A legal expert has outlined your rights and clarified the “test” that must be satisfied if your neighbour is playing loud music before 11pm. Noise disputes are amongst the most frequent issues that can arise between neighbouring households, but thundering music late at night can be particularly infuriating – especially when you have an early start the following morning.
Understanding your rights in such a situation is not always clear-cut and can, at times, feel like a minefield. One widely-held belief is that there is nothing you can do before a certain hour. It has long been suggested that it is acceptable to make as much noise “as you like” throughout the day, so long as the volume is reduced by 11pm – however, this may not actually be the case; in fact, it is a “common misconception”.
Tom Janda, property partner at RFB Legal, who specialises in residential conveyancing, explained that the myth stems from the Noise Act 1996, a piece of legislation that grants councils enforcement powers between 11pm and 7am.
Speaking exclusively to us, Tom said: “The idea that you’re free to make as much noise as you like until 11pm is a common misconception. The 11pm rule comes from the Noise Act 1996, which gives councils greater enforcement powers between 11pm and 7am.”
“It doesn’t mean you have free rein to make as much noise as you want during the day. The test is whether the noise is unreasonable and substantially interferes with other people’s day-to-day lives.
“If you’re experiencing ongoing noise problems, it’s worth keeping a record of when it’s happening and reporting it to your local council.” He explained that councils have the power to measure noise levels and hand out fixed penalty notices.
