Try to resolve the issue informally before contacting the council. If you feel safe doing so, speak to the person responsible – they may not realise they’re causing a problem.
A brief, calm conversation or letter can often help. In some cases, formal involvement from the council can escalate tensions, especially if the person is unaware of the issue.
We can investigate a noise complaint if it may be a statutory nuisance. This means the noise must:
We usually cannot investigate the following:
Many people now work from home, but it’s not reasonable to expect your neighbourhood to be silent. Normal activities like home repairs, gardening, or children playing are allowed and we cannot investigate them.
Use the dropdown menu below to learn how to respond to particular types of noise nuisance.
Recommended hours for noisy construction work:
If you’re disturbed outside these hours:
We are unlikely to investigate fireworks or bonfires if they occur:
If the activity is frequent, dangerous, or produces excessive smoke, you can still report noise nuisance to us for review.
If you hear a building alarm:
If you’ve tried all of the above and the alarm is still sounding, report a noise nuisance.
We work with the University of Reading on issues involving student accommodation.
You can:
The university supports students and residents to help maintain good neighbour relationships.
Please read the following information carefully before reporting.
If you are a housing association tenant, report the issue to your housing association’s antisocial behaviour team. Details can be found on their website.
If you are a Reading Borough Council tenant or reporting one, report the issue to the council’s antisocial behaviour team by email: asb.team@reading.gov.uk
If you are a private tenant or homeowner, continue reading the following information. You can report the issue to the council for investigation.
We cannot act on anonymous complaints or those made on behalf of others.
When contacting us by email or using a contact form, you must include:
If any of this information is missing, we may not be able to progress your complaint.
You’ll need to complete noise diary sheets to help show that the noise is having an unreasonable impact on your home life.
You will need to:
You can also use The Noise App to log incidents and send recordings.
If you’re a private tenant or homeowner, you can report noise nuisance directly to the council using our online form.
Investigations can take several months and may involve court proceedings. You and other witnesses may need to give evidence in court while still living near the person you’ve complained about.
Please consider this carefully before we move forward. Let us know early if you have any concerns about this process.
If we are unable to help, you may consider taking your own legal action for common law nuisance. This can sometimes be quicker than a statutory nuisance case, but may involve legal costs.
A common law nuisance is one that interferes with your use and enjoyment of your home.
We recommend seeking advice from a solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau before proceeding.