Noise complaints
Explore reports, case studies, and guidance to improve complaint handling and resolve issues faster.
On this page
About noise complaints
Noise can affect people’s quality of life. It can cause physical and emotional distress and affect performance at work or school
There are different types of noise complaints that can affect you, including:
- household noise
- environmental noise
- antisocial behaviour
This page gives you practical tools to handle noise complaints confidently and effectively.
Landlords will learn how to respond to reports, take proportionate action, and maintain trust with residents. Residents will find guidance on what counts as unreasonable noise, what steps they can take, and what good complaint handling looks like.
Guidance
Landlord expectations
Use this guide to understand what’s expected when handling reports of noise.
It gives clear steps to manage cases effectively and meet the standards set out in the Complaint Handling Code.
Resident support guide
Use this guide to make the complaints process easier and clearer.
It will help you understand your rights, know what steps to take, and get practical advice on noise complaints.
Reports
Spotlight report on noise complaints
This report shows how noise can affect residents' wellbeing and quality of life.
Explore the range of case studies and recommendations that illustrate the severity of the problem and outline best practice solutions.
Follow up: Spotlight report on noise
This follow-up report provides a summary of our evaluation of the Spotlight report on noise complaints.
We contacted the landlords who attended our initial webinar and who featured in the report.
Landlord training
Antisocial behaviour and noise training on the Learning Hub
Managing antisocial behaviour and noise complaints well is essential for community safety and resident wellbeing.
Our training will help you:
- deal with complaints fairly
- fix problems early using clear steps
- handle complaints confidently, using proven approaches to reduce harm and prevent escalation
- learn from real cases to make your processes better
Choose from in-depth eLearning courses, quick microlearning modules, real case studies, and expert podcasts.
Landlord Learning Hub
Your free training platform from the Centre for Learning
The Learning Hub gives you easy access to expert training designed for member landlords.
Create your account today and start using a wide range of resources to strengthen your complaint handling and meet the Code’s requirements.
Podcasts
Spotlight report on noise complaints
Improve how you handle noise complaints
This playlist brings together podcast episodes that break down our Spotlight report on noise and its follow‑up.
You’ll hear clear, practical insights on what’s going wrong, what good looks like, and how landlords across the sector have already changed the way they respond to noise issues since the report came out.
Case studies
These case studies come from real cases we have handled. You can explore all published decisions via our online decision library, which we share to stay open and transparent.
Severe maladministration
This case shows severe maladministration. The landlord did not respond appropriately to ongoing noise complaints. These failings caused stress to a resident who was already vulnerable.
What happened:
- the resident reported disruptive noise affecting their pre-existing vulnerability
- the landlord carried out an investigation but failed to ensure the issue was resolved
- the resident made a second complaint and requested soundproofing works
- the landlord opened an antisocial behaviour case but failed to conduct a risk assessment or create an action plan
- the landlord did not keep accurate records
- the landlord failed to communicate in an empathetic and timely manner
- trust between the landlord and resident broke down
No maladministration
In this case the landlord managed the resident’s noise complaint appropriately. The landlord kept accurate records and provided effective support for the resident.
What happened:
- the landlord listened to the resident’s concerns and conducted a building survey to investigate whether structural problems enabled excess noise
- the survey determined noise was a result of general day to day lifestyle noise
- the resident submitted no noise recordings to support their complaints
- the landlord remained empathetic towards the resident in all communication
- the landlord showed a willingness to continue investigating despite lack of evidence
Resident information
Resident support guides
Use this collection of support guides to make the complaints process easier and clearer.
They will help you understand your rights, know what steps to take, and get practical advice on all aspects of complaints.
These resources will give you the confidence to raise issues and get them resolved.
When to get help from us
Not sure when to contact the Housing Ombudsman?
This page explains the right time to get help. It shows what steps you need to take first, what we can and cannot look at, and how we can support you if your landlord has not resolved your complaint.
Use it to understand your options and make sure your complaint reaches the right place.