What To Do When Tenants Complain About Noise

One of the most frequents complaints most landlords will receive from their tenants will be about noisy neighbors. This can be a complicated matter to deal with because the source of the noise might be beyond your control.

Here are few steps to take when you receive complains from your tenant about their noisy neighbors:

Identify the noise source:

If your tenant complains that they are having problems with the noised cause by their neighbors, it could be from the playing of  loud music or loud television, yelling, children playing or crying, noise from parties or from neighbors in the area who are not even your tenants. Identifying the particular source of the noise will be help you determine what exactly can be done about it.

Paradoxically, its to your advantage if one of your tenants is the source of the problem, and if this is the case, here’s how you could solve the problem:

• Be sure the complaint is worth it: To avoid complicating things unnecessarily, you will need to determine if there is any merit to the tenant’s complaints. Is there an actual issue or is the tenant just being hyper-sensitive? Directly speak to the offender and try to see things from their point of view. You should also speak to other tenants at your property to see if they have similar complaints.
• Address both tenants: Let the other tenants be aware that a complaint has been made about their behavior. If this happens to be the first time, give a warning and be sure to inform the complainant that you have addressed their concerns by speaking with the other party.
• If the Noise Continues: It is advisable that you have a clause in your agreement regarding quiet hours and noise violations. Let the tenant know that if the offense keeps repeating itself they will be subject to penalties as stated in the lease (hopefully you remembered to include such a clause).

What to do if the noise is not from one of your tenants:

You will have limited options if the noise is coming form a neighbor who is not your tenant.  This type of situation might be a bit complicated to deal with as a person who is not paying you rent may not feel obliged to listen to you. However, you could use the following tips to get them to comply:

Advice the tenant to address the offender: People often fail to realize the effects their actions have on others until it is brought to their attention. This must be done politely but in a firm and clear manner.

You can suggest that your tenants tell the culprit about their two year old daughter who constantly has her sleep interrupted by their endless phone conversations below her bedroom window.  The objective is to show the offending party how their actions are creating negative effects, and how others are being affected,  without being confrontational.

If the problem still continues: You should try approaching them yourself. You should also contact the landlord or property manager. If the offender is the landlord, you might find it easier to see eye to eye but do remember to approach them politely and with respect.