I rent a flat on third level and right below at the other side of the fence construction kicked off. It will last for one year at least, they are constructing a new building. Everyday noise is unbearable from 7am to 5pm.
Do I have any grounds to ask for rent decrease and if yes which percentage off the rent would you ask for?
I considered moving but finding new place, new flatmates and moving would take too much effort and money.
Thanks.
IMHO you can try, but the owner is in no obligation to comply. Definitely worth asking though.
Earmuffs then… my 2cents…
Everyday noise is unbearable from 7am to 5pm.
Worth checking with your local council about these hours, they seem a little excessive for major construction noise in a residential area.
That said, earplugs/earphones as already noted would be my suggestion too…
And you'll be forever cleaning the dust and dirt from your unit…
But no chance on a decrease. The owner is not being negligent, not are they depriving you of anything you're paying your rent for. And the assumption is that most people are up and going to work during those hours anyway, so you will make no difference to the construction noise / hours.
Having gone through it before however, once the foundations are dug, then it quietens down a lot…. Then the only noise is when they're banging new scaffolding into place once every few weeks.
You have no grounds from the landlord on which to seek compensation or reduced rent as he is not the cause of the noise. Whilst you can question the levels of noise, if they are too loud. Though id bet on the builders having permits to build and thus to make noise during normal work hours.
Your likely choices are to suck it up or move.
While the owner is not directly causing it, the final effects are that I dont enjoy peace and quiet nor clean air. I think these two conditions are a minimal prerequisite for suitability of any residential area. Also, think about it, if I move who would rent out a flat directly 10 meters above a construction site?
Assumption is wrong, one flatmate works night shifts and cant sleep and another one is a student and stays in. Also all the others working business hours are woken up at 7am instead of 8am, a significant one hour earlier! Even worse, can`t sleep in on weekends!
The owner also needs to spend a significant amount in painting the walls (bathroom and toilet walls dark due to humidity), ceilings in the flat (wet spots - it is the top level flat) and replace the entrance door (damaged in the middle - I did not insist on fixing it when I moved in), plus advertising and waiting for a new tenant which might be long and in the end he would have to decrease the price anyway plus bear the costs. Just decreasing the cost 50 dollars per week works out to be around 5K for two years which I think is way less than he would lose if I move out plus he would keep me who always pays rent on time and never makes any problems (including being quite tolerant with non-repairs of non-essential flat features) and stayed in the flat for longer than 2,5 years.
I will ask for a decrease through an agent and hear what he says.
PS Earplugs don`t help, it is literally 10 meters right above the site.
You live in a unit in a city. Goes with the territory.
But please let us know how the conversation with the RE agent pans out.
So unless one lives in the outback and owns hectares of land one does not have right to piece and quiet and clean air (without dust)?
Even then a mining operation might kick off.
Correct.
I have started to also look for a new place. As time goes by staying in seems to be less and less acceptable. According to council construction is allowed 7am to 8pm on all days except Sunday when it starts one hour later at 8am.
There was no notification whatsoever about it and no board with the details of the project either. It`s like wild west! They just started demolishing out of the blue. When council does any public works they announce it a month in advance, how can this be acceptable? Everything is allowed to people who have money obviously!
i find that hard to believe. many da approvals can be found on the council's website or by calling them. this sounds like a major project. building without council approval is risky and stupid.
How many residents regularly check the councils website? Arent they supposed to inform us directly or the Hitchiker`s guide to galaxy situation is justified according to you (announcing it in an obscure location which no one ever checks out)?
it makes no difference. you can't stop them from building if they have a da. your only option is to move.
It makes a BIG difference, if they only sent a letter at least a month in advance (and for a one year construction project below my window I think it would be reasonable to expect a two months notice) I would have had enough time to look for alternative accommodation. Now I am forced to move out and take whatever I can get.
who is to say that they didn't give notice?
i got a notice for a building work two weeks ago. it looked just like any other junk mail.
the occupant
1 address st
sydney nsw 2000
it was the only letter in letterbox and i would've chucked it out if it came bundled with other junk mail.
not receiving one could be true, but it's t late for that now.
I check mail every single evening after work and morning on weekends and due to having flatmates I thoroughly check every single letter.
Yes, it is late, but does that mean that it is justified and fair to put me in a position like this?
ok, i'll go along.
how can this situation be resolved to your liking? what do you want the landlord, council, developer, etc to do?
It is not only me, it is a residential block of around 30 apartments and I am one of the three apartments which are most exposed of all.
If the law is that the developer was supposed to notify us of the construction X days before it starts and he failed to do so, than the construction has to be postponed for X days.
Council to make sure that the developer directly notifies all the relevant stakeholders about this life-impact change in defined amount of time prior OR notifies them themselves directly.
Landlord to consider the proposal to reduce the rent and if decides not to, take upon himself the likely possibility of losing a lot of rent and signing up for a few costs.
Wear noise-cancelling headphones.
http://www.cnet.com/au/topics/headphones/best-headphones/noi…