Noise complaints

For noise to count as a statutory nuisance it must do one of the following:

• unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of your property
• injure health or be likely to injure health

Statutory noise nuisance laws don’t apply to noise from:

• traffic or planes (they do apply to model planes)
• political demonstrations and demonstrations about a cause
• premises occupied by the armed forces or visiting forces
• road traffic or noise from trains

If enough evidence can be gathered to demonstrate that the noise is a statutory nuisance that is currently happening, or will happen in the future, we serve an abatement notice.

This requires whoever’s responsible to stop or restrict the noise.

The notice will usually be served on the person responsible but can also be served on the owner or occupier of the premises.

The abatement notice can be delayed for up to seven days while we try to get the person responsible to stop or restrict the noise.