LOUD AS HELL Construction in building.....rights?

Hi -

Looking for some advice....


We moved into this building almost 2 months ago. Have had noisy, noncooperative (actually spiteful!) since day two. Fine. BUT the lateset is that one of the other apartments is to be under reconstruction for the next MONTH!!!!!!!!!! It sounds as though someone is jackhammering in the apartment! It's like we live in a street construction site. Absolutely awful.


The lease says that only after a year can we give two months notice that we are leaving. We've been here almost two months. It CAN'T BE that we're forced to live in this mess, can it? About $35k a month in rent and management; not cheap.


HELP!

Thanks FOTH. This is really outrageous...it's as if they are jackhammering *in* my apartment. Tenant protection is not very good then in HK, is it?

Just a question. Thanks for the input.

Hi RiceT,

I know how you feel, I was forced out of my own apartment, while pregnant, AND during SARS in 2003 b/c upstairs people and my neighbours and the building across the street were all constructing and renovating. I had to move out to a hotel, then I left HK completely and gave birth in Canada.


When I came back with my baby, the people next door renovated again, and upstairs people.... and then downstairs below us.... and now the building next to us is reconstructing..... sucks eh? And the noise insulation sucks in my apartment, so, I am moving... but have to sell the place first. Sigh.


I called the environmental department and complained during those times... they sent people to investigate, and gave warnings... but unless they make noise before 7:00am (not 8:00am), and after 6:00pm, and on Sundays and public holidays.... they are by law still ok.


I think HK should change this stupid law... as if we don't have enough noise pollution OUTSIDE of our own home..... how does one get a moment of silence in HK ?

Meiji - I hear you. I'm pregnant too and think I may head out for a while. I think perhaps you can't ever guarantee when and where construction will be, so no use moving. Unless may be Discovery Bay is more serene.

Simple solution. Contractors should not be allowed to use jackhammers to remove wall tiles. Some sort of licensing within the building industry should sort out the problem. I can't actually believe contractors use cement to hang tiles.

To Foth,


I have talked to the Environmental dept about this problem many times. There is actually a rule about what is considered "noise pollution" if it's over a certain decibels, and endangering one's health, then you are permitted to make a complaint. However, the problem is construction and renovations are given this certain window of time everyday, so even with the decibels level being skyrocket, they say they can't do much. They suggested that I speak with my neighbours to arrange or compromise a schedule at that time.

Of course, they ignored me. They promise me, ok no more drilling tomorow. Just today.


Then tomorrow comes, they drill again, and when I ask why? They said, oh, we didn't finish yesterday.


So, I think the law or restriction should be, if there is someone complaining about the excessive amount of noise coming from the renovations,and is affecting their lifestyle and in my case and RiceT's... being pregnant, you have no idea how damaging it is to the mother and baby's health !

The should make a case, and from the complaint, they should follow the number of days/ or hours that they are permitted to make this much noise.


The other way is they should shorten the amount of NOISY renovations time... to 4 hours a day maximum. I can live with this. If I knew that from 8:00am -12:00 am each day, they can be noisy... I would leave my apartment each day at that hour knowing in the afternoon, I would have some sanity in my OWN APARTMENT which I am entitled to live inside in PEACE.


Not only did I suffer from the noise levels, I have to inhale 1 week of turpentine and really strong paint smell.... during the first trimester of my pregnancy. Thank god my child is perfectly fine in health. We survived the SARS threat period together.

Dont like noise? Why are you *IN* hong kong in the first place? Invest in a pair of earplugs or buy a noise cancellation device. Or tune it out. We used to live in this one neiborhood. If the wind was blowing the alarm in the lot across the alley would go. Thing was is it was an abandoned used car lot. Alarm still worked. Then there was this guy at 3am would start preaching on his church loudspeaker. EVERY nite. Get used to it. A lot worse stuff than noise went on. Earplugs, use them.

Well I for one am certainly not *IN* hkg for the noise.


Earplugs, DO use them...they don't work.


Tune it out? Buhahahaaa!..thats a good one