How to Deal with Noisy Neighbors

Noisy neighbors can be quite frustrating, affecting your sleep and normal activities. They probably don’t even know they’re bothering you, so it’s best to start with politeness. If it doesn’t work after a few tries, you need to take stronger measures. Other neighbors will be grateful to you!

Table of Contents

Solve the problem directly with the noisy neighbor

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Discuss noise problems with your neighbours. Approach them calmly and complain politely. Ask them to keep their voices down and create a plan together on how to deal with the noise problem. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Calmly approach your neighbors. If you have never met the person in person or talked to each other, you should introduce yourself. Say “Hi, I’m Mai. I live next door to your house.”
Bring up the topic of noise that annoys you, but maintain as much respect as possible so as not to offend them. You might say something like, “I don’t know if you know that, but the walls here are very thin and I can hear a lot of sounds clearly. They keep me awake at night.”

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Let your neighbors know that you are being affected by the noise they make. Maybe you’re studying, have young children or an elderly relative at home who can’t stand excessive noise. You should explain to them why they need to be quieter. ^{[2] X Research Source}

For example, if you’re a college student, you might want to explain to your neighbor that you need some quiet time to study late at night. Remember to be honest and say, “I don’t want to ruin your evening, but it would be nice if you could lower your voice a little between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. They are important learning hours for me.”
Another way to confront your neighbors about noise is to mention a household member they may be disturbing. You need to be sincere and say something like, “Hey, I have a baby and even though I love rock music, all of this loud noises make it hard for my baby to fall asleep. Can you turn the volume down a bit? I will be very grateful to you”.

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Confrontation should not be used as a way to start a conversation. Don’t blame or accuse, and don’t threaten your neighbours. If you are aggressive towards them, they will react to you with hostility. Remember that you are looking for solutions, not hostile stagnation.

Stay away from blaming language like “you are” or “you should be,” and instead focus on how you feel and convey it to your neighbor. ^{[3] X Research Source} However, you should only do this after the noisy party is over, never proceed with reasoning while the noise is going on.
Avoid approaching neighbors with anger or resentment. If you feel like you’re too upset to have a productive, mature conversation, you should talk at another time when you’ve calmed down a bit.

Seeking a solution to the noise problem through the authorities

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Seek help from the mediator. If you find that a noise problem cannot be resolved between you and the person, you should seek a solution with the help of a third party. Sometimes, a member of the board or apartment management will help facilitate the conversation and avoid the formation of conflict between you and your neighbor. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

If your building does not have a mediation process, you should complain to the building owner or manager about the noise.
The manager or landlord will act as an intermediary and notify your neighbors of a complaint they have heard from an anonymous person, sometimes with a formal reprimand. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Contact local authorities if other approaches have failed. In the US, a few areas have a police phone number for non-emergency purposes, which is 311. In Vietnam, you can call the local police (or civil defense). ^{[8] X Research Sources}

When you call 311 or your local non-emergency line, you should let the operator know your exact location. If you are staying in an apartment complex, you will need to provide the exact street address with the room number. You must be ready to give them information about the opening code if your community has a fence around it. ^{[9] X Research Source}
Provide a brief description of what is happening. Let them know what’s going on. You could say something like, “I want to complain about noise coming from a party that doesn’t conform to the neighborhood rules.”
If you do not wish to be identified to protect yourself from any possible retaliation, you should let the operator know that you do not want the officer sent to the scene to contact you. . The police will contact your neighbor about the complaint, but will not mention you and will not reveal your identity. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Call the police to solve the problem with the noisy neighbor. If the problem can or has been resolved between you, your neighbor, and the landlord, you do not need to call the police. However, if you find that you have not really been successful in dealing with it internally, you should call the police. ^{[11] X Research Source}

In the US, 911 is only for emergencies, not for routine matters. You should call the police if some loud party is going on or if a band is playing at any time of the night. ^{[12] X Research Source}
It is important that you call the police only in situations where the noise is still ongoing when they appear. Otherwise, you should call 311 or your local non-emergency line for non-emergency noise complaints. In Vietnam, you can call the civil defense or the local police. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Sue. Filing a lawsuit should only be a last resort after you’ve done all you can to seek a solution but have been unable to find one. Use notes you’ve archived from past encounters with neighbors as documents to assist you in building your civil case before small claims court. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Sue a neighbor in court for monetary damages or in the form of a court order forcing the person to stop making noise, or “reduce nuisance,” which are covered in legal terms. ^{[15] X Research Source}
It can be quite difficult to sue for noise damage because the determination of damage is quite subjective. If you still want to do it in small claims court, you should use the note you took from the previous steps. You need to show the court that excessive or disturbing noise is frequently coming from the side of the neighbor’s house you are suing.
Show that you have asked the person to stop making noise several times and the problem remains unresolved. Provide evidence of police intervention and your interactions with neighbors are still ineffective or unable to resolve the noise problem.

Stay away from noisy neighbors

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Choose an apartment located on the top floor of the building. Normally, it will cost quite a bit, but this is the most effective way to stay away from noisy neighbors. Noise does not affect the apartment on the top floor like the ground floor. You should consider this factor when looking for an apartment. ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Check out the neighborhood where you’re looking to rent or buy a home. Checking out the neighborhood you plan to live in before buying a home is the best way to get a bit of an idea of how noisy the area is. Pay attention to your surroundings.

On the street you plan to move in, you should check to see if it has a basketball court, skate track, or other equipment that makes a lot of noise or causes children to often gather in an area noisy. or not. ^{[17] X Research Source}
Stay away from a road with a bus stop, an intersection with a stop sign, a pub, an empty field, or an unfinished house nearby. In other words, you should stay away from busy places with heavy traffic.

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Make it clear to the landlord that quiet is important to you. When you are looking for accommodation, you should let your landlord know that living in a quiet building is important to you. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Assess your host’s willingness to accommodate your personal preferences. If the person does their best to provide you with a quieter place, this is an important sign of the host’s willingness to ensure that you are comfortable.
If you notice a pause like “This is a youthful building,” you should be ready to face some college student parties. If this is a bargain that doesn’t work for you, and with your willingness to adjust to your living space to noise levels, it’s best to go elsewhere.

Advice

If it’s past 10 p.m., you can sue.
Don’t try to be a hero. Approaching a drunk neighbor at 3 a.m. is not a good idea. This action may aggravate the problem instead of mitigating it.
If you and your neighbors are both tenants, you should send copies of correspondence and any complaints to the landlord or manager. Noise, especially during long hours, can be against tenancy rules and building and city regulations, and it will attract attention.
Get other neighbors on your side. You’re probably not the only one bothered by noise. If you reach a point where you need to file a formal complaint, you should also seek help. It will add more power to your case.
Try to get to know your neighbors (noisy people or other people) before problems arise. It will help you communicate with them when there is a problem.
Maintain calm and rationality. It will help you defuse the situation and avoid conflict.
Use your judgment to decide which step you should take. If asking nicely will yield results, an occasional reminder will be all you need. If you feel threatened or your neighbor becomes aggressive when you make a request, it is best to contact the authorities directly.

Warning

Ask to keep your identity private when submitting a formal complaint. Even a reasonable person may seek to retaliate when questioned by the authorities.
While retaliation would be tempting, it wouldn’t work, especially in the long run. Turning the music up loud or damaging other people’s property only makes you part of the problem.
If you suspect that the noise is accompanied by domestic violence, or if someone is having a problem, you should call the police immediately, and articulate your concerns. Don’t try to be polite by not wanting to get involved.

Steps

Solve the problem directly with the noisy neighbor

Seeking a solution to the noise problem through the authorities

Stay away from noisy neighbors

Advice

Warning

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