HOW TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR
When living in the private sector, it is unlikely that you will live in a community of students only. You live in a mixed community made up of people with lifestyles and commitments. There will also be home owners or private renters as well as students, and you will need to show your neighbours some respect with regards to noise and nuisance behaviour.
Noise
Your neighbours, if they aren’t students, are likely to have a completely different routine to you. They might be working, or have children who go to bed early, so please try and avoid loud noises at night (particularly during the week) such as music, shouting in the street and slamming doors, and keep noise to a minimum if you’re coming home from a night out.
House Parties
Thinking of having a house party? You might want to let your neighbours know about it in advance, they will appreciate it and might be more understanding about the noise. Try to keep windows and doors closed so that less sound gets out of the house and avoid spilling into the garden or street.
After around 11pm you should look to make the party quieter, maybe by moving into town to continue partying. It’s not always easy to do, and if you think you will struggle why not have a look at some cheap venue hire have instead?
Rubbish
Not only is leaving piles of rubbish outside your house or in your windows (yes those beer bottles you’re proudly displaying) not a good look, it also screams student house which could make you a target for burglary. More importantly, it’s an eyesore that your neighbours won’t necessarily take too well to.
Try to recycle as much as possible to reduce the amount of waste in your black bin, the council won’t take your bin if it doesn’t close! (They won’t take bin bags left at the side of it either).
Guidelines for Noise Students Living in the Private Sector
Moving into private accommodation for the first time is an exciting experience as it provides a great deal of freedom and independence. Unfortunately, poor behaviour such as loud music late at night, or loud noise from inside or outside the property when returning from an evening out can seriously disturb your neighbours. This can lead to complaints to the University which may result in disciplinary proceedings. You will have an obligation under your tenancy agreement not to do, or allow to be done, anything which may become a nuisance or annoyance to the landlord or any occupiers of adjoining or neighbouring properties. Below are a few tips to follow to ensure you can have fun whilst living in the private sector without causing noise problems for other residents who may have to get up early for work, have young children or be elderly. They may even be students who have assignments that need handing in or have exams the next day.
The following steps should be taken to avoid any possible noise issues:
Monday to Thursday – 7am to 11pm
Some transfer of noise from a room will be inevitable, however, this should not be of an intrusive nature to a neighbouring property. Shouting, banging and the medium to high volume of TVs/radio/stereo/musical equipment will be clearly heard and serious and/or repeated incidents will constitute a breach of contract. The use of headphones for stereo equipment, and the placing of dense material (such as felt or foam) beneath stereo speakers will assist in reducing the transference of noise.
Sunday to Thursday – 11pm to 7am
Silence is expected from the occupants of a neighbouring room, flat or house.
Weekends
It is reasonable to expect greater activity and some noise in a house or flat on Friday and Saturday evenings, but please show due consideration for your neighbour(s). The prolonged level of loud noise throughout most weekends would be regarded as unacceptable, and any noise after 12am (midnight) on Friday and Saturday is likely to cause offence to neighbouring residents and result in complaints.
You should talk to your neighbours in advance of a planned event which might give rise to greater or later noise levels than usual. Make arrangements with them about possible noise issues and provide them with a mobile phone number so they can easily contact you if they are disturbed. Notifying your neighbours doesn’t mean you don’t have to respond to complaints and you will be expected to respond politely to any complaints from neighbours and turn the noise levels down if you are causing a disturbance
Visitors
Please remember that you will be contractually responsible for the conduct of any of your visitors.
Conduct Outside the Premises
Please be considerate of your neighbours whilst leaving or returning home to your accommodation. This is especially important in the late evening/early hours of the morning when neighbouring residents will be particularly sensitive to any noise. Using the outside area/garden
of your property for barbecues and other events, especially late at night, can also be a source of disturbance to neighbours from music and other people’s voices.
Sheffield City Council takes noise problems very seriously and they use a number of legal sanctions and evidence gathering methods which include:
Use of visits and high quality sound level recording devices left in complainants houses to record noise problems.
Service of abatement notices to prevent further noise problems (up to £5,000 fine for breaches).
Warrants to enter premises to seize and retain all equipment used to cause noise nuisance (including TVs, stereos, radios, iPods linked to
speakers etc).
Mini CCTV.
Please note that convictions for noise offences are criminal offences which may need to be declared on job applications.
Both Sheffield Hallam and Sheffield University have expectations of your behaviour within the community. Please see their expectations
below:
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/city-region/community-relations
Are your student neighbours causing you problems?
Anti-social behaviour can be reported through the following links:
Sheffield City Council
https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/pollution-nuisance/report-noise-nuisance
Sheffield Hallam University
https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-role-in-the-region/community-support-and-enquiries
The University of Sheffield
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/city-region/community-relations/contact-us
