Sydney resident fed-up over ‘explicit' 2am noises from neighbour

News.com.au

4 days ago

A resident in a Sydney apartment says he's fed up after enduring months of 'consistent' loud music, instrument playing and X-rated noises coming from his neighbour's flat beneath him.
The man, who took to Reddit to vent, has asked for advice about how to deal with the situation, where he claims he and his partner are subjected to the loud noises between 11pm and 2am.
'Yes, I know it's apartments! You will get noise here and there, and for the most part, I can tolerate it … up until 10pm or so,' he wrote to the forum.
He then shared a video he recorded that captured one of the 'songs' his neighbour was singing recently.
In the clip, a man is heard singing 'F**k, f**k, f**k,' repeatedly to the sound of what appears to be a guitar background track.
He believes the poster has recently gone through a breakup with his girlfriend.
Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he attempted to approach the apartment multiple times around midnight on workdays to ask about the singing and instruments.
'Usually (I got) no response or a 'f**k off' shouted from wherever he is,' he said.
He also said another neighbour had tried a similar approach and even 'banged on his door' with little success.
The Redditor claimed this was a consistent issue, but only provided video evidence of this one occasion.
Lawyer weighs in
Strata lawyer, Amanda Farmer, told news.com.au that the resident should contact the strata manager (if there is one) or find out who the secretary of the strata committee is.
'This noisy neighbour is potentially breaching the by-laws, and the committee can issue an official 'notice to comply',' Ms Farmer explained.
'If the noisy resident is a tenant, the landlord should be informed of this behaviour as it's likely also a breach of their lease.'
Ultimately, she said either the suffering resident or the owners' corporation can take the situation to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) and seek a penalty of up to $1000 and an order that the behaviour stop.
Etiquette tips to deal with noisy neighbours
Meanwhile, Jo Hayes, an etiquette expert, has shared her tips on how to deal with noisy neighbours, while acknowledging that the Reddit post is on the more extreme end of the spectrum.
But when it comes to more common noise complaints, Ms Hayes says there are a few general rules of thumb to follow.
'My starting point advice is to communicate the issue either by written letter or face-to-face,' she says.
'Always keep in mind the conflict resolution MO: be kind, calm and clear.'
If the situation appears like it could turn volatile, she warns against face-to-face confrontation and suggests approaching a third party to intervene.
Commenters share their thoughts
Commenters agreed it was an annoying situation to be in, but many couldn't help but comment on the humorous nature of the song.
'I'm so sorry, but this is hilarious. What a stunning break-up song,' one commenter wrote.
'The funniest part is he is actually on rhythm,' said another, as someone else called the tune 'a bop'.
'Why did this have to come out after the hottest 100 of all time?' asked another.
'Publish the song on Spotify, make millions, buy a new house,' suggested a different user.
Jokes aside, many people did share their advice for the man and expressed their sympathies about the situation.