How do I make a noise complaint to the council?

For people bothered by noise from a neighbour or nearby premises.

Applies to: England Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

Your council must look into noise that could be a statutory nuisance, such as loud music or barking dogs.

Try talking to your neighbour or using mediation first.
If the council agrees it is a nuisance, it serves an abatement notice telling the person to stop.
Breaking the notice can mean a fine of up to £5,000 for a home, or up to £20,000 for a business.
For noise at night, councils can issue warning notices and fines of up to £110 for homes.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Wales: Check gov.wales for Wales
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

Council must investigate
Abatement notice to stop it
Fines up to £5,000 (homes)
Night noise: 11pm to 7am

Key deadlines

Night noise: councils can act on noise between 11pm and 7am.
Fixed penalty: a person given a night noise fine has 14 days to pay it.
Appeals: a person served with an abatement notice can appeal to a magistrates' court within 21 days.

Before you complain

Councils usually expect you to try other steps first:

Talk to your neighbour calmly. They may not know they are causing a problem.
If they rent, contact their landlord, which may be a council or housing association.
Try mediation. A neutral person helps you both reach an agreement.

What the council can deal with

Your council has a duty to investigate a "statutory nuisance". For noise, that means noise from a home or business, or from vehicles, equipment or machinery in the street, which:

unreasonably and substantially stops you using or enjoying your home, or
harms, or is likely to harm, your health

Common examples are loud music and barking dogs.

How to complain

Find your council using GOV.UK's council finder.
Look for its noise complaints or environmental health page and report the noise.
Give as much detail as you can, such as when the noise happens and how it affects you.
The council investigates to decide if the noise is a statutory nuisance.

What the council can do

If the council agrees it is a statutory nuisance, it must serve an abatement notice. This tells the person what they must do to stop or limit the noise. For noise, the council can wait up to 7 days while it tries to get the person to stop first.

If the notice is broken	Possible fine
Noise from a home	Up to £5,000
Noise from a factory or business	Up to £20,000

Noise at night

Between 11pm and 7am, the council can serve a warning notice if noise from a home is too loud. If the noise carries on:

Type of place	Fixed penalty	If prosecuted
Home	Up to £110	Up to £1,000
Licensed premises	£500	Unlimited

The council can also take away equipment such as loudspeakers.

Free help

Citizens Advice can help you with neighbour noise problems and explain your options. Law centres and advice centres may give free legal advice.

If nothing works

You can take your neighbour to court, but this can be expensive. Court fees and solicitor fees add up, so use it as a last resort. Call the police only if the behaviour is illegal, such as violence or harassment.

If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland

The GOV.UK council guidance above covers England. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so contact your local council to find out how it deals with noise.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Find your council

Common questions

What counts as a statutory nuisance?

Noise that unreasonably and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of your home, or harms or is likely to harm health.

Can the council take away noisy equipment?

Yes. For night noise the council can remove noise-making equipment, such as loudspeakers.

Should I call the police about noise?

Only if the behaviour is illegal or someone is in danger. For ordinary noise, contact your council.

Official sources

1.Complain about noise to the council (GOV.UK)www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes/complain-about-noise-to-the-council
2.How to resolve neighbour disputes (GOV.UK)www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes
3.Noise nuisances: how councils deal with complaints (GOV.UK)www.gov.uk/guidance/noise-nuisances-how-councils-deal-with-complaints
4.Statutory nuisances: how councils deal with complaints (GOV.UK)www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-nuisances-how-councils-deal-with-complaints

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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