LOUD NOISES!
Almost anywhere you live, you’re going to have to deal with neighbors. And especially when living in an apartment where you share a wall, those neighbors can get a little noisy at times. While a little bit of disruption here and there isn’t a big deal, there might be bigger, more frequent noise issues that make it nearly impossible to live in peace, like a constantly barking dog or weekly midnight raves.
If it gets really bad, then it might be time to file a noise complaint with your landlord to solve the problem.
When is the right time to file an apartment noise complaint?
When you’ve dealt with repeated, unreasonably loud sounds from your noisy neighbors, it’s easy to get worked up. Before you go straight to your landlord, take a couple of extra steps to try and solve the problem yourself, if you can.
Quiet enjoyment clause
Check out your apartment contract to see if it has a quiet enjoyment clause. This clause recognizes that you, along with everyone else in your apartment complex, have the right to live in peace and quiet, undisturbed by a repeated or unreasonable commotion.
Apartment buildings may include their quiet hours in this clause, along with any other relevant rules for being respectful in regards to bothering others.
Noise ordinance laws
Most cities or states have some form of noise ordinance laws. They’ll usually outline the hours when people shouldn’t be making loud noises, as well as regulating the actual level of the noise allowed.
Check out your city’s noise ordinances, which can also be used in your favor if there is a neighbor that’s disobeying the local noise laws.
Talk to your neighbors
Before you start writing to your landlord about how insufferable the loud music from next door is, head over to the neighbor’s place and talk it out. It is intimidating, especially if you’re a non-confrontational person, but it can sometimes clear the air.
Your neighbors may not have realized that they were being loud enough that it bothered you, so bringing up the issue with them directly may cause them to be more conscious of the noise and it may solve the problem without any involvement from your landlord.
Let your landlord know
If you’ve spoken to your neighbors and they still aren’t quieting down, you can let your landlord know about the issue. This is where the formal noise complaint comes into play.
How to file a noise complaint
You’ll want to actually write a noise complaint letter (or an email) so that you have physical proof you’re trying to resolve things. In your letter, include the specific issue, how it’s affecting you, any steps you’ve taken to try and fix the problem and what expectations you have moving forward.
You should also make a note to yourself to follow up on your noise complaint if you don’t hear back after a while. You don’t need to send an entire letter each time you follow up, just a little nudge as a reminder that you’re experiencing problems and it’s negatively affecting your living situation.
Sample noise complaint letter template
Here’s a template you can copy to write your own noise complaint letter. You can also download a Word document or PDF version of this letter to use.
[Your Name]
[Your Apartment Address & Number]
[Date]
Re: Noise Complaint
Hi [Landlord Name],
I’m reaching out to request your help in resolving an ongoing issue with my neighbors in [Apartment Number]. [Description of issue and how it’s affecting you].
[Description of steps you’ve taken to resolve the issue].
I’d love your help in solving the problem as I enjoy living here and would like to continue to do so, but may need to look for a new place to live if the problem continues.
Please feel free to contact me via phone or email to further discuss this. I appreciate your help!
Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Phone Number]
[Email]
Sample noise complaint letter example
Here’s an example of what that noise complaint letter might look like:
Joe Renter
123 Main Street, Apartment #1
3/11/2021
Re: Noise Complaint
Hi John,
I’m reaching out to request your help in resolving an ongoing issue with my neighbors in Apartment #2.
They throw parties late at night and blast music so loud that I often can’t sleep. This happens at least once per week, sometimes more often, and the noise has lasted until 4 a.m. on some occasions. It’s making it difficult for me to live and function when I don’t get the sleep that I need for work and I can’t enjoy my time at home when I can hear my neighbors through the walls.
I’ve spoken with them and asked that they try to minimize the noise and not turn the music so loud, but they’ve refused to do so. I also reminded them that, as per our city noise ordinances and the quiet enjoyment clause for the apartment building, quiet time begins at 10 p.m. and lasts until 7 a.m., but again, they have continued with the loud noises.
I’d love your help in solving the problem as I enjoy living here and would like to continue to do so, but may need to look for a new place to live if the problem continues.
Please feel free to contact me via phone or email to further discuss this. I appreciate your help!
Thanks,
Joe Renter
123-456-7890
[email protected]
What else can I do if my neighbors are still noisy?
If you’ve sent a noise complaint letter to your landlord and follow-up up, but still have seen no action to resolve the problem, you might need to take a few different steps. You can:
- Find your local tenant’s association, if there is one, and file a complaint there.
- Call the police and file a noise violation complaint the next time it happens
- Hire an attorney to consult with
- Move out
While these alternatives are far from ideal, they are better than consistently dealing with loud noises from your neighbors.
Don’t be “that guy”
Filing a noise complaint isn’t something anyone wants to do, but it may be necessary.
You deserve to live a quiet life if you desire to do so and it’s not fair (or even legal) for neighbors to constantly disturb you with their loud noises.
Just try acting as nice and reasonable as possible when dealing with a noise complaint so that you don’t become “that guy” that all the other neighbors hate for complaining all the time.
Only file a complaint if the noise is constant and truly interrupts your ability to live enjoyably in your apartment!
Source: rent.com