Noise complaints

Things to know before you start

We will not disclose your details during an investigation. You should however be aware that:

1. Investigating noise complaints can be a lengthy process. You will need to keep an ongoing, accurate record of disturbances using either 'The ASB App' or log sheets for the duration of our investigation and may need to allow us to come into your property to try to witness the noise or install or recorder. If you do not complete and return these as requested as we won’t be able to pursue your complaint.
2. We will have to write to the person/people believed to be responsible for making the noise (based on the information you provide) upon receiving the logs that show a potentially actionable nuisance. If you are not happy for us to do this then we will not be able to pursue your complaint.
3. Due to the nature of noise complaints, it is often not difficult for those making the noise to assume whom the complaint(s) might have come from. You may therefore be approached after we have written to them and should be aware of this possibility before making a complaint.
4. If the noise is very bad and leads to us taking court action, your details and signed diary sheets will need to be disclosed to the court and the defendant at that time.

The ASB App

If we are able to investigate your complaint, you will be asked to keep a record of any further disturbances. This is best done using ‘The ASB App’ which allows you to easily make notes, take photos, and record audio/video of the disturbances, to help us to investigate and resolve your complaint faster than via conventional log sheets. The ASB App is available for both iPhone and Android smartphones.

Download on the Apple App Store

Download on the Google Play Store

If you're able to download the app, we will send you instructions on how to set up an account and log disturbances once you have submitted you have submitted your report and we have assessed your case.

If you are okay with all of this, then please follow the steps below which set out how we will ordinarily investigate noise complaints:

Step One

We would always encourage you to politely approach the people making the noise first, so long as you feel safe doing so. This is because people making noise often don’t realise the effect it has on others.

Sometimes a ‘quiet informal word’ does the trick as most people don’t want to upset their neighbours. Taking this action first can also avoid making situations worse, whilst we can deal with some noise problems, an approach from us ‘out of the blue’ can cause resentment and make the issue harder to sort out.

Step Two

If the noise continues, or you don’t feel comfortable talking with the people making the noise, and you would like us to consider your complaint you can do so below by using our online reporting form. 

You will need to provide such information as:

• Your name, address, email address and contact phone number(s)
• The address or, where the noise is not coming from an address, the specific location that the noise is coming from
• Details of the noise nuisance (what it is, when it occurs, how long it lasts, who and how it affects them, how long it has been a problem for, how loud/severe it is, whether it appears to be malicious or not)

The details you provide will be automatically sent to the relevant council department:

If your complaint relates to a council-owned property, your complaint will be handled by our Housing Landlord Services.

If your complaint relates to any other property or land, your complaint will be handled by our Environmental Protection Team.

In both cases, we will aim to contact you within 5 working days after receiving your complaint.  After checking for any case history, we will usually send you a complaint package and let you know how to keep an accurate record of the disturbances on. This will allow an initial assessment of your complaint to be made. Please note that in using The ASB App or returning your completed log sheets to us, you are giving your consent for us to write to the person/people believe to be responsible for making the noise.

Step Three

If your log sheets show a potentially actionable nuisance then we will write to the person/people believed to be responsible for making the noise (based on the information you provide) to let them know about the complaint. We need to do this to make them aware of the issue and give them a chance to resolve it informally, but we will not disclose your details to them.

We will also write to you to confirm what we have done, ask you to continue to log disturbances and return if problems persist.

If The ASB App or your log sheets do not show a potentially actionable nuisance then we will write to you to let you know. In these circumstances it may be possible for you to take private nuisance action.

Step Four

Please note: only applicable if log sheets are sent out and returned following Step Three.

If The ASB App or your log sheets still show a potentially actionable nuisance and the noise continues then we will send a formal warning to person/people believed to be responsible for making the noise.  If the problems persists, we will arrange to carry out monitoring using recording equipment and/or in person, depending on the situation, to assess whether formal action needs to be taken.

In most cases where formal action is required, we will issue a Community Protection Warning/Notice which can result in the issue of a fixed penalty notice of up to £100, prosecution and/or seizure of property.

If it is a statutory nuisance then a formal abatement notice will be served which will require the person to stop. If the nuisance continues and an officer can obtain sufficient evidence of this then we can apply to seize the equipment making the noise and take the case for prosecution at a Magistrates Court.

Formal action may also be taken at an earlier stage of an investigation at our discretion should the need arise.