The UK has raised more than 250,000 noise complaints in the last 12 months!

When it comes to buying a house, there are plenty of checks to put in place before you seal the deal. But there’s one thing you can only check once you’ve moved – and that’s noise complaints for how loud your neighbours will be.

Until you live somewhere for a while, there’s no way to know whether the people living next door will be a nightmare or not – but new research could give you a better idea.

Confused.com has conducted Freedom of Information requests to the 100 biggest cities in the UK to find out the number of noise complaints over the last 12 months, to find out who has the loudest neighbours. The research also includes a survey of over 2,000 residents across the UK finding out just what we really think of the people living next door to us.

You can view the campaign here: https://www.confused.com/home-insurance/the-uks-noisiest-neighbours

The 10 noisiest cities to live in the UK

With the UK currently facing its third lockdown, peacefulness at home has become more valuable than ever, especially with more people working from home and children being homeschooled.

However, research shows thousands of noise complaints being directed at UK councils. In fact, in 12 months, councils for some of the top 100 populated cities in the UK received a whopping 268,125 complaints. But which cities are home to the noisiest neighbourhoods?

Known for its hustle and bustle, London ranks as home to the noisiest neighbourhood, with a staggering total of 158,958 noise complaints, which is 515 complaints per 10,000 households. And further research shows 41% of London respondents in a survey by Confused.com admitted to making a noise complaint about their neighbour.

Outside of London, Southampton tops the list with 476 complaints per 10,000 households. Meanwhile, data reveals Cheltenham as the quietest place in the UK, with 289 complaints received over the last 12 months, equivalent to 67 per 10,000 households.

The best and worst London boroughs for noise pollution

Living a vibrant London life doesn’t necessarily mean one should endure loud neighbours. Here are some of the noisiest areas to avoid in London if you want to get a good night’s sleep:

• Westminster – 1,976 complaints per 10,000 households
• Islington – 1,519 complaints per 10,000 households
• Kensington and Chelsea – 1,486 complaints per 10,000 households
• Barking and Dagenham – 1,278 complaints per 10,000 households
• Hammersmith and Fulham – 1,221 complaints per 10,000 households

Westminster tops the leaderboard as the noisiest borough in London and has registered a staggering 24,756 noise complaints over the last 12 months, equalling 1,976 complaints per 10,000 households.

As for the calmest areas in London, Harrow, Greenwich and Havering all top the list with figures, over 20 times less the figure than Westminster:

• Harrow – 72 complaints per 10,000 households
• Greenwich – 74complaints per 10,000 households
• Havering– 96 complaints per 10,000 households
• Brent – 111 complaints per 10,000 households
• Kingston upon Thames – 130 complaints per 10,000 households

What do Brits really think about their neighbours?

While it can feel uncomfortable to complain about neighbours, our survey revealed that more than a third (34%) of respondents across the UK had already complained in the past. London (41%), Bristol (39%) and Manchester (34%) host the highest proportion of people that have made noise complaints.

Of those who did complain, more than half (52%) went directly to their neighbour to resolve the issue, while nearly half (49%) got in touch with the local council. A third (33%) even went as far as reporting their neighbour to the police.

The most common reason for a noise complaint was loud music, accounting for half (50%) of reports in the survey. This was closely followed by loud parties with more than two fifths (43%) of Brits admitting to complaining when their neighbours are hosting a noisy get-together. Raised voices and shouting makes up nearly a third (30%) of all noise complaints across the UK.

What about those that aren’t complaining?

Complaining about a neighbour can feel overwhelming and many may be concerned of the effect it might have on their relationship. According to the data, nearly two thirds (64%) of Brits have never complained about a neighbour, with a quarter (26%) of these admitting that they would never complain about a neighbour, even if the situation arose.

While more than a third (34%) of people wouldn’t complain in fear of creating tension with their neighbour, more than a quarter (26%) of respondents were confused about the complaint process or weren’t aware they were able to. Of these, almost one in 10 (9%) were confused about their rights and more than one in eight (14%) were unsure of the process or how they would go about making a complaint. Perhaps most shocking is that 4% weren’t even aware they were able to make a complaint.

Dealing with neighbour disputes can be challenging. However, more often than not, a conversation can go a long way. But Confused.com‘s expert guide outlines the steps to take if you want to take things further and make an official complaint.

Jessica Willock, home insurance expert at Confused.com, comments:

“It’s no fun living in a noisy neighbourhood, and it seems some areas across the UK are a lot worse for noise pollution than others. And living with noisy neighbours can be really difficult to handle without creating tension.

“More often than not, a friendly conversation goes a long way. But when that fails, where to turn to next can be confusing. We’ve created a guide to understanding basic neighbour etiquette, including how best to handle noisy situations. While calling the police might seem like the best route to take, you should in fact be getting in touch with your local council.”

Kindly shared by Confused.com