Noise, noise, noise!

[Blueberry]

Check your city code website - there usually is a time they can't start construction before (and in the states, it's usually 8:00). And I second seeing if there's a legal services office available to students - they may be able to help you. I think the question you'll have to decide is - if you can get out of your lease, do you want to move. Or would you rather stay there and try to get the construction to stop (but don't want to move, even if it won't). I can't imagine there would be much time in your schedule to move elsewhere.

Good luck to you! Our city recently re-paved the street right outside our bedroom window - thankfully, it was only a few days of crazy noise, though.

CA

[sfa]

Check the noise ordinances in the area, but remember to check the zoning too--residential zoning has different requirements than business zoning. My street is zoned as residential so they aren't allowed to start road work or construction before 7 a.m. but we're a block and a half from a main road that is zoned for business and in THAT area they are allowed/required/encouraged (not sure which it is) to do road work and construction overnight, so as not to impede business traffic during the day, so when they are working on sewer lines and potholes and such, we put up with klieg lights and jackhammers all night. Depending on the zoning of your building, they may well be within their rights to start construction that early.

If you can't find a law to back you up, you can go to the housing office and see if you can get out of your lease on medical grounds--if you're having migraines triggered by the current situation and they can't stop the situation, they can at least let you out of your lease so you can find a quieter place to live.

Good luck!

[firenze11]

Thanks everyone.

We've drafted some letters, one in French and one in English. We'll send them to the major players at housing.

We've thought about going to legal aid. There is definitely an obligation for "peaceable enjoyment" of the apartment "throughout the term of the lease" and this is found both in the lease itself and as one of the main obligations for the landlord as set out by the main governing body.

I think the thing that's really getting to me now is that they will be completely renovating the upper part of the building, right over our apartment so the noise will be coming from outside the building and inside. This will make summer miserable considering we'll all be home working on our major research and will have double the noise plus pollution from the construction outside. It will be stifling in here if we won't be able to open our windows since we don't have AC.

None of really want to move. We don't have the time or money to look for a place, pack up, and get settled. Plus, we won the roommate lottery, basically, and all get along really really well. I don't want to lose good roomies.

Thanks for the advice. I think I was just looking for some outside opinions. We've been worried that we might seem like brats by whining about being woken up early, but it's really starting to affect us.

[Blueberry]

It would be one thing if it were 8 and you were complaining about being woken up early - not wanting to be woken up at 5:50 seems totally reasonable to me!