Approaching a Noisy Neighbor

Noisy Neighbor

Many of us know the frustration of having a noisy neighbor and feeling like you’ll never get peace of mind as long as you live there. Sometimes, one can use acoustical and soundproof solutions such as acoustic curtains, white noise machines, fixing sound leaks, etc. Despite the number of solutions, sometimes the noise can be so loud that you have to go next door and talk to them.

From our experience, most neighbors will cooperate with you and sometimes they might not even be aware of the noise they were making. However, we know not all neighbors will react in a positive way or even cooperate. So what steps can you take before going crazy from sleep deprivation?

How to Deal with a Noisy Neighbor

Step 1: Approach with a Win-Win Attitude

We know we’ve said this before, but the simplest solution is sometimes the best one. It may be intimidating for a lot of people to approach an annoying or loud neighbor. However, if you’re polite and assertive when asking them to turn down the noise, it may be the only step you have to take.

Sometimes the neighbor isn’t even home when the noise happens. For example, they may have gone to work and left an upset dog at home and it won’t stop barking. In other cases, the floors and walls may be so thin that what may seem like a normal noise level to your neighbor could be extremely disturbing to you. 

Step 2: Warn About Noise Issues

If talking to them doesn’t work, send them a copy of your local noise ordinance or lease agreement with a note reminding your neighbor of what you said before. Be sure to include the details of the situation and let them know that you will be contacting the relevant authorities if they don’t start making an effort to make less noise. Hopefully this method works, but if it doesn’t we still have some more tips for you.

noisy neighbor

Confronting or writing a letter to your noisy neighbor might seem intimidating, but it could be an easy solution to your problem.

Step 3: Report Noise Complaints

If there is still no response, you can contact your landlord or homeowners association and give them a detailed report of the situation. If several tenants or homeowners send in requests simultaneously (written or verbal), the chances of the issue being solved increases. Written complaints work better than verbal ones since you can go into more detail describing the problem, making sure it’s taken more seriously.

Also, try to take audio and video recordings of the disturbing noises to show to show your landlord. Some leasing offices require evidence like this, or they won’t be able to help. Providing evidence of multiple occurrences of the noise disturbance could also help your case.

Step 4: Contact Police/Animal Control

If no one seems to help, you can always contact the police or animal control. Obviously, taking this step won’t do much in improving your relationship with your neighbor, but if may be your last resort. The police might not want to get involved if it’s an issue with a barking dog so you may have to contact animal control for that. Lastly, you can take your noisy neighbor to small claims court for nuisance. Small claims courts don’t require a lawyer and the process is much easier than regular court.

If you have any questions regarding soundproofing or acoustics, please reach out to us! We also offer a variety of customizable soundproof curtains that can fit any home or business.

Recap – Dealing With a Noisy Neighbor

If none of our methods worked out for you the last and most extreme step would be hiring a lawyer and filing a lawsuit against your neighbors.

Confronting or reporting your loud neighbors may be hard especially if you’re worried about hurting your relationship with them. However, it’s inconsiderate of them to constantly be disturbing you. Don’t forget to take these steps when you’re dealing with your noisy neighbors:

  • Approach them with a good attitude
  • Warn them that you’ll be contacting the landlord or police if they don’t stop
  • Take action and report them to the landlord
  • Contact the police or animal control if need be