Last updated: July 26, 2023 at 13:57 pm
When you have neighbours close by, it is inevitable that you’re going to hear one another now and then. Hearing them calling up the stairs to one another, or their fire alarm if it goes off is to be expected. Sometimes, though, you might hear more than you want to.
One example of something you might not want to hear is your neighbours arguing. It can be loud, disruptive, and distressing.
What can you do if your neighbours are arguing loudly? Is there anything you should do?
IN THIS ARTICLE
What to Do if Your Neighbours Are Arguing Loudly
If your neighbours are regularly arguing quite loudly, and it’s causing disruption to your life, it can be hard to decide what to do. If you know your neighbours well, you might feel more comfortable saying something, but for lots of people, it’s uncomfortable.
People are unpredictable, and essentially telling strangers that you can hear their private conversations is never a comfortable situation!
To try and handle the situation, you can:
Speak to Them Directly
As with any noise interruption from your neighbours, the easiest solution is to go over to their door and knock. If you alert them to quite how loud they’re being, there is a chance that they will quieten down.
With arguing this can be a sensitive topic, but if you know your neighbours well, it may still be a viable solution.
Contact Citizen’s Advice
If you don’t feel comfortable contacting your neighbours directly, you can always contact Citizen’s Advice to work out a solution. They can direct you to a service for a mediator or can suggest the best call of action for your situation. To contact them, simply visit the Citizen’s Advice website.
Citizen’s Advice will know whether your local authority offers mediator services and will be able to help you to assess whether what you can hear is worth reporting to the police.
Always remember that an argument can be more than just an argument, and while it may be disrupting you, it could be putting someone in danger.
Also read: How to Stop Upstairs Neighbours Stomping
Call the Police
If the arguing is disruptive, it is no different from any normal noise complaint, you can report it to the police. This is especially the case if the noise is heard at night (between 11pm and 7am).
Steps if You’re Unsure It’s Just an Argument
Arguments are fine, but sometimes they can get out of hand. If you are concerned that your neighbours’ loud argument is more than just a bit of a frustrated exchange.
And, you think one of them or their child might be in danger, you should act fast. Domestic abuse is a crime, and if you can protect someone from it, you should.
Record What You Hear
This should go hand in hand with one of the other solutions, as it will not protect anyone should there be any danger. It will, however, back up claims of an argument or abuse if needed.
Simply use your phone to record the loud arguing so that you can show the police or your neighbour (or they can use it later).
Call the Police
Perhaps the best option is to just call the police. If you fear that someone is at risk of violence, whether immediately or sometime in the future, the police need to be alerted. It is the only sure-fire way to protect your neighbours.
If you have any suspicion that someone in the home is at risk of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or even financial abuse, you need to report it. You might have had a threat through the walls, or perhaps heard something break – even if it could be nothing, you need to contact the police.
If you’re concerned that you’ll upset them by phoning the police if there isn’t anything going on, just think: wouldn’t they rather know you’ve got their safety in mind than not? And if there is nothing going on, nobody will be in trouble.
The police will only intervene if they have reason to believe that someone is in danger.
To contact the police about an argument, you can either call 101 to report an incident or 999 if you believe someone is in immediate danger.
Related: 7 Actions If Your Neighbour Makes False Noise Complaints
Try to Intervene Yourself
If you think things are getting out of hand, and you want to try and stop it, you can always intervene yourself. This is only recommended if you feel safe to do so and would not be recommended if you have any kind of bad blood with the neighbours already.
You do not have to intervene and comment on the argument. You can always knock and ask for some sugar or milk, or you can knock and just say you wanted to check if everyone is alright. It is up to you how you handle the situation.
