Noise nuisance from guitar shop below our flat

Posted on 15 Aug 2019

My family and I live in a flat (we own) above a guitar shop and we have a big problem with the noise from the shop. We have talked to the owner several times about the issue which didn’t really get us anywhere. They stated that there is no sound insulation nor are there any plans for it, I also believe they have exposed ceilings which does not help things. The last time we spoke with the owner due to some sever noise he stated that they will play anytime they want and as loud as they want even though I tried to explain to him about our young daughter and how this is affecting all of us, I was asked to leave.

As well as selling guitars they offer repairs on guitars and amps. The noise from the shop can be intense and will cause the flat to vibrate. This has caused us problems, we have spoken to the GP as my wife feels down all the time and my daughter is scared of loud noises, if she sees a bus, bike or anything she thinks will cause a louder than normal sound she will automatically cover her ears and hide behind us. We are unsure about the best way to approach it now. 

Any maintenance costs are split three ways, between us, the flat above and the shop below so I contacted Leasehold Advisory. They found this strange due to the commercial premises, but we were wondering if there would be other similarities. Our lease has restrictions in it for making noise that causes issues for other residents. Obviously, we would need to get a copy of their lease, but could this be a way to help us?

I also read that although they may have planning permission for their shop they may not have permission for the noise they cause but we are unsure how to find this out?

Many thanks

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