Neighbours to go to war after washing machine causes 4am wake up

A UK neighbourhood’s residents are at odds with one another after someone shared an angsty note from a neighbour pleading for someone in their apartment complex to stop using their washing machine at 4am.

An angry note was pinned to the front door of the residents’ block of flats.

In the note, the sleep-deprived neighbour begs that his fellow neighbour stop washing their clothes at 4am as it is so noisy it wakes him up.

The note reads: “Dear neighbours, 4am is not an acceptable time to use a washing machine. I have been woken up several times with your washing machine.

“Please stop! Refrain from using the washing machine before 7am. I have been woken up on too many occasions. This is very unfair when people are working.”

Another neighbour in the complex saw the note and posted it to social media.

The person who found the note wrote: "This was on the front door to our block of flats - can’t decide whose side I am on.

“(I am neither the neighbour nor the note leaver).”

Flocking to the comments, viewers took a range of stances with some defending the washing machine user.

“Do you have a day rate and a night rate for electricity?” One person asked. “If her night rate starts at midnight like mine does, she’s probably setting the washing machine to start then to save some money on the electric (like I do).”

Another agreed: “Some energy companies charge less for out-of-hours usage, so might be a factor. Probably an easy fix by adjusting the washing machine feet so the damn thing doesn’t rattle.... Or it could just be someone getting rattled?!”

A third wrote: “I was going to say this. I’ve seen a few companies recently encouraging people to use their machines at night.”

Others were sympathetic to the woken neighbour, saying that while people can do what they want in their own home, that they could wait a couple more hours until a more reasonable time.

Another also said the neighbour complaining wasn’t rude, writing: “I don’t see how this note is rude, it’s direct and to the point without being passive-aggressive or insulting.”

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.