As a Tenant, you’ve probably been there. Sometimes neighbors can get a little loud, be it from loud music at a party or maintenance work such as mowing the grass. It can be difficult to gauge what to do in these situations, so here are some tips on how to handle it.
First, assess the situation:
– Before you do anything, take a step back and breathe. Assess the situation: is the noise simply annoying, or is it in violation of community guidelines or city ordinance laws? Is the noise natural or unnatural? (mowing the lawn every Saturday at 8 a.m. is annoying if you like to sleep in, but still reasonable by law so you may unfortunately have to deal with that on your own.)
If you’ve assessed that the situation is unreasonable and needs to change:
– Try calmly and reasonably talking to your neighbor. Don’t do this while you’re heated and upset. If you don’t know your neighbors, or may be worried about how you’ll be received, try bringing someone with you. There are some neighbors who just might not care that they’re being loud, but most may just be unaware of how loud they’re being and may even be mortified to know they’re being disruptive.
Here are some more tips when approaching neighbors about the situation:
– Be specific with examples, and don’t be accusatory. Be sure to keep note of what happens and when. Suggest reasonable compromises or other actions you would like them to take. Think of what you would do if you were in their shoes.
– Write a letter to your neighbor. Take the time to compose the letter so that you don’t come off as aggravated or unreasonable.
If either of those doesn’t solve the problem, see what rights you have with your HOA. You may be able to submit a complaint through your HOA who will either send a notice to the other party, or will mediate the issue for you.
If you’re still having an issue, determine if the noise can be reported to local authorities. Contact the appropriate authority in your city, or call the police department’s non-emergency line. If the noise is still persisting, and is affecting you in extreme ways (lack of sleep causing performance issues at work, etc.) you may be able to file a civil lawsuit against your neighbors.
Questions about what to do with problematic neightbors? Contact us today for assistance or read Help! I Have a Home Emergency.