By Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman
Noise is a major cause of complaints but, unlike repairs, is debated less despite its complexities.
Its impact is both human and financial, affecting residents’ mental health and costing landlords in protracted, multiagency interventions.
Our latest Spotlight report examines the issues based on hundreds of complaints and insights of over 400 landlords and residents. Despite the economic pressures, it sets out why strengthening the sector’s response to noise nuisance is essential.
Crucially, there’s a fundamental unfairness in the sector’s approach: most noise reports concern household noise rather than anti-social behaviour (ASB), yet most landlords handle it under their ASB policy.
This is unfair to both the complainant and complained about for the noise to be treated as something it’s not; and harder for the landlord to make consistent and reasonable decisions if it doesn’t have the right framework for all types of noise reports.
That our maladministration rate is 62% when the noise is non-statutory underscores this need.
The treatment of noise in the Decent Homes Standard is also limited and not reflective of modern living, and the ongoing review of the standard could address this gap.
Landlords’ immediate focus should be on prevention by updating the void standard to ensure that carpets aren’t routinely removed, but hard flooring is when there have been reports of noise; and fitting anti-vibration mats under white goods. The difference this would make shouldn’t be underestimated.
Next, landlords should adopt a proactive good neighbourhood management policy, distinct to the ASB policy, with clear options for maintaining good neighbourhood relationships.
This should include mediation, an approach that should work better but lacks confidence amongst residents because it can be deployed too late and under an ASB label.
Landlords should also consider their presence on estates given how effective it can be, and housing associations should be given the same information by councils, as they do to their management arms, to identify and mitigate any issues.
Our report also recommends ways to strengthen ASB policies too, but it is disappointing that half the cases of maladministration involved poor records. Alongside better communication, good record keeping is something the sector needs to grip.
Lastly, where a resident isn’t afforded respect, neither are their complaints.
While I didn’t find evidence of actual bias in our investigations, residents’ anxieties about their reports being dismissed did come up.
This perception arose because of their age or having previously complained; and we did find maladministration in some of those cases because the landlord hadn’t taken action or thoroughly investigated.
Separately, we found noise report handlers may not be routinely listening to noise recordings submitted by residents.
Our lives are changing and our built environment is becoming denser.
Our recommendations are practical and cost-effective; despite the pressures, it’s critical landlords prioritise developing their approach.
