A- Try to hold the party somewhere where your neighbours will not hear the music. Perhaps you could hire a hall for the party.
A- Warn your neighbours in advance - not just those who live next door, but people across the road and those who back on to your property. This gives them the option to go away for the night, if they can. You could even consider inviting them.
A- Don't think that because your neighbours have been pre-warned you can be as loud as you wish. Your neighbours still have the right to complain even if you had advised them of the party.
A- Give your neighbours a finishing time - one that is reasonable, and stick to it. Even the most tolerant of neighbours won't accept being kept awake all night.
A- Give neighbours a telephone number to call if they need to let you know of a problem and, if they call you, respond appropriately.
A- Keep music levels down, especially the bass, and do not hire in a disco at your home. Think carefully about where you put the speakers, to minimise sound breakout and do not play loud music outdoors. Reduce music levels after about 11pm when neighbours may want to sleep.
A- Bring people inside before 11pm even if you start the party outdoors, and close windows and doors, to control noise more easily.
A-Don't invite too many people for the size of your property so that everyone can be indoors, and make sure you know your guests, so that you can trust them, as you will be responsible for them.
A- Ask your guests to leave quietly, without slamming your door or their car doors, beeping horns or shouting/laughing outside your house.
A-Do not have parties too often, as complaints are more likely when people are disturbed regularly.

Q- What is a reasonable time to have a party until?

A- This is hard to say and varies depending on your circumstances. But you should be aware that any unreasonably loud noise after 11pm can result is a fixed penalty notice being served on the party organiser.

Q- What laws are there to control noisy parties?

A- There are two pieces of law. The most frequently used one is the Noise Act Notice which results in a fixed penalty fine on the party organiser of �100. The other law is the Abatement Notice for more serious cases that can result in prosecution and seizure of sound making equipment.

Q- My neighbour is planning to have a party. Is this allowed and what can I do to stop it disturbing me?

A- People are allowed to have parties, but this is usually an occasional occurrence associated with a special event, such as a birthday. Frequent loud parties that cause disturbance can be considered to be unreasonable.
A- Speak to your neighbour about the party beforehand and tell them your concerns. They may be able to reassure you that the event will not be unreasonably loud. Try to reach an agreement on the time the party will finish, when people will be brought indoors and when music will be turned down.
A- Ask for a telephone number you can ring in case you are disturbed and to save you knocking on the door at night.
A- Consider going away that evening so that you are not disturbed.
A- If you are disturbed after 11pm you can call the Out of Hours number on 01865 249811 to speak to an officer and request a visit.

Buskers

Q- I am often disturbed by buskers in the street. What can I do?

A- There is a code of practice which is guidance to buskers on how they can reduce the amount of disturbance they cause. There are time limits for how long a busker can stay in one pitch.
A- Consider first whether the busker has outstayed his allotted time on the pitch. One hour or half an hour for drums.
A- You could first approach the busker and explain politely that you are being troubled by noise and ask them to move on. You may find this difficult, but often people are unaware of the problem they are causing.
A- If the problem persists please contact us for advice. However, due to other work pressures we may not be able to visit to deal with the busker.

Noise from Neighbours

Q- My neighbour plays loud music on a regular basis or late at night. What can I do to make it stop?

Q- I can hear my neighbour's music/TV through the walls and it disturbs me. How can I make it stop?

Q- I can hear my neighbour's washing machine/vacuuming late at night. What can I do?

A- If you live in an attached house or flat you will at time be able to hear noise from your neighbours in their home because noise travels through walls and floors/ceilings.
A- You may have poor insulation between you and your neighbour which will mean that you will be able to hear each other.
A- If you can hear their music/TV they may be able to hear yours as well, so first consider whether you may be disturbing them.
A- You could either speak to your neighbour or put a note through the door explaining how you are affected and asking them to keep the volume down. There is a suggested letter format on our website that can be printed off and used.
A- You could either speak to your neighbour or put a note through the door explaining that you are affected by their washing machine/vacuuming and ask them not to do it late at night. to keep the volume down. There is a suggested letter format on our website that can be printed off and used.

Q- My neighbour complained to me about my music/TV saying it was too loud. I would like to know what is reasonable?

A-Not everyone appreciates the same level or type of music, particularly if it prevents them from sleeping.
A- Please try to keep music at a reasonable level, especially at night or when your doors and windows are open.
A- Remember that sound travels through walls and ceilings too - especially if the sound insulation is not very good.
A- To help reduce sound levels you might consider isolating your speakers from the floor or shared wall.
A- If it is late at night wear headphones or use a personal stereo. Night time noise is much more disturbing because people are trying to sleep.
A- A good indication of whether your music is too loud is if you can hear it in all the other rooms of your house. Or, if you went outside in the street or garden, you could hear it with windows and doors closed.
A- Try talking to your neighbour, apologise and reach an agreement on what is acceptable during the day and at night.
A- There is a widely believed myth that you can make as much noise as you like before 11pm. This is not true. It is possible for your music/TV to be unacceptably loud during the day too.
A- In the event of serious and persistent noise disturbance we have the power to seize and retain stereo equipment.

Q- Are there any time restrictions on playing music?

A- There are no periods of time when the playing of loud music is specifically allowed. If the noise is causing a nuisance to others then it is a nuisance regardless of the time of day, or day of the week.

Q- When can I practice my music instrument?

A- There are no set times. If you play a musical instrument avoid practicing early in the morning or late evening/night. If the instrument has an amplifier, turn the volume down or preferably use headphones.
A- If you have a piano, situate it away from a party wall, or not in a room adjoining a neighbour's bedroom. Consider using damping carpet underneath the feet to absorb some sound.
A- Speak to your neighbour about agreeing times and duration, frequency that would be acceptable to you both.

Household Appliances

Q- What times can I vacuum or use the washing machine/tumble drier?

A- There are no set times. However, if you live in a flat it is likely that the noise will be heard by your neighbours so it is advisable not to use after 11pm when people are trying to sleep. This may still be too late for some people, if they have young children sleeping or they wish to relax in the evening and 9pm may be more appropriate.

Dogs

Q- My neighbour has a dog that barks regularly.

A- Dogs bark for a number of reasons, particularly if it is left alone for long periods or they are bored. The owner may not realise there is a problem.
A- Try talking to your neighbour about the problem and the affect the dog is having. A- If you are not comfortable with speaking direct you could put a note through the door explaining the problem. We have an example of a letter you could use on our website for you to download.

Q- My neighbour has complained about my dog barking. What can I do?

A- There can be a number of reasons why your dog is barking, such as boredom or being left alone for too long. There is a lot of information on the Dog Trust website on dog behaviour which may help you.
A- Don't let your dog bark or whine for long periods or leave it alone.
A- If your dog barks constantly when left alone or disturbed keep it indoors.
A- If your dog still barks when indoors make arrangements to leave it with a neighbour or friend or get someone to call in.
A- Leave its' favourite toy or put the radio on at a very low volume.
A- If it's a real problem consult your vet for advice about training.
Noise from DIY

Q- My neighbour is carrying out regular DIY that is disturbing me. Is this allowed?

A-People can carry out DIY during evenings and weekends when they are not at work.
A- We would normally recommend that noisy DIY does not continue after 9pm and does not start before 9am at weekends.
A- Try speaking to your neighbour and explain that the noise is disturbing.
A- Try and reach an agreement on when noisy work will be carried out and get an idea of how long the work will be going on for. You may find that the project is almost complete.
A- Remember, the longer your neighbour works, the quicker the job will get done, so it may be better to let him crack on!

DIY

Q- I am going to carry out a big DIY project in my house. What am I allowed to do?

A- If you intend to carry out DIY, please inform your neighbours in advance. Try to reach an agreement on times for carrying out the work.
A- Tell them how long the project is likely to continue for, when you hope to finish.
A- Avoid DIY in the early morning or evening when neighbours may be trying to sleep. We recommend no earlier than 9am at weekends and no later than 9pm in the evenings for noisy work such as drilling and banging.
A- When there is particularly noisy work let your neighbour know well in advance so that they can arrange to go out if they wish.

Q- My neighbour has complained to me about DIY noise. What can I do?

A- Try and talk to your neighbour about what you are doing and how long the project is likely to last.
A- Apologise for the disturbance caused.
A- Try to reach an agreement on times for carrying out work.
A- Avoid DIY in the early morning or evening when neighbours may be trying to sleep. We recommend no earlier than 9am at weekends and no later than 9pm in the evenings for noisy work such as drilling and banging.
A- When there is particularly noisy work let your neighbour know well in advance so that they can arrange to go out if they wish.

Construction Sites

Q- What hours are builders/developers allowed to work?

A- Generally, the acceptable hours for noisy work within the District are:

Monday to Friday - 07:30-17:30
Saturdays - 07:30-13:00

Q- Can builders/developers make as much noise as they like?

A- Construction sites are noisy, but builders must keep noise to a minimum where they can. E.g. Site generators away from people's houses.

Q- Can builders work at night?

A- Yes, sometimes this is unavoidable and necessary.

Q- Under what circumstances can builders work at night?

A- Where there are emergency works, such as a burst water main or electricity failure.
A- Road works along busy sections of road where carrying out daytime work would cause traffic congestion. E.g. A34.
A- Where there is a health and safety risk that cannot be left to the next day.

Q- Are builders allowed to pile drive?

A- We discourage pile driving because of the noise and vibration it can cause. We recommend that other piling methods are used that are less noisy. Sometimes pile driving is unavoidable.

Businesses

Q- I live next to a business and it is noisy. Is this allowed?

A- Businesses will generally be noisier to live next to than other houses, be they must be able to show that they are keeping noise to a minimum to prevent causing a noise nuisance.
A- You cannot expect the same level of peace and quiet living next to a business, but equally the business has to consider your needs too.

Q- What can I do about a business that is noisy?

A- You could approach the business yourself and tell them the problem you are experiencing. You could try and reach an agreement on what the business will do to reduce the noise.
A- We also investigate your complaint about noise nuisance.

General

Q- It noise is a statutory nuisance what happens next?

A- If we can prove the noise is a statutory nuisance we would normally serve a Noise Abatement Notice on the person(s) causing the nuisance, such as noisy neighbours or a business. This requires the person to stop the noise, or not allow it to happen again. Ignoring the notice could lead to prosecution or seizure of equipment

Q- Is there a noise level set in law?

A- For most noises there are no noise levels set in law. Noise is a subjective assessment and Environmental health officers are qualified and trained to assess whether a noise is likely to be a statutory nuisance.
A- There are set noise levels for night time noise after 11pm, based upon background levels, which vary from house to house. These levels are normally used to assess noise from parties. An officer needs to make the assessment from your home.

Q- If I make a complaint will my details be kept confidential?

A- We have a policy of keeping complainant details confidential, although often neighbours will guess who has complained without officers giving information. If a case leads to prosecution you may be asked to give evidence in court. Also, if you complete a diary sheet you must sign this and it may be submitted as evidence. You should be aware that we are very unlikely to investigate anonymous complaints.

Page last reviewed 31 August 2011

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Oxford City Council

Recycling, rubbish and waste

Noise - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Parties

Q- We want to have a party but I don't want to annoy my neighbours. Want can I do?