Hi, I am new to British expats and am in need of some advive. I live in andalucia and when i bought my house 3 years ago the house next door was vacant. We have since had some english neighburs move in. They have been there for just over a year now. From the very beginning they have been extremely noisy with the children (aged about 17 and 12) play their computers and shout and jump around till the early hours of the morning. I honestly do not know what they do but it sounds like they drag all the furniture around behind them till midnight. It has been so bad that we have had to move our bedroom to the other side of the house to get any sleep.

The youngest son came into my house one afternoon via our roof terrece ( yes he climbed along the roof that connects the house) when we were out and stole for our store room taking a play staion, motor bike helmet and curtains from the washing line!!! Yes i had forgotten to lock the roof terrace door but i dont consider that an excuse. My husband went next door to ask the mother if she had seen anyone on the roof terrace and she admitted that her son had been up there and we got the motor bike helmet back, but there was no real apology and no other items were returned!

I have confronted her about the noise very civily on the first occasion and needless to say the second time was not so polite from both parties!

I understand kids can be noisy and i am expecting a child of my own but i feel they take it to extremes. All my other spainish neighbours are lovely and i am embarassed to say that this is a dispute between 2 english families

Are there any laws in spain regarding noise from neighbours, and does the landlord or the property have any responsibilities regarding the people that rent their property?

I dont want to denounce people but what can i do? Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks

You have three options:-
1) Denounce
2) Move
3) Or shoot the whole family.

Option 3 sounds good However on a serious note I am sure someone who will know the answer will help. I do hope you get it sorted out x

I have to say I'm not surprised that it's an English family.......................sad but true

are you part of a small community/urbanisation?

if so, there will be community rules in place regarding noise & 'quiet time' - where we are that is between the hours of 10pm & 10am and 3pm-5pm

if that is the case then your first port of call will be the community president who should take it from there with the owners or directly with the tenants

that can be very effective

one place we lived an English family moved in with 4 yappy dogs which used the balcony as a loo & were shut onto it almost all day every day - you can imagine the stink, not to mention how cruel it was to the dogs

there was actually a community rule in place only allowing 2 dogs per apartment & strictly forbidding leaving them on the balcony

tha family was given the option of getting rid of 2 dogs or leaving within 1 week

they left within a couple of days

if you don't live in a small community like this - then denouncing them might well be your only option - the police will simply take your statement & then pay them a visit - that might be enough to shut them up

It is the way spanish houses are built too. I could never live in an attached house or apartment in Spain whichever country the neighbours came from. I suppose you would have to be very tolerant. I know someone who lives in a townhouse and they can't even leave a child's toy outside or it disappears.

there is an element of truth in that - but at least there are usually rules in place in that sort of community so that there are certain times when you can expect a bit of quiet

we have lived in apartments & townhouses here, we are in an apartment now & very happy - in the UK we had a detached house in its own (pretty big) grounds

it does take some tolerance & a bit of getting used to - but there are always limits to what is acceptable

Personally, If they stole from me, I would denounce them.
After all, you went round and only got 1 stolen item back, I'd be looking for it all, as far as I would be concerned, they had there chance.

The second time there was a confrontation ! You'll have to step it up, or they'll think they've won ! What about when your childs born, will the noise keep you awake, when your already suffering from a lack of sleep ?

Look at it from the other side. If it was you or your child that done it, you can be sure they would be denouncing you, it's always the way with this sort of selfish people.

I agree with Icharus above - you really should denounce them! They admitted the theft by giving one item back - what excuse did they have for not returning the other items?

We had problems with our - Spanish - neighbours when we first moved in. The 9 year old girl was a complete nightmare, loud - and I mean unbelievably loud

She somehow managed to have a duplicate door key for our house (presumably obtained via the previous owner) We were puzzled by things - such as my camera - going missing. We realised what was going on when we came home one day and found our dog outside - we must have come home earlier than she expected and caught her by surprise!

We had to change the locks & she never admitted what she'd done but we got the camera back after threatening to denounce her!

(She got pregnant at 15 and moved to a nearby town - peace at last )


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Denounce them immediatley for theft and causing a disturbance, also if they are tennants they may move on if they realise you mean business.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

As i said im not a child hater (i have my own on the way) and undersand that kids make noise but as you have all said there are limits! Will have to think carefully about my next move.

Thanks again

It sounds like you are being a bit too nice about it. I think you firstly need to give them the opportunity to sort it out just between you. Either by writing them a letter ot approaching them about it, stating that if your belongings are not returned and the noise level is not managed you will be forced to take further action/make a complaint.

Good Luck

It is never easy and you have to try the nice way first. Before we lived in Spain we had a townhouse as a holiday home. Was always very quiet (most of the owners were from N. Spain) but we weren't there in July/August. Just 10 houses and pool...bliss. When we decided to live here all the time we intended to live there. We were the end house.

Beginning of July they came down from Madrid. Unbelievable how many people could fit into a 3 bed house So we went back to the UK for a while and thought it will be ok. in Sept. It was. In October a family from Uruguay rented next door. couple, two teenagers, a baby and a toddler. There always seemed to be someone up and they had a TV in every room. I went round at 4am once, the woman was ironing in the kitchen and someone upstairs was playing loud music. 8am they were dashing up and down the marble stairs. At the same time a couple of spanish guys rented opposite and left two dogs on the roof terrace all/every day.

The community were useless, sent letters that's all. The Police weren't interested, just had a wander round. So we sold, wasn't worth the hassle we came to relax and enjoy life not get caught up in something that could go on for months. fortunately they were selling fast then. Since then I would never live in an attached in any country.

That is completely opposite to my experience - possibly due to location. Your experience may be more the norm on the coast or in an urbanisation with holidaymakers (I'm not saying that's where you live).

We live in an inland village, mostly Spanish but with a good size Brit community and many eastern Europeans.

The Brits are generally quiet.

Some Spanish and Eastern Europeans on the other hand use massive sound systems both in their houses and their cars - the Brits just don't do this.

After reasonable requests for them to stop - which they ignored - I threatened to denounce the Romanian family opposite whose sound system caused our front door to rattle and made it impossible to hear our television or even talk to each other. It did the trick.

That's what I suggest you do as well - threaten to denounce them.

Why do some women always seem to walk around with heeled shoes too. Clickity-clack, backwards and forwards across the room. If I arrive home in heels I change into something comfortable, or bare feet in warm weather

yes I am on the coast - & yes, it is usually holidaymakers who cause teh most problems

I agree that Spanish do tend to make more noise overall - but they are more respectful of any 'quiet time' rules on urbs

we had some English neighbours in one place we lived in who said the rules only applied to kids & renters or holidaymakers - as adults & owners they could do as they chose!