How to Deal with Rotten Neighbors

When we go home after a long day at work, we all deserve and wish to relax in peace, if only for a few moments before our commitments and obligations begin to tug us in different directions. Home is where we regroup, relax and live. Home is more than a house, it is a feeling of comfort and security.

What do you do if you go home to your castle, only to spend your down town dealing with loud, rude or noisy neighbors? I am a semi expert on this subject, thanks to my loud, law breaking, drug dealing neighbors. My home has a shop at the basement level, my landlord rents this shop out to some of the most undesirable people on the face of the earth. Every sound they makes is amplified and echoes into my living room. I hear everything, and I unfortunately can smell everything they do also.

The neighbors have sex, like everyone, but I get this honor of listening to their moans and groans of pleasure if I dare try to enjoy my gorgeous living room. They smoke blunts all day long, which stinks up my home, and they have no holds barred, knock down drag out fights on a daily basis.

After two months of waking up at night to hear the trash, as I like to call them, fighting, having sex, and or coughing from their drug abuse, I decided enough is enough. I knew I had to tread delicately around this subject. These are the kind of people who seek revenge, and I don't play that game.

I tried calmly and rationally addressing the issues with the rotten neighbors, only to be promised that this behavior would stop... Which it never did. I then called the landlord, who blew me off basically, by offering to move me into a house, which is renting at four hundred dollars more than I am paying now. I see no reason why I should have to move, so I did a little research to find out what my rights are in this situation.

Now, keep in mind landlord/ tenant laws do vary by state. But in my case, this is what I learned. My landlord has to guarantee peaceful cohabitation of residents. I called him again, made my stand for my rights as a renter, and he realized I knew what I was talking about, and made a visit to the storefront neighbors.

This did not put a stop to the nonsense. I again, had to exercise extreme caution in my complaints, as the neighbor politely explained to me that he had just been released from prison, on a manslaughter charge. He said he had been enjoying his freedom excessively, and he was sorry. It would not happen again...

Well, it never stopped! After researching a little more, I learned that the police maybe my only option at this point. If I call my landlord, he gets in touch with the neighbors from hell, they placate him, and then it starts all over again. However if you call the police enough times, they will contact the property owner and make the problematic neighbors leave the residence. What it boils down to is, after so many trips to the residence, the police will grow tired of wasting their time and resources. They will get to the bottom of the problem, and seek results.

If you find yourself in a situation similar to mine, take my advice.

Start off by keeping a log of complaints and disturbances. Civilly address the issues with your neighbor. You could say " I am sorry, but your stereo keeps me awake at night," or maybe "I love animals, but your dog has been barking excessively. I wanted to know if everything is okay, or if I could help you." If you take the approach of concern, the problematic neighbor will be less defensive. If this leads you no where, contact the property owner, and rationally explain your concerns or issues. The key phrase to consider when complaining to your landlord is " It is interfering with my quality of life." No landlord wants to hear this. If you have fears for your safety, don't hesitate to mention it! If this also lands you no closer to resolve, memorize the number for your local law enforcement agency, and start calling every time they are loud, or doing what ever it is that annoys you. Eventually you will find your problematic neighbors moving away. Trust me, you don't have to deal with it. Google your states landlord/tenant laws and begin taking notes. As a renter you have more rights than you realize.