How to Deal with Unreasonable Noise Complaints

As a landlord, you will encounter a variety of tenants; and unfortunately, noisy renters are one of them. If you begin to receive noise complaints from your tenants, it is your job as the property owner to assess the situation. After all, it is vital that all your tenants are able to live in their homes peacefully. 

Here are General Steps to Take in Order to Defend Yourself Against Noise Complaints

Investigate the Noisy Apartment

First and foremost, you must investigate to see if the noise complaint is a valid one. Assess how disruptive the sound actually is. Look in to see if other tenants heard it as well. Generally, you should ask how many times the noise happens, at what time of the day, and what type of noise it is.

It is best to get a full grasp of the extent of the situation before doing anything further. Once you have everything you need to know, you must decide how you want to approach the accused residents.

Reach Out to the Tenants in Question

Once you determine that the noise complaints are valid, you should immediately reach out to the noisy tenants. The residents should be aware that they have a noise complaint against them. Once you explain the situation, a warning is usually sufficient enough to stop the noise issues. Oftentimes, tenants aren’t even aware that they are disturbing their neighbors, so issuing a warning will give an incentive to avoid further noise.

Additionally, make sure that the warning is officially documented. This will help you keep track of all occurrences and lease agreement breaches. Having these documents will make things easier for you if you decide to evict a resident. 

Consider Eviction if the Situation is Severe

If the noisy renters persist and continue to disturb their neighbors, send a quit notice. Generally, a quit notice is the first stage in eviction; if your tenants obey the notice, then everyone can move forward. However, if the noisy tenants continue to disobey the notice, then it’s time to remove them from your property. Evicting renters can sometimes be difficult, so read our blog on how to evict tenants to help you in this process. 

Ways to Prevent Noise Problems

Avoiding noise complaints can be done in a few ways.

• First and foremost, make sure you rent to trustworthy individuals. Here at Beach Front, we have an 8-step screening process that helps you find the most reliable residents for your property. You can check out our blog on keeping your property party-free; it covers topics such as how to prevent renting to problem residents.
• Additionally, you should have a section for noise violations in your lease agreement. To take it a step further, you can even implement quiet hours. Having quiet hours lets your residents know what is expected of them and will go a great way toward keeping your property peaceful.
• Furthermore, invest in soundproofing. You can do this by looking into sealants, fiberglass insulation, and drywall panels.