Cover all
the angles
Read more articles in: Blog, Dispute Resolution, Lorraine Walker
28 April 2026
Nothing leaves you getting up on the wrong side of the bed more than a noisy neighbour.
They might have kept you up all night with their garden party or maybe they decided to start a DIY project at 1 am.
You need to understand your legal rights so that you are empowered to resolve this frustrating situation.
Not every noise your neighbour makes is a problem and you should expect the occasional building work or music to go on a little too late.
Noise can cross into nuisance territory when it becomes excessive or occurs at unreasonable hours of the day.
Neighbour noise in the UK is generally considered to be too loud between 11 pm and 7 am.
The most common noise complaints are:
No matter what the cause is, you need to be clear on the process of putting it to a stop.
It might seem obvious, but you should go and talk to your neighbour before taking the matter any further.
You might find that they genuinely did not realise they were making noise outside the right hours or that it was causing a problem.
A conversation might not always be successful and your neighbour may continue with their excessive noise.
This is when you should keep a diary of the times, dates, the type of noise and how long it lasts as evidence.
It is also useful to collect an audio recording of the noise to further evidence its problematic nature.
The evidence you collect will be what backs your case if it goes further and you have to prove the noise is a recurring issue.
If the neighbour causing the noise is a tenant, you might be able to reach out to their landlord to step in.
Most tenancy agreements include clauses prohibiting nuisance or anti-social behaviour.
Reporting the issue to the landlord or managing agent can sometimes resolve the problem without having to take further action.
Some flats or leasehold properties see noise that goes over the acceptable levels as a breach of the lease.
You should get in touch with their freeholder or managing agent and request enforcement of the lease obligations to put a stop to the noise.
After the clock strikes 11 pm, your local council has some power to put an end to nuisances.
They can investigate the noise complaint under statutory nuisance rules and issue a noise abatement notice requiring the noise to stop if they deem it excessive.
You might have tried all these steps and it’s still not enough to turn down the noise.
This is where you’ll need to seek a solicitor, who can help you prepare and serve notices of intention to bring proceedings in the magistrates court.
Our team can assess whether your noise complaint counts as a legal nuisance, so you can understand your options.
We can advise you on each step of the process and help you put this issue to bed.
Don’t let the stress of noisy neighbours keep you up at night, speak to our team today.
