TV may disturb your neighbours
• If you play your own music, keep the volume down, close the windows and agree times to practice when you will cause the least disturbance

Domestic Appliances

We use more and more appliances to help us with the housework and they can be very noisy. Where you locate them and when you use them can make all the difference.

• Make sure washing machines, fridges and dishwashers are away from party walls and on a carpet or mat to reduce vibration - especially if you live in a flat.
• Use noisy appliances at sensible times - during normal working hours. Hoovering in the early hours, when everything else is quiet is likely to disturb your neighbours and prevent them from sleeping.
• Consider those at home. Would shutting doors before using a hoover or food processor avoid the need for others in the house to turn up the TV or music.
• When buying a new appliance, consider the low noise option. Some products, such as vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, washing machines etc have a noise rating. If they haven't - ask why

Pets

If pets are well cared for and happy, they shouldn't make too much noise

• Dogs bark if lonely, bored or unhappy. If you have to leave them, get a neighbour to look after them or visit
• Cats make noise too - howling and fighting at night. If your cat is annoying the neighbours, keep it inside
• Many pets have the potential to cause noise. Ensure they are kept healthy and happy.  Locate cages/kennels etc where they are least likely to disturb your neighbours - and you!

Maintenance and DIY

We all need to do DIY and maintenance work from time to time to maintain and improve our homes. However, this can be very noisy.

• Do noisy jobs and operate noisy equipment when it will cause least disturbance to your neighbours. Avoid working when they are trying to sleep or enjoy a quiet night in
• If you are doing something really noisy e.g. floor sanding or drilling in party walls - let your neighbours know beforehand and they are far less likely to complain
• Where possible, carry out noisy outdoor jobs in the garage or shed
• If you carry out car or other repairs outside, do this in a place and at a time where it will cause least disturbance
• If you are employing builders, agree working times with them that will not annoy the neighbours - or you!

Your Home

The construction and layout of your home can cause problems within your and your neighbour's property.

• Avoid slamming doors and stamping up and down stairs, especially if you live in a flat or terraced house
• When considering options for flooring, be considerate. Many leases prohibit stripped floors and hard surfaces - for good reason!
• If you have stripped or laminate flooring, take off heavy shoes and boots. Socks or slippers will reduce noise
• If installing laminated flooring, make sure you use sound insulating underlay
• Sounds travel between walls so be aware of what's next door. If you can, avoid having noisy rooms like the kitchen or living room adjacent to quiet spaces like the bedroom or study

Your Garden

Our gardens are a place to relax - with a little consideration we can keep them peaceful.

• Power tools in the garden should be used with discretion - avoid strimming or shredding when your neighbours are trying to relax in the sunshine.
• Think before installing features in your garden that make a noise - the splashing fountain or tinkling chimes might soothe you on a sunny afternoon but could drive your neighbours mad at night.
• When entertaining in the garden, remember that sound travels. Avoid amplified music outdoors.

Alarms

Alarms can be the most disturbing of all noises - that's what they are for!

• If you have a house or car alarm, leave a key with a neighbour or friend in case it is accidentally set off
• Register the key holders with the local authority to ensure problems can be dealt with if you are out or away
• Make sure smoke alarms are correctly sited, so they don't go off every time you burn toast. In the kitchen it is better to fit a heat detector

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