This paper presents the results from surveys of occupants, industry and interviews withgovernment officials on the effectiveness of law and regulation at addressing the problem ofincreasing domestic noise complaints in England. The results paint a grim picture for occupantsreliant on regulation to deliver a quiet living environment in England. This paper argues thatregulation on sound insulation creates an elusion of providing adequate levels of sound insulationfor occupants when in reality these regulations only serve to promote the interests of governmentand protect the interests of industry.Both the difficult language of acoustics and rulings in recent court cases has provided additionallayers of protection for industry. Accordingly, buyers interested in living in a quiet home cannotrely on regulation to deliver homes likely to meet their expectations. Rather than relying onregulation, buyers can use a simple guide to identifying likely quiet homes.
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