‘I tried bold methods to stop neighbours having loud sex but they won’t work’

A woman who is at her wits’ end over her neighbours’ loud antics has tried three methods to get them to stop being so noisy in the bedroom – but nothing she does seems to work

Being a good neighbour is all about having compassion for those who live next door. Most of us would agree that you should be free to do whatever you like within the confines of your own home – but if you don’t want your neighbours to hate you, then spare them a thought before you start making a lot of noise.

Noise complaints are one of the biggest issues between neighbours, and they can be more prevalent if you live in a block of flats, especially if you have upstairs or downstairs neighbours that aren’t an issue in regular housing. One woman on social media is at her wits’ end with the noise her upstairs neighbours have been making – because it’s not your typical DIY noises or even loud music blaring out.

Instead, what her neighbours have been doing is much worse to listen to. They’ve been having “loud sex” multiple times a week at all hours of the day – and it’s been severely impacting the woman’s mental health.

The 24-year-old shared a post on Reddit in which she said she and her 26-year-old husband are “so done” with their neighbours’ loud antics. They have had to listen to them have sex four times in the past couple of weeks – both late at night and during the day.

She wrote: “This is getting out of hand. THEY are so loud. She moans, he moans. You can hear their bed banging as well. My phone can easily record the sounds. I’m so done. I have huge anxiety now in my own house. Every time they do it, I get really shaky and angry. I don’t have anger issues, but now I do apparently.”

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

The woman has tried everything to get them to stop, including sending them a strongly worded letter and even going to ring their doorbell while they were in the middle of the act.

She added: “I have tried a note, doesn’t work. I hit the ceiling with a broom, doesn’t work. I scream loudly that they should stop, and they keep fucking going. I banged on their door and hit the doorbell a few times, and ran away as well. They KEPT GOING!!”

The next step for the disgruntled couple is for the woman’s husband to “confront” the neighbours if they do it again. While it may seem drastic, they have run out of ideas for how to get them to stop without actually talking to them.

However, commenters on the post were surprisingly against the woman and her husband. Some called for her to “go to therapy” for her anxiety and “buy earplugs” to block out the noises from her neighbours.

However, one person who defended her said: “I had new neighbours, and there was this low vibration that kept me awake, and my dog reacted to it too. When we moved, I sometimes heard it in this building too. But my nervous system calmed down and now I am not so sensitive anymore.”

What is the law on noise complaints?

The UK has specific laws that address noise complaints that take place after 11pm. The Noise Act 1996 states that “night hours” are 11pm to 7am, and councils have the authority to issue warning notices if noise exceeds permitted levels during this time.

The acceptable noise levels are:

• 34 dBA (decibels adjusted) if the background noise level is no more than 24 dBA
• 10 dBA above the background noise level if it exceeds 24 dBA.

Once a warning has been issued, if tenants fail to comply, the council has the authority to issue a fixed penalty notice, with fines ranging from £110 for dwellings and £500 for licensed premises. If the tenant still doesn’t comply, further action can be taken, including prosecution, which can lead to fines of up to £1,000 for dwellings.

If your neighbour is constantly making too much noise, Law Hive suggests documenting evidence of the noise. You should first talk to your neighbour to try to resolve the issue, but if this fails, you should then take your evidence to the local authorities.