Noisy Neighbours

Noise from neighbours can be irritating, annoying or at worse, very disturbing. Everyone has a right to reasonable enjoyment of their home and garden.

Local authorities have a number of powers to deal with noise. The main legislation is that relating to statutory nuisance in Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990

Noise from neighbours is a common source of nuisance and can originate from barking dogs, loud music, machinery, construction, DIY activities, alarms and transport.

Please note that some neighbour noises, such as from children, raised voices, footsteps, doors being closed etc, cannot normally be dealt with under the Environmental Protection Act, as this is often an indication of poor sound insulation or may constitute everyday living. Also, the council has no enforcement powers to remedy complaints of noise caused by aircraft, road traffic and trains.

Remember that no house or flat is totally soundproof - everyone can expect some noise from neighbours. Environmental Health consider that each resident can reasonably expect:

• not to have their nights sleep disturbed by noise;
• to be protected from significant loss of amenities due to noise;
• to have suitable trained staff where necessary to assess nuisance;
• not to hear excessive noise from someone else, in their property on a regular basis.

It is a fact of life that the sounds we all make every day, although acceptable to us, are likely to be unwanted by someone else. One person's music is another person's noise.

Excessive noise can reduce the quality of life and, in some extreme cases, can even destroy it completely.

The Environmental Protection team receives over 1000 complaints of noise each year, the vast majority of which are dealt with informally.

Where we assess that a noise coming from a person or property is unreasonable and is causing a noise nuisance we have a duty to serve an abatement notice requiring the person to eliminate the 'unwanted noise'.

Failure to comply with the notice is likely to lead to a fine of up to £5000 and/or seizure of all noise making equipment and accessories (e.g. hi-fi's and CD's).

For further information, advice or if you believe that someone is being unreasonable and causing a noise nuisance please contact a member of the Environmental Health section by email, telephone on 01843 577580, or by filling in a request for service form and returning it to us.

If your neighbour is a Council tenant the complaint will be investigated by the housing estates office as causing nuisance is against the tenancy agreement.

Download our Do's and Don'ts Guide to Noise.(122kb PDF)

More information about using pdf file.

Environmental Health

E-mail:

environmental.health
@thanet.gov.uk 

Tel: 01843 577580

Fax: 01843 290906