This content applies to England only.

Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland

Noise can cause insomnia, interrupted work, irritability and stress. Some noise is unavoidable, but if a noise is really getting to you there may be things that you can do about it.

Your options depend on who (or what) is causing the noise, how bad it is and what, if anything, you have already tried to do about it. In many cases, the environmental health department can help, or you may be able to find a solution through negotiation or mediation, or by using remedies for antisocial behaviour, such as ASBOs and injunctions.

Noisy landlords

If your landlord is making or encouraging unreasonable noise, this may amount to harassment. If the noise is not harassment - but is still unreasonable - or if your landlord is in a position to stop someone else making noise, you could consider the options outlined for dealing with noisy neighbours (see above).

Help from the Environmental Health Department

Every council has environmental health officers (EHOs) who can help if there is a noise from premises or a vehicle which is either likely to damage your health or is a nuisance. If the noise is made between 11pm and 7am, it is called 'night noise', and noises above specific levels are prohibited. Find your local council. 

The EHO must always investigate your complaint about noise. If the noise is continuing or repeated, the EHO will send someone to listen to the noise and may come out a number of times to assess and record the noise. Many EHOs have 24-hour services, but they may have to deal with other calls before yours.

Having investigated, the EHO can then help in many different ways, for example by:

• giving you practical advice about dealing with the problem
• lending you noise measuring or recording equipment
• persuading the person or venue to improve its record on noise or being more considerate about times. Examples of what could be done include reduction of noise levels, building works to contain the sound better, and notices asking customers not to make noise when leaving the venue and placing limits on times when noise is made
• asking the person responsible for night noise to stop making the noise immediately and, if the noise hasn't stopped within ten minutes, giving an on the spot fine, or prosecuting. This method is only available if the noise is coming from a home or from licensed premises
• giving a noisy neighbour or venue a 'noise abatement notice', telling him/her to stop. If the venue continues, s/he may be prosecuted, and/or noisy equipment (eg sound systems), can be confiscated by the EHO
• closing a noisy venue for up to 24 hours
• working with your landlord to resolve the problem, or making your landlord take measures to deal with noise nuisance (eg installing sound insulation)
• working with the police if trouble or violence is occurring or expected at a venue.

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