There may be nothing worse for you than moving into a new apartment building
only to be bombarded with extraneous sounds coming from all directions when
you're trying to get a good night's sleep - it has happened to the best of us.
There's only so much you can do about trains passing by or planes taking off in
the distance, but most apartment buildings and landlords have some basic ground
rules in place to implement common courtesy among neighbors.
Quiet Hours
Many apartment buildings/property managers may implement
designated quiet hours within the complex. You will usually be presented with
this rule in addition to all other complex rules at the time you sign your lease
(often referred to as addendums). You will be asked to either sign or initial
the document as proof of understanding the rules, and as proof that your
landlord or property manager carefully explained these rules to
you.
Though noise and conduct rules will vary, you will most likely see a
rule stating, for example, “Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.” The
timeframe in which quiet hours are implemented are different from town to town,
city to city, and building to building - so be sure to check with your landlord
if you have any questions about when quiet hours start and end. Keep in mind
that quiet hours do not mean you have to be in complete silence for that
allotted time, and it does not mean that as soon as quiet hours are over you
should blast the radio with all of your windows open, either.
You may
also see a generalized rule about not disturbing your neighbors with excessive
noise in your unit, and if you can hear any noise (such as a TV, instrument or
stereo) from outside of your apartment, it is too loud. In addition, many
apartment buildings will ask that tenants and guests refrain from gathering in
common areas, parking lots, and/or club houses during quiet hours so other
tenants are not otherwise disturbed.
Noise Ordinances
Different towns and cities implement noise ordinances
within the community that all residents must abide by, not just your apartment
building. In some cities, a noise curfew of 12 a.m. may be in place for
weekends, where it may be 10 p.m. in others.
Aside from general curfews
in place, many noise ordinances will attempt to regulate noise based on volume
as well. Some communities may set their rules based on decibel levels so that
excessive noise will be covered under the ordinance. Typically, if the noise is
too loud for an average person, it is most likely breaking the rules of the
ordinance. You can check with your city hall to see what type of ordinance your
place of residence has.
Complaining About the Noise
Regardless of the rules, there's
always someone that wants to break them, and seemingly always at your expense,
right? If we're talking about a noisy neighbor, it is best to have a discussion
with that person directly, before taking the matter up with your property
manager, or worse, the police.
Some may suggest a retaliation of sorts.
For example, if your upstairs neighbor seems to be practicing for the Olympics
in the living room while you're trying to sleep, some may say banging on the
ceiling may send the not-so-subtle message to your neighbor that noise travels,
causing he or she to stop. This is probably not the best advice, since it could
ultimately end up in all out stomp war throughout the duration of your
lease.
Instead, it may be better to first go up to your neighbor's
apartment, knock and politely ask if he or she could keep the noise down. Your
neighbor may not have been aware that he or she was making so much noise, and
may gladly oblige.
This isn't always the case, of course, and you may be
met with unyielding neighbors who think of your complaint as an imposition to
them, and odds are they will continue whatever noise they were making. In this
case, your next step would be to inform your property manager, who will most
likely send an anonymous noise-complaint letter. Most of the time, this will be
the drastic measure that gets you the peace and quiet you were looking
for.
However, if your neighbors are still noisy, your last resort would
be to call the police - but don't expect them to be too excited over the idea,
because most of the time police officers have many other things to do besides
answer your noise complaint. Don't be surprised if a police officer shows up
after the noise in question has dispersed. That is not to say, however, that
police officers will not help you with your complaint - in some cases you may
just have to wait a little longer than anticipated.