Noisy Neighbours with kid screaming at a Unit complex

We have recently moved into a unit in a complex comprised of 6 units and the worst nightmare has come true: the noisy neighbours coupled with their little kid screaming. We have now developed a mental disorder as we cannot sleep properly and during our sleep, there is always a fear that the noise may come at any time.

1/ At anytime of the day, the kid will go outside onto the driveway or on the balcony on the first floor and starts yelling or sometime screaming for his mom and dad (It was like MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM).
2/ That is not the end (obviously), he and his mom treat the driveway, which is right in front of our bedroom and his playground and they often play together and inevitably, laugh together in a very loud manner as if there is no other living in the complex.
3/ To make it worse, their neighbours, which are likely to be their friends often join the fun and together, making it like a kindergarten, right in front of our bedroom.
4/ Now for the worst, the adults often chit chat over the balconies right above our bedroom really loudly and because they live on the first floor, if there is anyone on the ground floor (the driveway) wanting to talk to the one on the first floor, they will yell out.

Those happen at anytime during the day from 8am-9pm and we can hear the noise at a full volume from our bedroom.

To brief you guys about the location, the complex comprised of 6 units. Our is the one on the ground floor and our bedroom faces the driveway. There is a balcony in between the bedroom and the driveway. Their units are of the exact same location and same setting but are directly above ours and next to each other (so the balconies are directly above our balconies and next to each other).

Please give us a hint as to what we can do. We have talked to them in several occasions and they keep making empty promises.

P.s. we rent and they rent as well

Comments

  • +25

    Stalk them and work out a time they sleep. Then do the same to them. After a few months they would leave. This makes you the winner

    • +9

      This is a good idea, they usually go to sleep early (and that is why the noise stops at around 9pm). Any suggestion as to how to annoy them, we dont have kids and dont have enough man power to make the same level of noise

      • +13

        You have to tap into the imagination of that kid.

        Broom sticks and tap the ceiling during odd times. Not constantly but randomly between nights. Later scratching sounds of all types. Play them.

        All types of sounds..

        After a while they would leave.

        Only do this as a last resort

        • +5

          Noise can be effective- here are some ideas:

          MP3s of a dog (or any legal pet) making a racket every time you go out. Make a habit of going out for dinner or movie around 8:45pm and playing it loud when you do.

          Don't use music- the police can be called against you. However talkback radio travels well at low volumes (especially when it runs all night while you wear earplugs).

          Smells can be very helpful too:
          Are they below you? Dribble prawn juice onto their balcony or door mat every now and then, or down the wall… it'll smell really bad but you can clean it with a hose when they leave.

        • @zerovelocity:

          Prawn juice in the car vents you mean..

      • +20

        Any suggestion as to how to annoy them, we dont have kids and dont have enough man power to make the same level of noise

        You'll need an amplifier, a subwoofer and a signal generator (a modern keyboard, synthesiser or computer will also work).

        Since you're below them you should be able to cause their floor to vibrate noticeably once you find a resonant frequency, try from 10–100 Hz. You'll know you've found one when you can hear their picture frames and even crockery rattling. Give them a few blasts between 9 PM and 11 PM as needed.

        You could even try some Morse code:

        – –   – – –   · · · –   ·       – – –   · · –   –

        • +38

          – –   – – –   · · · –   ·       – – –   · · –   –

          MOVE OUT

        • +3

          If you buy a really powerful sub, you could even resonate the building to destruction :)

        • -1

          @seanmurphy1994: Hehe yeah, make the ground shake.

          Combined with 40mins of 120db loud domination-sex every night, how long could anyone withstand the pressure? They'd be calling the cops in no time, but the police won't turn up for half an hour after any such call (they'd have no desire to be there in time to knock on anyone's door before it's over).

          Every now and again, do it at other random times, just for the lulz. Esp. good will be the 3:30am ones.

          After a while they'll not only be strung-out and frustrated, but will feel like prudes and move out.

      • +5

        Do like my neighbours kids do and dribble a basket ball around or kick a soccer ball against a wall repeatedly

        • Bang the doors, bang kitchen cabinets…. make lots of noise in the kitchen (like trowing cheap pans to the floor, etc.

        • -1

          @Colombian:

          I thought you'd suggest a Medellin cartel contract to get rid of them

        • -1

          @jenkemjunkie:

          Just a small bit of bigoted casual racism…

        • @Crowdedthehouse

          Wanna fight about it wuero?

      • +1

        I would play constant mosquito noises so they spend heaps of time chasing an imaginary mosquito.

        • This wouldn't go through the walls/floor and would be annoying in your own apartment

    • +12

      Record their voice. And play it 10 times as loud back at them at midnight. IT doesn't arouse suspicion because it's their voice.

  • Ear-plugs?

  • +9

    Noise is allowed between those hours, so council probably won't help. I guess there would be a bylaw saying that everyone should have peace and quiet. Maybe approach some of the other residents and see if they have a problem?

    Could talk to the people they rent through and ask them to approach them?

    Have you talked to the parents to see if they realise there is a problem?

    • +1

      Thanks for your advice. Neighbours would not help. Of the 6 units, there are 4 that can be heavily affected as the other 2 are far off. Of these 4, 2 are upstairs and are the culprits. We are one of the other 2 on the ground floor and last one is unoccupied at the moment.

    • +18

      Common misconception. There are no time limits, and excessive noise can be reported at any time.

      In this case, it's appears to be quite reasonable, even if it annoys the OP, so complaining will likely not do anything other than make the OP look like a whingeing old bastard.

  • +44

    Boohoo? Heaven forbid children playing outside and with family AND friends..Plus making noise while they're at it..gasp

    • +22

      I thought the same at the first time but consider that it is the common driveway in the first place and that our bedroom (and others bedroom as well) faces right there. As a result, the noise can be heard fully and very disturbing

      • +15

        Do you work nights and sleep during the day? If not I can't see what the issue is. People make noise during the day, maybe if you try to be friends with them you'll become a noisy neighbour too.

        • +10

          You really can't see an issue with a kid screaming his lungs out randomly during the day and ruining your peace and quiet?

        • +1

          @Iggemo: if it was night time then it would be different but this sounds like it's day time and at the back of their house. The OP seems to be overreacting as well saying it's causing them mental issues due to lack of sleep, if they stop making noise at 9pm and start again in the morning then that is enough time to get some sleep.

        • @onetwothree: overreacting? My g/f lived below a couple that stomped and drpped things and made loud noises during the day every single day, and she was already an anxious person, it totally made her way more anxious and depressed. If you can't see how someone being noisy all the time in your ear isn't an issue, im sorry you're that small minded. You realise at Guantanamo Bay one of the torture devices the americans used on captives was playing loud music all the time, right? It's noise torture. Torture. But i suppose you would say that's perfectly fine provided it wasn't after 10 pm at night?

        • +4

          @Iggemo:

          Absolutely not. They live in a 6 unit complex, there is going to be noise. I understand that at times it is excessive but honestly having lived in units with and without kids, there will always be noises that ruin your peace and quiet.

        • +3

          @Iggemo: hahaha comparing it to torture, now I think it's you who is overreacting.

        • +1

          @onetwothree: Nice strawman construction. I was not comparing this situation to torture as you very well no. I was telling you noise can be damaging and cause mental health. Did you forget you suggested OP is overreacting to suggest his mental health is suffering due to the predicament?

        • +3

          @onetwothree: Spoken like someone who has never ran into this problem. You may think you're an almighty tolerant person, but I can assure you that there is a family on this earth that would break you if you became their neighbors.

        • +3

          @TeanaciousTom: I'm not saying that noise cannot be annoying I'm just saying that the way the OP has explained it doesn't seem so bad. Kids playing outside during the day and adults having fun and being quiet at night.

        • +1

          @Iggemo:

          Have to agree. What is it with parents just letting their kids scream out? Once in a while because they hurt themselves or due to emergency eg fire understandable.

          But for it to be on a daily occurance for slightly older kids. Just do something. Teach your kids some discipline.

    • +1

      We had a group of kids playing ball sports in the lawn in front of the apartment block. I have had to stop them for three reasons. One of them manage to break a window of the next door apartment right by this lawn area.

      The second reason is this lawn area is by the road and had seen kids run into the road. So the danger of one of them getting run over.

      Lastly one of the kids i actually seen one of the kids climb into my balcony to retrieve a ball. So if they happen to hurt themselves guess who cops a please explain when i had nothing to do with it.

      And to top it off there is a park not far from my apartment complex which is perfectly fine for said kids to run around, play sport and be noisy as they like.

      • +10

        There is also a park nearby the complex. They just decide that it is more convenient to have their kid play right outside of their house…on a driveway

        • +8

          They just decide that it is more convenient to have their kid play right outside of their house…on a driveway

          If only I'd known that playing on my driveway as a child was annoying so many overly-sensitive neighbours - I would have done it more.

        • +3

          @johnno07: I understand your point of view but this is really different if your bedroom faces directly the driveway. Just imagine someone standing right in front of your bedroom door having a party or playground there. You cant just do anything that requires a reasonable level of quietness

        • +2

          @shinichiduy: My bedroom is over the driveway, kids play in the street at the top of my driveway. The sky has not fallen yet, Henny Penny.

        • +1

          Is this your driveway, or a communal one? Parking your car in their "play space" rather than your garage for a while might help.

        • -2

          @woolfenstein:

          We get it, you have an infatuation with parking and hate kids, now go back under you rock.

          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/252396/comments

        • @dandandan: I've been waiting for an opportunity to say: "I'm kind of a big deal on a fairly irrelevant social media site that falsely inflates my ego."

          Thanks!

          Furthermore, would you allow your neighbours children to play in your front yard, on your driveway? This is basically the same thing. Most people would not, as aside from noise pollution and privacy issues, there are also liability issues if anyone is injured on your property.

        • @woolfenstein:

          It a shared unit complex and common property! have another go at another analogy.

  • +25

    I don't think there is much you can do. From what you are saying, the times they are making noise are not unreasonable.
    Unfortunately that is one of the downfalls of living in units.

    • +4

      I think the fact that it happens when people are generally awake, during the day time, when there is all other types of noise, makes it even more reasonable.

      I personally think OP is too sensitive and needs to realise if they move into a unit complex where you live on top of each other, you must accept a lower level of amenity and peace and quiet.

  • +4

    Thought I was having deja-vu until I realized this thread was a little different from this. I didn't know every person's worst nightmare was having rowdy neighbours..

    but the same answers still apply. You can formally write a notice, do everything you can do to warn your neighbours, but the police don't handle such matters, and it is up to the strata management to take any action.

    You can see this comment and see if the given solution works

    find out who your strata is and contact them.

  • +7

    Get a motorbike and be more annoying.

    • +9

      …they do have a motorbike and it sometime annoys me in the morning when it starts the engine. I guess they have reached the expert level of annoying

      • +1

        Is there anything about them that doesn't annoy you? May be find that as a common ground/interest to make them friend and then tell them what annoys you.

    • +6

      Get a motorbike and be more annoying.

      Or a drum kit.

      • +3

        Learn bagpipes, but only learn enough so that you can play them badly.

        • +3

          There's a difference!?

  • +10

    …We have now developed a mental disorder …

    a doctor has actually said that?

    • -5

      Not yet but it is more likely than not :(

      • +25

        Hypochondria.

      • +12

        A mental disorder is a deadly serious thing, if true go to a doctor.
        Being upset about neighbours and lack of sleep is nor a mental disorder.

    • +4

      Sleep deprivation is not a mental disorder. If it were, we'd all be 'fixed' by a bit of extra sleep and psychiatric clinics would not need to exist just give each patient a soft pillow and snugly blanket.

    • I think 'we' in the OP and subsequent posts refers to the OP's multiple personalities. Caused by some kids playing in their shared driveway.

  • +2

    Record their loud yelling/conversations and play them back loudly the next time they disturb you ;-)

    This suggestion by Erkel could also work…

    • +11

      Kids are more sensitive to hearing, so if you want to torment the kids but leave the adults clueless as to what it is, you need a high pitched sound:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tBI-T2SQgQ

      • +2

        Hahaha - I wouldn't wanna be a noisy neighbour living next to you…

      • Doesn't work through walls/floors

  • +30

    By the way, it's spelt M-U-M.

    You're welcome.

    • +5

      Maybe they are US neighbours? ;-)

      • OP:

        screaming for his mom and dad

        he and his mom treat the driveway,

    • +1

      This bugged me too.

  • +2

    Those happen at anytime during the day from 8am-9pm and we can hear the noise at a full volume from our bedroom.

    Do you guys work night shifts? Or do you just like to sleep in? ;-)

    • We are uni students, haha

      • +15

        I used to live above a daycare centre a few years ago, before kids. It annoyed me at times. Now, 2 kids later, 7:30am would be sleeping in for me and I get annoyed by loud movies from neighbours at 10pm. It's funny how your routine and perspective changes over time (and I now wish I had a daycare centre downstairs, that would be super convenient!).

      • +2

        Sounds like it's time to cash in on all those "optional" lectures you decided not to go to, or at least make use of the Uni libraries and Internet.

        I seem recall my lecturers always saying 10 hours of study per course per week.

        Maybe you'll be thanking this kid for saving your GPA in a couple months?

      • +2

        Uni students that can't spell mum

        • Either that or uni students who should correct the neighbour's kids pronunciation of mum.

  • +5

    Record the disturbances, speak to your landlord and your tenancy authority, and start looking for somewhere quieter.

    • +1

      We recorded a log of the time of the noise using a template from the council and sent it off together with the complaint to the agent. He only replied confirming the receipt and that's it. The noise still continued ever since.

      We still have 6 month left on our lease unless there is a way to get out of it early without any compensation. Any suggestions?

      • +3

        Call your state rental authority. Perhaps you could claim that it's an unsuitable dwelling for civilised living based on the lack of privacy

        • +1

          Thanks for your help. We will try this first thing tomorrow.

        • +3

          @shinichiduy: Please report back. Good to know if anything would come from that. Highly doubt it, though, ffs

        • -6

          @shinichiduy: Hahahaha good luck with that! The more people you complain to about this, the more people you have laughing at you. I really would love to see their response to this - if they could even be bothered.

  • +2

    I have neighbours that have an annoying dog with an extremely loud aggressive bark. I punish them with hours of music loud enough not to hear the dog barking, it's not ideal but **** them, they ain't controlling their property so have some of mine.

    • +1

      A dog owner once got up me for standing on the street causing their dog to bark continuously. They think you're the ahole.

      • +2

        I would do the same if you were loitering out the front of my place annoying my dog.

        @Diji1 isn't egging on the dog, it sounds like the dog is just genuinely barking at nothing and being annoying like some dogs do.

        • +4

          Heh, obviously you've never had to stand on the street to get mobile reception. It's the owner's job to control their pet

        • @tomkun01: I'm with Telstra so i get pretty good coverage until the network fails every once in a while.

          That's actually not entirely true. Depends a lot on the Council. Our council allows dogs to bark to a reasonable level (it's something like 10mins continuous every hour) during the day. The rules are probably tighter in Sydney. There is a law about domestic pets but it is sufficiently vague with respect to noise that each council has a different definition.

          Keeping the dog under control is different to controlling the dog. You can't fully control a dog, they have minds of their own. I can keep him under control on a lead but no one ever has full control of a dog. They are living & breathing and have minds of their own.

          My dog came with all sorts of mental issues since it's a pound dog and he's already middle aged. His issues are far more deep seated then simply being a case of training them out. Some dogs even get medicated for anxiety.

          I do my best to keep his barking under wraps but at the end of day he is a dog, they bark, that's how they talk.

        • @alm865: they can't bark continuously at night. Council rules

      • -7

        If you are standing on the street outside someone's house, then it is the dog's job to bark. And yes, you would be the ahole in this situation.

        • +2

          Hmmm, no sorry.

          People can stand where they want in a public location. The side walk is a public location. If people choose to buy a dog that yaps at people standing outside, that's their problem.

          You can't really restrict the freedom of movement of people in a public space.

        • @misterpotatomato: Why would someone stand outside someone's house while the person's dog is barking at them? That is just plain crazy. If you were hanging around out the front of my place for any length of time, it would be highly suspicious and I would come out and question your motives. Dogs protect their property and that is the reason why people with dogs have a lot less break ins. If some moron is standing out the front of my place causing my dogs to bark, they better have a damn good reason for being there.

        • +1

          @dogboy: a good guard dog will bark if someone is trying to enter their property - not if someone walks by their property imo.

          dogs that feel the need to bark on sight/smell of a stranger are not gaurd dogs, just poorly trained dogs.

          Theres this one house that i walk by and i swear the dog is so vicious and loud it almost gives me a heart attack when i dont remember its 'that house'. Funny thing is if their garage fence is open and the dog has access to the footpath, it doesnt bark - wheres the logic in that

    • +2

      I punish them with hours of music loud enough not to hear the dog barking,

      You're going about that the wrong way.

      Try this: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/3752184/redir

    • which is very different to a kid playing during normal awake hours.

  • +6

    Ive had this problem before, as you are below them, you can seriously cause them problems. Get some drums, and at around 11pm, go all out for about 30 mins. Or get some loud speakers and play horror movies late at night. Sooner or later they will get so pissed off they confront you. Then you tell em, now you know how it feels and slam the door in their face. If they dont change their behavior then its tit for tat.

    • +7

      If your joking that's fine.

      If you think your suggestion is serious, then you have an mental issues.

      Fistly, buying a drum kit/speakers costs money, and particularly when it's not proven to work. What do you mean go all out 11pm? chances are that Op needs to be asleep by then, so playing loud music internally is defeating the purpose of the external nuisance.

    • +1

      That's pointless and would make it worse.
      Other neighbours would then complain about OP.

      How about OP approaches the neighbours.

      But seriously it's during the day, on common property, in an apartment complex.

      I know people who complain about hearing people TALK from next door when living in an apartment. Seriously you live in an apartment, it's cheaper for a reason, if you want silence, buy a house and make it sound proof or move to the country.

  • +30

    Since you are a uni student, tell them to keep it quiet for the next few days as you are studying for exams.

    If they seem to make an attempt to quiet down, give the kids a few small chocolate bars and tell them you appreciate the lessened noise.

    Next time they are noisy, just politely ask them to keep it down and they might do so in the hope of getting some chocolates. Kids will remember you for the chocolate.

    For some reason, ozbargainers like to suggest to 'fight back' and vandalise, although sometimes that can make things worse.

    • +5

      give the kids a few small chocolate bars

      Yeeesss. Untainted unadulterated "chocolate bars". >:)

    • and hope they are not allergic to chocolate?

      • Or peanuts

      • Or hope they are allergic to chocolate.. and slowly make them sick/poison them with time… :D

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