Handling Noise Complaints in Apartment Complexes

After living in a house all my life, moving into my first apartment was quite a rude awakening. I didn't have much money at the time, so the complex that I chose was geared toward low-income families, and the highest of standards were not upheld by management. Every day, working from home, I was forced to deal with rap music played so loud that my walls shook, couples screaming at one another on balconies and porches, and the occassional raucous barking of pit bulls and pomeranians.

I knew that the people in the management office could hear the noise, but they never did anything about it. Supposedly, our apartment complex had a 9 pm curfew, which was supposed to prevent people from loitering outside and making noise late at night. But the music, shouting and barking carried well into the wee hours of the morning, and in addition to headaches and missed work, I also suffered from lack of sleep.

Finally, six months into my lease, I decided that something needed to be done. If you're in a similar situation, and want to get rid of the noise in your community, here are some ideas that helped me conquer the noise.

1. Let people know.

There were a few people - though not many - who honestly didn't realize how much their noise bothered their neighbors. Whenever I heard the thumping base of a car stereo or was bothered by the shouting of an enraged couple, I would talk with them directly first. Calmly and patiently, I would let them know that I worked from home, and that I wasn't able to concentrate with all of the noise. In about 20% of cases, they would apologize and make an effort. If they didn't, it was on to the next step.

2. Lodge a formal complaint with your apartment complex management office.

Rather than just verbally complaining to my office, I typed a stern note on my own letterhead and delivered it myself. I informed them that I didn't appreciate how lightly the noise problem was taken, and that I expected them to do something about it when it happened. I also lodged formal and written complaints against individuals who refused to turn down the decibals when I complained to them face-to-face.

3. Post flyers on your building.

Since my management office wasn't very helptful, I took matters into my own hands. I printed up simple, black-and-white flyers and posted them all around the complex. They were simply a call to action: Please be courteous of your neighbors and keep noise to a minimum. It is disruptive and inconsiderate to play loud music, shout and allow your animals to bark.

I didn't sign my name to the flyers so that many of the residents would think the flyers were from management. It's a little trick I picked up from a friend of mine, and it worked for a lot of the problems.

4. Call the police department.

Sometimes threatening to call the police will be sufficient, but while I was living in my first apartment, I called the Sheriff's Department eight times to report noise ordinance violations. Various states, cities and counties have different rules when it comes to noise. In Edmond, music or noise that can be heard more than 50 feet away is considered a violation. Look up the laws for your city or county on the Internet, and when a noise violation is bothering you, simple call out a Sheriff or Constable.

Those are all proactive, positive ways to handle your problems. Here are some things that you should NOT do:

1. Stomp on the floor.

If you live above a discorteous neighbor, resist the urge to stomp or pound on the floor to express your displeasure. Although it might be immediately satisfying, your downstairs neighbor can then file a complaint about you, which defeats the whole purpose. It's much better to go knock on their door or call the police if that doesn't work.

2. Raise your voice or curse at people.

When dealing with those who are causing noise violations, try to remain calm, cool and collected. If you fly off the handle, you are less likely to achieve the desired response. Very likely, it will result in a shouting match, which is what you're trying to prevent in the first place. If informing the offending party calmly doesn't get anywhere, talk with your apartment complex management or with the police.

3. Get into an impromtu "battle of the bands".

Loud music is obnoxious, and should only be done where others can't hear it, but don't start playing your own music loudly just to see if you can beat them at their own game. This will start a war that neither of you will win, and it is petty on your part. Instead, follow some of the tips in the first section of this article.