Guide to Selling a House with Noisy Neighbours

Noisy neighbours are a dime a dozen in the UK, or so it would seem based on two separate homeowner surveys taken by different companies. An article published by Estate Agent Today revealed that noisy neighbours was the most common thing homeowners lied about. Over 21% of people lied about their neighbours when selling property, according to a survey of 2,000 UK homeowners by CIA Landlord Insurance. 

It was the same story in a survey of 1,000 British people by Boiler Plan, according to a 2020 article in Property Industry Eye. In that survey, almost half of the participants (47%) revealed they would choose not to disclose any neighbour issues when selling. The reason for this being worries about their neighbours affecting the sale price of their home.

“It’s very concerning the number of people who would hide information regarding their property to potential buyers,” said Ian Henderson, Managing Director at Boiler Plan in the article. “We advocate being as honest as possible to make sure the buyer has everything they need to make the right decision. Not doing so could potentially cost you so much more, as buyers could look to seek compensation and repair costs.”

Infographic via Property Industry Eye

So what exactly is the deal here? Why are so many people willing to lie about their neighbours when selling a house despite the legal and financial risks? There seems to be a common fear among many homeowners that neighbours can negatively impact the value of their home. But is there anything you can do about this?

If you’re here right now reading this, chances are you’re worried about your neighbours and whether or not their noise could hinder your ability to sell for a good price or at all. We’re going to answer all the common queries when it comes to noisy neighbours, including some good options for selling despite them.

First of all, let’s clarify exactly what you need to disclose about your neighbours when selling your property.

Table of Contents

• Do you have to declare noisy neighbours when selling your house?

• What is considered unreasonable noise (aka noise nuisance) from neighbours?

• How to find out about neighbour disputes

• How to resolve problems with noisy neighbours before selling

• Will noisy neighbours actually affect the sale of your home?

• Is selling a house with noisy neighbours common?

• What can you do if your neighbours are stopping you from selling?

• Should you go to a solicitor about your neighbour disputes?

• How can you sell your house fast with noisy neighbours?

• Why a cash buyer is a great option for selling your house with noisy neighbours

Do you have to declare noisy neighbours when selling your house?

Yes, you generally need to disclose noisy neighbours when selling your house. There are numerous neighbour issues you’re legally required to declare, including noise complaints. This declaration was made an official requirement back in the 2000s as part of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. You can make this declaration by using the TA6 Property information form, which you can download via The Law Society’s website.

There are two main questions you need to pay attention to on the form. The first is question 16.1, which asks:

“Have there been any disputes or complaints about your property or a property nearby? – If Yes, please give details such as when this took place and who was involved.”

The second is question 16.2, which asks:

“Are you aware of anything that might lead to a dispute about your property or a property nearby? – If Yes, please give details.”

What classifies as a noise complaint?

This one is a little more subjective, but generally if you’ve had to complain about your neighbours’ music, pets, late-night disturbances, or anything else noise related, you’ve made a noise complaint. This doesn’t have to be an official complaint to the police. It could be that you’ve had to go over there multiple times to ask them to be quiet.

What classifies as a dispute with your neighbour?

We’re again occupying more subjective territory here, as this can differ depending on the person. In more black-and-white terms, a dispute with your neighbour is really any interaction that causes you discomfort or distress or stops you from enjoying your property. These disputes can of course vary in intensity, from arguments about fencing heights to physical or emotional harassment.

Maybe your neighbour is encroaching on your property boundary. Or perhaps they are blocking your parking space or dumping trash on your land. Whatever the dispute, if you feel like your neighbour is being antisocial, aggressive, irresponsible or noisy in a way that negatively impacts your life and living situation, you should consider it worth raising either with them, a mediator or a local authority. You also need to disclose it to any potential buyer if you’re selling.

What happens if you fail to disclose this information?

If you don’t clearly and honestly declare your noisy neighbours via the TA6 form, you might face legal and financial consequences in the future. Basically, if the buyer of your property feels you have lied about your neighbours, they can file a case for misrepresentation and a breach of contract.

As Michael Purvis, Real Estate Residential Partner at JMW writes in this article, “Not only could you face legal action, but you may also be liable for financial compensation to the buyer. In extreme cases, the sale could be rescinded, causing you to lose the buyer and potentially affecting the property's market value.”

This is quite rare, but it is possible if a buyer feels you have mis-sold the property and they’ve ended up paying more than they would’ve had they known about the neighbours. Some buyers may feel that they wouldn’t have bought the property at all, which is where you find yourself in a situation where you may have to take back the property and return all sale proceeds to the buyer, plus compensation.

Cunningtons, a residential conveyancing and family law firm, wrote a case study about exactly this situation. The case study concerned a 2006 High Court case, Doe v Skegg. Essentially, the court found that the seller was guilty of misrepresentation in the sale of a house, because they didn’t disclose that their neighbour was regularly trespassing and causing other problems. As the seller had known about the neighbour’s behaviour and hadn’t declared it, they were forced to compensate the new owners.

What else do you have to disclose about neighbours?

As you may have already guessed, noise isn’t the only thing you may need to declare about your neighbour. If you’ve made an official complaint to the police or your local council about your neighbour, you need to disclose this in the TA6 form. This could be about intrusions, smells, trash encroaching on your property or anything really.

You also need to be as honest as possible about any disputes you’ve had with your neighbour. Maybe you’ve been fighting over parking space or maybe you’ve had trouble with them about boundary lines and fencing. Whatever the disputes are, these need to be accurately shared via the form.

What is considered unreasonable noise (aka noise nuisance) from neighbours?

According to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, unreasonable noise from neighbours is classed under two main definitions:

1. “Noise emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health of a nuisance.”

2. “Noise that is prejudicial to health or a nuisance and is emitted from or caused by a vehicle, machinery or equipment in the street.”

What this breaks down to is that unreasonable noise is essentially any noise that significantly reduces or interferes with your ability to enjoy your home, garden or any other private premises. It also includes any noise that may be harmful to your overall health, including vibrations.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 goes on to define this further, including stating that this noise will not be considered unreasonable if it’s caused by aircraft, other than model aircrafts. So if your neighbour is flying their model plane around all hours of the day, you likely have a case to put forward to your local council.

It also states that noises caused by “naval, military or air force of the Crown or by a visiting force” or “by a political demonstration” do not apply.

When dealing with noise, you need to make a few key assessments to determine if it’s unreasonable. Ask yourself the following questions about your situation:

1. Is the noise occasional during the day or is it persistent and lasting for long periods throughout the day and night?

2. Is the excessive noise occurring during typical business hours or is it happening early in the morning or late at night when people are likely to be sleeping?

3. Is the noise impacting your physical or mental health, either by causing more stress, reducing your sleep or resulting in hearing loss?

4. Does the noise affect other people you know, either those you live with or those who have come around to visit?

5. Are you living in a loud inner-city area or are you living in a quiet rural or residential area?

If you believe the noise classifies as any or multiple of the following, you are likely dealing with a noise nuisance:

1. Lasts for long periods.

2. Occurs early in the morning or late at night.

3. Impacts your health in one or more ways.

4. Affects other people you know.

5. Is taking place where noise isn’t normal (e.g. rural or suburban areas).

Examples of common noise nuisances experienced by homeowners

Back in 2020, House Beautiful UK published an article detailing the UK’s most common neighbour disputes based on a third-party survey of 1,000 UK homeowners. Many noise-related disputes were among the top 10 reasons, including:

• Playing music loudly (the top reason for disputes at 28%)

• Having loud parties (the second biggest cause of disputes at 26%)

• Noisy children (13%)

Other common causes of unreasonable noise include:

• Loud instruments (e.g. drums)

• Constant DIY work at unreasonable hours (e.g. hammering or drills)

• Loud animals (e.g. barking dogs)

• Unreasonably loud singing at anti-social hours

• Loud traffic noise from multiple cars

Unreasonable noise can come from a variety of sources and your situation may not be covered by the most common causes. If it feels like a nuisance or anti-social behaviour, or it’s impacting your health, you should still consider it worthy of raising with your council. 

For instance, the Labour government’s recent push for heat pumps is creating a new cause of noise complaints that UK residents haven’t encountered before. While they may be beneficial for the environment and the country’s net zero goals, these heat pumps are creating neighbour disputes in certain cases.

Back in February 2025, The Telegraph published an article about one East Midlands resident and her mother experiencing bad health due to the noise emitted from their neighbour’s heat pump.

“It’s disrupting our sleep. I put my head on the pillow and I hear a reverberating tone,” she said to The Telegraph. “Then it starts humming and thumping and can go quiet for a few seconds, then starts up again. It’s unpredictable – that’s the worst thing.”

This is despite being 100 metres away from the house with the external heat pump installed. Although the resident spoke to her neighbour and offered to pay to move the heat pump to another wall, the situation wasn’t rectified as the neighbour refused to move it. They also refused to show Anna the results of a sound test despite claiming the noise level wasn’t above acceptable decibels. 

So as you can see, unreasonable noise can often take residents by surprise and cause disputes between homeowners who may have never had a problem in the past. If you find yourself in this situation, there are a few things you can do.

How to find out about neighbour disputes

If you’re a buyer looking for property on the market, you’re going to want to do your due diligence about neighbour disputes. As we know, not all sellers are going to be transparent about neighbour issues, so it’s always best to rely on your own research. Here are some ways you can ensure you’re making an informed decision:

How to resolve problems with noisy neighbours before selling

If the noise from your neighbours is impacting your life, there are a few avenues you can take to resolve the situation, whether you want to sell or not. Here’s a quick visual summary of the typical process you’ll need to take, as well as more detailed information underneath it.

Step 1: Talk to your neighbour

The UK Government advises that you should always first try to speak with your neighbour and solve the problem before getting the council involved. It’s important to speak openly and productively with your neighbour. Avoid starting the conversation aggressively, as you might cause them to become defensive or dismissive. Instead, be honest about how their noise is negatively impacting your life and health. Appeal to their empathy and be clear about what you’d like to change going forward.

If you’re wanting to sell, also let them know about this. They might not realise the impacts their noise is having on you, including the financial repercussions. Hopefully, after this conversation the noise goes away and you don’t need to worry about any further steps.

Step 2: Organise mediation

If your conversation or multiple conversations with your neighbour doesn’t produce the desired result, you should arrange for a mediation session. At the same time, you should be keeping a record of all the noise disturbances you’re experiencing, in case mediation doesn’t solve the issue.

Mediation will involve you bringing in a third party to mediate the situation. This person is typically an impartial professional and their role is to help both you and your neighbour come to a mutual agreement. By doing this you’ll keep the situation confidential and avoid having to go to court, which can be timely and costly.

There are numerous professional mediation services you can use in the UK. The UK Government has a couple of links for people living in England, Wales and Scotland. 

Step 3: Submit a complaint to your council

If mediation doesn’t solve the problem, you can submit a formal complaint to your local council. They are required to investigate all complaints concerning noise nuisances. This is when you’ll need to show a ‘noise journal’ of sorts – basically a written account of all the instances of unreasonable noise from your neighbours. If you don’t have one ready to go, your council will ask you to spend some time making one, which could take weeks or months.

If your local council finds that your neighbour’s noise is in fact a “statutory nuisance”, they will serve them an official abatement notice. This notice will demand that the person responsible for the noise needs to stop or restrict the activity to certain times of the day.

Important: Your written evidence of excessive noise should include the dates, times and details of each incident. The more details you include, the more likely your local council will be able to act upon it.

Step 4: Take legal action

This is the final step and should usually only be necessary in the most extreme cases where your neighbour has failed to respond to your initial conversation, mediation and the council’s abatement notice. After you’ve tried all those other avenues, you may have grounds to employ a solicitor and sue your neighbour for private noise nuisance.

Witan Solicitors writes that taking legal action against your neighbour can produce an official court order telling them to cease and desist. You may also be able to claim compensation for harm caused by their noise. Bear in mind that this route will be the most expensive, time consuming and potentially stressful of all. And your relationship with your neighbour may be irreparable afterwards.

Will noisy neighbours actually affect the sale of your home?

It may seem a little unfair but the answer is yes, noisy neighbours can definitely affect the sale of your house. Their impact on your property’s value and its eventual sale will depend on the kind of noise nuisance you’re experiencing.

Imagine you’re a buyer looking for a new home. How enticed are you going to be by a property if you know it comes with noisy neighbours and potential future conflicts? It makes sense that buyers could be put off purchasing the property or devalue it as a result.

If you’ve recently bought a house and discovered your neighbours are a nuisance, we feel for you. It’s a horrible situation to encounter. You may be experiencing buyer’s remorse. If so, our guide on what to do if you regret buying a house might be helpful. 

How much value can noisy neighbours reduce from your property?

Again, this is a case-by-case basis, but we’ve seen recent reports that indicate noisy neighbours could devalue your property by a significant amount. Property Reporter published an article in 2024 outlining how noise pollution could knock 5-10% off the value of your home. It also stated that around 43% of Brits had said they would be deterred from buying a property if they noticed noisy neighbours.

Another study by Churchill Home Insurance, reported by the Mirror, found that the state of your neighbour’s property could devalue your home by up to 11%. This was based off a survey that included more than 250 UK estate agents.

If we consider the average cost of a UK home as £265,497 based on data from the Land Registry, the devaluation of your home’s value due to noisy neighbours could be anywhere from £13,274 to £26,549. However, if you’re living in a city like London, where the average price of property sits at £665,000, according to Plumplot data, you could be looking at a loss anywhere between £33,250 and £66,500.

Is selling a house with noisy neighbours common?

If you’re suffering from noisy neighbours, just know you’re not alone. The Sun published an article in November 2024 detailing how 64% of people in the UK have had issues with neighbours over noise. This information came from a Good Move survey, which was supported by a 2021 study from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health demonstrating that local UK authorities received more noise complaints than any other.

So rest assured you’re not the only seller having to deal with noisy neighbours. You may need to consider this when valuing your property and determining its fair market value. Check out our guide on fair market value and how to calculate it, which might be useful. 

What can you do if your neighbours are stopping you from selling?

There are numerous instances when you should worry about your house not selling. If your noisy neighbours are preventing you from selling your house, you have a few options. As we all know, selling property isn’t always straightforward, but you shouldn’t feel stuck because of your neighbours. It’s definitely a hurdle you need to get past, but there are ways around it.