noisy neighbor

How To Handle A Noisy Neighbor

The best thing you can do is  begin keeping this in mind from  the beginning of your search:

During Your Apartment Search:

Be up front during your viewing.

Do you regularly go to bed early, have small children or are concerned about late night noise? Be sure to make that clear when you go to view an apartment. Oftentimes leasing agents will know which buildings or areas are quieter, or can offer advice on best locations for you and your family.

Search for a unit on the uppermost floor.

Being in a lower level apartment may mean saving on cooling bills in the summer, but it also means you’re likely to be disturbed by an upstairs neighbor. High heels, large dogs and sliding furniture can all contribute to a noisy environment for first floor renters. . Think about aiming for a higher floor if you’re concerned about the potential of noisy upstairs neighbors.

After You Move In:

Be reasonable.

It’s understandable that you might be annoyed at an all-night party on a Monday, but general noise during reasonable hours is expected when you live in an apartment. Determine what’s reasonable so you have something you can propose to your neighbor if you eventually need to speak to them. For example, lowering the noise level after 10pm on weeknights is reasonable, but if your neighbor just has a few friends over for their birthday on a Saturday night, it might be unreasonable and inconsiderate to say something to them

Talk to the offender directly.

Chances are your neighbor might be unaware that they’re disturbing you, particularly if they’re a newer resident or if they’re above you. Very few people set out to be difficult neighbors. Stop by and speak to your neighbor directly about what’s bothering you in a calm, friendly manner and be sure to give specific examples so they see where you’re coming from. Also offer to swap phone numbers so you can call or text if the noise is getting too loud for either one of you.

Start a paper trail.

If you’ve already talked to them and the problem still occurs regularly and you’d like to make a more formal complaint, it’s a good idea to start documenting it so you have something to show your community manager or leasing office. Make a note of noise problems, including time, date and any action you took (for example, knocking on the door, asking for the noise to be turned down, etc.).

Speak to your apartment community manager.

After you’ve spoken to your neighbor a few times and the issue doesn’t seem to be getting any better, it’s time to involve your apartment community management. While this may make relations between you and your neighbor slightly frosty, it’s important that you’re allowed to enjoy your apartment as much as they’re enjoying theirs. Additionally, there may be clauses within the lease or apartment by-laws that allow for more formal measures to be taken should the neighbor refuse to comply.

Ask other neighbors.

If your noisy neighbor is particularly bothersome, it’s likely they’re also disturbing other residents. Speak to your surrounding neighbors and ask. If they indicate that they have also had trouble with noise, encourage them to also contact the loud person first, and then your community manager.

Dealing with unexpected noise is a part of apartment life. While some noise is fairly common, if it becomes a problem you can  to take action. What are the most common noise experiences you have in your apartment? How did you handle them?

Photo byDrew Sal on Unsplash

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