How to Deal with a Noisy Neighbor
Your heart starts pounding... breathing becomes labored, and
your head starts to ache. You wipe the sweat from your forehead
and try to gather your thoughts. Have you just had a heart
attack? Not at all. This is your body's reaction to excessive
noise.
"Studies of the physiological and psychological effects of
noise...indicate that protracted noise can impair one's hearing,
dry the mouth, dilate pupils, raise cholesterol, elevate blood
pressure, burden the heart. Constant noise can bring on
irritability, depression, aggression. It can interfere with the
learning ability of children," N.R. Kleinfield writes in the
article New York Quiet? Never. Quieter? Maybe. Listen up.
published in the New York Times.
Apartment renters are even more susceptible to hearing loss
because the noise levels are intensified in smaller spaces. Once
sound enters the apartment, the wall connecting you to your
neighbor vibrates - acting like a giant speaker.
If you share a wall with a noisy neighbor, you should take these
steps - in order - to try and solve the problem:
1. Tell the neighbor - politely - that you can hear their
stereo/TV/voices/running screaming kids/etc. There's a good
chance they don't realize that they are being too loud. Ideally
the problem will be fixed, and you can rest easy. Write down the
date on which you confronted your neighbor - you never know when
you might need it again.
2. If you receive a negative response, or no response at all,
approach your neighbors again, but this time supply them with a
copy of your lease. Chances are, there is a clause within the
lease stating your right to "quiet enjoyment." You might also
give them a copy of your local noise laws. Sometimes there are
fines for excess noise. You can find your local noise laws at
city hall, a public law library or the public library. Give your
neighbor one dated copy of the lease and/or ordinance laws and
keep a second copy (these are good for your records if the
problem continues.)
3. No luck? This time you'll need to give your neighbor a letter
informing them that you are willing to take this problem to the
landlord. A letter might look like this:
Dear Suzy Neighbor,
On January 5, 2000, I talked to you about the excessive noise
coming from your apartment. I informed you that the Twister
Parties lasting until 5am violate the local noise laws, the
lease, and disrupt my sleep. I asked if you would please lower
your volume or else move the parties to a more reasonable hour.
This request was ignored, and on January 11, 2000, I provided
you with a copy of the local noise laws and our lease - both of
which provide me with a right to "quiet enjoyment." Once again,
my request has been ignored, and if by January 20th, nothing has
changed, I will need to approach the landlord with this problem.
I hope we reach an agreement before I am forced to contact the
landlord.
Thank You For Your Time, Joe Tenant
4. Still no luck? It's time to tattle. No one wants to be the
Narc... but this may be the only way to live peacefully. Make a
copy of the letter, and discuss the problem with your landlord.
For additional support (and so you don't feel like such a tattle
tail) you might want to ask your other neighbors if the noise is
bothering them, too. You might be able to get a petition signed
by the other neighbors, and arguing with a group will typically
lead to faster results. Regardless of whether or not you can get
support from your neighbors, if the noise is bothering you,
don't just learn to live with it! Living with excessive noise
could actually be a threat to your health.
Once the problem is in the landlord's hands, you can de-stress a
little bit. It's amazing how quiet those parties will get once
the host has to worry about eviction! And if the noise-maker
doesn't listen to the landlord, maybe your new neighbors will
respect the "quiet enjoyment" law a little better than the last
ones!