A disgruntled mum has shared her story of living with a neighbour from hell who blares loud music six-days-week and has “ruined” her garden. The woman took to Mumsnet to complain that the noise emanating constantly from her neighbour’s gym is “really getting me down”.
Explaining the nightmare, she said that after her neighbours moved in a year ago, the “first thing” they did was build a “garden building” that has become a gym that sees people coming in and out of it all day long.
She told fellow Mumsnet users: “This house next door to us sold last spring, the first thing the new neighbours did was erect a garden building parallel to our boundary, about 1 meter or so away.
“It’s as big as it can be whilst meeting permitted development (the homeowner is a builder). It’s quite imposing but ultimately doesn’t spoil our view or block light so no problem there.
“The lady next door is a personal trainer and uses the building as her gym. It didn’t occur to me as they were building it that there would be an issue with noise, but it’s really getting me down.”
The saddened mum told other users that the personal trainer was almost constantly using the gym and it was making enjoying her own home impossible.
She added: “She’s obviously doing very well as has lots of clients coming and going 6 days a week including weekends. Some she does 1-2-1 but seems that most are pairs or small groups.
“She has music playing which I can hear in my house when all the windows and doors are closed, it’s obviously far worse during the summer, and ruins trying to sit outside and enjoy my garden.”
Despite the banging music being a serious source of irritation, as well as the regular comings and goings of clients, the mum said that wasn’t the only thing getting on her wick.
She said: “On top of the music, extra traffic and people coming and going, is her shouting instructions/encouragement over the music. Weight dropping, people running around the garden and running laps of of [sic] our block.
“My husband doesn’t think there’s anything we can do or say as the noise is not during unsociable hours, and it doesn’t seem to bother him. Where as I actually feel like I don’t want to live here anymore, AIBU [am I being unreasonable]?”
The distraught mother was ably supported in the comment section and many questioned whether or not there were specific rules around business operations from home that would see the neighbour’s behaviour outlawed.
One wrote: “I thought there were rules about running a business from home. it [sic] sounds awful!”.
Another added: “Well, you’re not being unreasonable to not like it, but I think your husband is probably right that there’s not much you can do. I do sympathise – I wouldn’t like it either!”
Financial advisers at Unbiased said of the rules around starting a business from home: “Yes, it is perfectly legal to run many types of business from your own home. You just need to make sure that you have the necessary permissions for the type of work you are doing, that it isn’t causing a nuisance for your neighbours or anti-social in any way, and most importantly that you are paying any necessary business rates (if applicable).
“Many businesses, particularly those that are small and web-based, will not require any special permissions or cause any social issues, and may not require you to pay business rates.
“Some businesses may not be appropriate to run from a residential property, such as those that generate waste materials that may be hazardous to health, or cause excessive noise levels.”
