What can I say/do about my Polish neighbours in the UK?

Im British and yes had problems with neighbours in past that were foreign (don't want to sound racist as had bad British neighbours as well too!)

Current living in council property and the upstairs neighbours have children, one of them comes across as being different (trying to not offend anyone) lovely child though is very hyper, cries a lot of the night, wakes up 6am and I get on average 6 hours a day of noise sometimes 9 not including evening noise which isn't that common.

The most annoying things is he runs about very heavily, more so than a regular child and sounds like he is intentionally knocking over furniture as he does loud laughter afterwards, and when bored sounds like he is slamming toys into walls and jumping up and down on floor, it is so bad that pictures have fallen off the wall, and even light fell out of socket once.

This has been ongoing since day one but I tolerated it apart from random flare ups now and again which angered me but never complained but always intended to make a polite comment but didn't want to offend and as a single person was a bit worried as they have friends round often as backup.

For past 10 days though noise has been intolerable, Thursday woken yp 6am by constant kid knocking things like furniture over, laughing, then ADULTS laughter, this contintued to 9am and I am off work due to accident and medication makes me sickly so need all sleep I can get, then hours of noise in every room.

This very night I was in bed by midnight and kept awake till 3am by tv on loud enough I could hear every word on it and a few voices laughing at it.

Let me tell you we have thick fire doors in each room here as its council homes and they are thick enough that even with my surround sound tv on I can't hear it in any other room, not that I have it excessive loud but its loud enough you would hear it loud if thin walls.

For one im guessing in Poland you have family/friends round at easter for a week or two? Second want to know way to speak to them to neither offend them or make them agressive.

Hope no one is offended by my comments.

Knock on the door and complain. If they don't stop it or quieten down go to the council and complain about them. You don't pay rent to live like that, everyone has rights.

First of all, I am assuming you are 100% certain that they are Polish (otherwise you wouldn't be posting on a Polish forum) ?

Secondly, do not treat them any differently to any other nuisance neighbour. Speak to them politely in the first instance. If it carries on then contact the Council. They will probably tell you to keep a record of the instances.

Start keeping evidence of noise levels (get them recorded) times, dates, people. Go to them and ask politely to stop. Then follow this up with a polite letter s you have evidence. Keep records of everything. Go to the council. They have a dedicated team to resolve these matters.

You were given loads of advice on other threads you started about this, but you don't seem to want to take any. I can't see that starting a new thread about the same problem is likely to result in a different outcome.

To the person above I started one thread two years ago and I have only lived here a few months ago so how can I get advice from that when this is a different situation?

to the others yes I know they are Polish, I am worried about speaking to them being a single person who is vulnerable.

I get on with other tenants of building that are Polish so was hoping to speak to one of them as they would know the tenants better.

The other part was about tolerance, I was also worried if the child does have something like a disability they will accuse me of being cruel and hateful when I have my own disabilities.

But I also asked this to see if in Poland people had family over for Easter.

I am not sure why you are posting here. Their nationality has nothing to do with anything.
Keep a diary, report to the council ...the usual stuff.

Nationality has to do with for one language barrier, and two as I have said twice I was asking if in Poland people had guests round for Easter I hope its clear now.

That and I didn't want to do anything that may be insulting to someone from Poland to them which may be ok in UK especially with the said language barrier.

Agreed Roz. Their nationality is by the by.

@Ryouga, you could try the council (as Roz says, diarise everything) and you could always try the Noise Abatement Society who advise on such matters. I'd add though that "knocking things like furniture over" and "running about" are normal enough behaviour, especially if your neighbours are a family of kids. You can't expect a family to be as quiet as an elderly nun.

I note that you also claimed in an earlier thread to have issues with your previous neighbours (also a family from Poland) and I suspect strongly that if anyone has a problem neighbour it is the people who have the misfortune to live next door to you.

There are certain basic things that will apply in this situation too. One of those is to keep a diary of the disturbances.


Easter is a big festival in Poland and yes, it's quite common for people to visit family. So it could be a very noisy weekend ahead.


That's understandable. But you'll have to do something otherwise nothing will change. If you don't want to to talk to them yourself then your only other choice is the council. Your best option really is to do as others have advised and keep a diary - do that for about a month. Then go to the council and explain about the disturbances and tell them how long it's been going on but that you've just started keeping the diary recently.

You mentioned in a previous thread that you're autistic. People with autism can sometimes come across as a bit overly direct/blunt and their manner can appear rather abrupt. If you're worried that may be the case and that the people at the council may think you're odd or 'difficult' it might be a good idea to see if you can get somebody to go along with you for a bit of support. The National Autistic Society has a helpline which can give you details of local support services in your area wherever you may be:

autism.org.uk/services/helplines/main/how.aspx

So make a plan and then carry it out step by step. You will feel a little better knowing that you are actively doing something instead of just worrying about it and make sure that you are accessing any support services available to you. Good luck.

Jon that last part of response seems a little rude., at my last property I had a "neighbour" who didn't even live in same building but was related to family below bring his dog round before shift work. one fortnight I was woken between 1-6am every night sometimes 2 or 3 times, OTHER tenants in building complained but when confronted he got agressive and claimed racism and then he said he had a right to use our garden as he cut a corner (which he put his bbq on and rubbish) so he could use whole garden then went on about "lazy Brittish", 2 tenants in my building moved out due to HIS noise another drove lorries so away long periods and when he was home he complained about the neighbours noise so no its not me that has a problem.

Then a new family moved in and they complained about him, in fact I now moved in and friends moved into my old property and they complain about his noise, in the end when I was there I gave up and we just said hello to each other when saw us, apart from one time when it was 1-3am dog barking every night and got council involved and it stopped, he told council he was bringing dog round before work and he had a right to which is specifically why I want to be careful now even more so as currently have a broken hand so in a lot of pain so if it gets heated will be bad for me.

And I don't expect people to be silent, its a common misconception I instead want to avoid extreme noise right now I was kept awake to 3am then 7am onwards I heard kids, its not fair for that to happen as common sense should mean they realise they have neighbours, I can tolerate things like kids laughing, kids playing but only to a point, especially when they have a 2 bedroom flat and choose to have kids in one room letting off steam, I have in the past had double noise parents in living room sounding drunk or at least merry, and kids in both bedrooms creating noise so no peace, I literally mean hours upon end of noise not a single noise, silence for up to hour, another noise as the kid I think is different seems to smash toys into wall one time for 2 hours straight then cried a lot.

So 2 hours straight of slamming toys into wall!

Thats not same as kids getting excited.

Roz I was worried going to council will anger them more as they would feel I am petty by not speaking to them first and feels like a last resort.

But I still don't know what to say when contronting them, I will be of course angry but don't want to be walked over I want to say "hello how are you? I live downstairs and don't want to be rude but thought I would mention I hear a lot of noise from here, I was kept awake to 3am last night by loud tv, and woken most mornings at 6am by kids playing for hours"

But then im prepared for them to say "that never happens" or "you are exaggerating"

Ryouga, such things are often irritating but nevertheless part of normal life. I have a new downstairs neighbour. My old neighbour, a semi-retired surgeon who I never heard a sound from and have rare but polite contact with has moved into a smaller flat in the building and has been replaced by a couple with teenage sons who behave exactly as a family do. There's noise, slamming doors, one of the kids has a karaoke machine, loud arguments and a barking dog. The opposite of my previous neighbour. If it really annoys me (for example singing on Sunday morning) I bang on the floor and it stops. Otherwise I just ignore it; things like this are usual in apartments and families are often noisy. If I hated living near others and couldn't stand being near a boisterous family, I'd move into 'over-50s' accommodation, or buy a detached house or move to a desert island.

If however your neighbours are truly anti-social (I used to have neighbours here in Warsaw who shagged loudly all night and had a headboard that banged on the wall - the woman was a screamer too) then either raise it with them (this doesn't usually do much) or take some steps. These steps could involve the council, the Noise Abatement Society or whoever owns the freehold to your building. A good first step is your local councillor's surgery.

You'll never have total silence though, especially in a flat (is it social housing?) and it does seem that you spend a certain amount of mental energy on scrutinising your neighbours' every action.

Too late to edit - @Ryouga, have a look at this website and forum, called 'neighbours from hell' : nfh.org.uk/forums/

People share stories there - some of them extreme and some mundane. It may help to put your own experience into perspective as well as being a source of practical advice.

That is the point, the child I do hear screaming sometimes and slamming sounds often, and the ones last week weren't normal ones it sounded like they were knocking over large items of furniture.

Its hard to tell if they are anti social, don't know(though that is unlikely) or think that having a special child means they have a free pass to make noise.

And they slam doors here, and despire thick fire doors in every room I can hear them shouting across same room to each other (not in anger but everyday noise) why shout that loud!

Yes its social housing, I am on ground floor, normally I tolerate music as they play it at back of flat in the small bedroom and I sleep in big bedroom but it is there as well from like 6am so no matter what room I sleep in I will have some extreme noise.

I am a tolerant person, thats why I get agitated when its all take take take and lack of care for surroundings.

I would make a diary but kept forgetting at last place mostly as if it happened during night was half asleep, and during day as its random can't check but will attempt.

Its hard to write about their actions without seeming to be racist which is why I am trying to be careful, I have tried saying hello and try and start a conversation when seeing them in hallway but they never smile and say nothing back just stare so I am unsure if its them being tired, rude, or language barrier.

Your Housing Association (or whoever provides the flat) should be your first point of contact. They will intervene if the noise levels are above what they consider acceptable. No need to mention the nationality of your neighbour - it simply isn't relevant. If you get no joy there, have a word with your local councillor at their surgery.

Did you have a look at the neighbours from hell forum? Some interesting stuff there.

Your other thread started off as a different set of neighbour problems, but you also said noise was a factor and people then gave you the same advice that people here now are doing.


Exactly, part and parcel of living in flats unfortunately. You have to expect a certain amount of noise, but if it is excessive then the OP should report it to the council.


Fire doors are required by law these days, but this doesn't necessarily mean that the walls are as thick as they are. I live in an old Victorian property with thick walls, but I can still here my neighbours. Only soundproofing is going to cut noise significantly.

They sound hearing impaired to me.

No worries, You're not the first Brit to come here with these kind of problems.
There`s been plenty of threads from the British complaining how the Poles are ruining their county.

I wonder if this has contributed to BREXIT?



He sounds like typical ignorant immigrant!

Why don't you call the Police?

You can get arrested in the US for "disturbing the peace".


No, I seen this behavior before, they don't believe or follows rules, no respect for anyone or your country at all!

Keep calling the police, there has to be some kind of noise ordinance.

Too bad you don't have immigration enforcement police in the EU.

Most of these idiots are Illegal in the US and fear the police being called on them, so they have to act semi-civilized.

Frankly, the Polish people in the UK are the least of our worries. Stop trying to stir the pot.

Another American with no connection to Poland trying to stir up tension in Europe. What's the game here?

"Greenhorns" nearly anywhere abroad, are bound to bring many of their foreign ways to bear on the host culture! Surely no culture has a monopoly either on dirtiness, cleanliness, loudness, quietness etc., therefore, the behaviors of non-native neighbors inside a majority society must be weighed within the scope of relative consideration.

Whereas in a number of the Scandinavian countries, it is felt to be uncouth as well as annoying, to have people congregating in the street, speaking at the top of their lungs in a foreign tongue, even in English, for that matter:-) On the other hand, in many Arab-speaking countries, this is a most normal, everyday occurrence, barely worthy of comment, certainly not complaint.

My advice to try tolerance in the case of noisy foreign neighbors, and if all else fails, possibly type an anonymous note stating the nature of the complaint, firmly yet friendly, and simply tape it in the lift for everyone to see.

The"offender" just may take notice and voila, problem solved:-)

I know there is a huge Muslim problem in the UK and many other European countries.
they will slam or ban you on this PC forum for talking about it.

Powodzenia!!

Actually, I have found the forum to be open to lively debate about the problems of multiculturism and Islamifcation but isn't this topic veering away from the original point ?

The police will do nothing about noisy children, slamming doors etc.


In the UK it's dealt with under the auspices of enviromental health by your local council. You can only call the police if the noise constitutes a breach of the peace so a very noisy party for example would qualify, but not a noisy family shouting all day, slamming doors, telly blaring, dog barking etc. You have to report that kind of thing to your local authority.



But these people are not illegal immigrants. They have a legal right to be in the UK so it wouldn't make any difference.


That's very true.


Within Europe certainly there are certain cultures where people are much louder than others, Spanish and Italian come to mind. They really are loud! But it's not uncouth, it's just their communication style. Poles are a mixed bag. There is a culture amongst the men of gathering on the street, especially in entry ways or on corners to chat particularly during the summer months. I think it's partly because there is no pub culture so people socialise outdoors in the evenings. They can stand for two hours easily shouting and roaring with laughter. The dog walking culture in the cities means that many people take their dogs out in the evening and stop to chat with each other, so there's a lot of dog barking in the background. Poles are early risers and many of the younger ones stick the loud music or the telly on the moment they wake up so in summer with windows open, the noise can start at 6.00am and nobody really thinks anything of it. The OP's neigbours are behaving much as they would do in their home town probably.

Thats the problem, they know they can get away with it in the UK.
Their mentality is who cares about rules when they aren't going to be enforced?


Pretty lax laws in the UK, Cops don't have guns, you can just laugh at them and do as you please....LoL

sorry what? this thread was about problem neighbours - what do you want? the police to come round and shoot them?
No you cannot 'laugh' at police and do what you want....how silly.

In your country, do armed police shoot noisy neighbours for


or


?

If that's the case, I'm glad I don't live there...

Same sad little BS-iters mostly not unlike yourself. Small wonder you feel kinda kinship towards them.


Talking about your ma or pa?


Pretty much as much sense as calling the police to a trailer camp.


I believe you. No wonder you're such a sad j... with a humongous chip on your shoulder.


Who do you have in mind? pry tell us.

I do agree about the Italians especially, both in Italy and abroad:-) I was last in the UK during the '90s and perhaps only a coincidence, but during a guided tour of the BM (British Museum), a youngish, teenage Italian girl on the tour was asking questions to the docent and her voice projection was so almost piercingly loud (not to mention grating due no doubt to being a chain smoker) we scarcely could hear the docent when she was speaking!

Finally, the tour was over, but my ears were still ringing for a good half hour after.

I think that it's a question in this case of the enunciation in a particular language. Italian, more certainly than English, German, Spanish or Polish, is a carefully pronounced language in which it seems every individual letter counts (except perhaps for consonant clusters such as "gl" in "gli" etc.). Therefore, perhaps Italian speakers, both male and female, tend to sound "louder" in even normal speech than speakers from other language groups.

As far though as the main thread question is concerned, among the many factors to consider would be the issue of personal space, not merely voice volume, in other countries compared to the UK. As England especially is a much smaller surface area than Poland, Turkey, Germany, Russia and the US, English people are more conscious of that space and tend not to appreciate people standing to close to them, even if they're whispering:-)

Only my two pence worth.

No, The first time the police come they usually warn you, the 2nd time they will issue a ticket, the 3rd time they arrest you.

The crime is called disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct take your pick.

Its doesn't matter if its loud music, parties, And yes throwing tables around an apartment building is included.

If it sounds like domestic violence, the cops will come and you will go....LoL

There are rules in the US and UK the immigrant Poles refuse to follow, let them be arrested, deported, it`s their own ignorance that gets them into trouble.