Noise complaints are common property manager issues that you probably have to deal with sometimes, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to handle. Excessive commotion and noise within your building can be very disruptive to your residents, who have the right to live in peace and quiet at reasonable times. Additionally, if your lease agreement contains a clause regarding noise, then it could be a breach of contract. Whether you’re a property manager dealing with this currently or you just want to be prepared for the future, follow these guidelines we’ve laid out for you below!
Determining whether the complaint is valid
The first step when receiving a noise complaint from a resident is to decide whether it is valid and reasonable. Sometimes there’s confusion about what’s a normal sound level and what’s too much. Let’s say one of your residents is blasting music at midnight during the work week. That would be considered excessive noise. However, if a resident is complaining about hearing footsteps from their neighbors above, that’s unreasonable. As their property manager, you can still provide a solution by laying down a carpet or putting pads on the bottoms of loud chairs.
Responding to a Noise Complaint
When you receive a noise complaint, you have to respond quickly. This will help prevent your residents from overreacting. Go through their options regarding the noise complaint with them and stay in touch until the issue is resolved. Sometimes situations escalate, so if law enforcement gets involved, make sure to follow up with your resident to ensure the issue was handled appropriately.
Valid Noise Complaint
If you decide the complaint is reasonably valid, then you need to immediately address it by reaching out to the resident directly or the neighbor causing the noise. We suggest sending an email or calling the noisy neighbor to discuss the situation and complaints. However, if the noise violations continue, an eviction might be necessary. It doesn’t always have to come to that, but if a few chats about being noisy don’t resolve things, it might be time to remind them of the potential consequences.
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