Noise and nuisance

Unwanted noise can cause both stress and sleep disturbance. The most common noise complaints we investigate relate to:

Before making a complaint, it is recommended that you try to resolve the problem first by speaking to the person causing the nuisance.

The following list outlines some of the common complaints we cannot deal with:

household noise. For example, talking, slamming doors, walking/ running up and down stairs, children playing, flushing toilets and noise between flats where laminated floors have been installed.
anonymous complaints
noise from the street
normal use of appliances such as washing machines, hoovers, dishwashers
occasional or one off noise

A statutory nuisance is determined under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Key factors when investigating a nuisance:

there must be a significant interference with the enjoyment and use of the complainant’s property.
it must substantially affect the enjoyment of comfortable living, such as loss of sleep, interfering with conversation or watching television
the problem must normally be continuous or frequent. Isolated acts, unless extreme, would not be considered to be a nuisance. For example one- off parties
factors such as unusual shift patterns, medical conditions or other sensitivities of the complainant cannot be taken into account when we decide if a particular problem is causing a statutory nuisance

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