Noise complaints are one of the most frustrating aspects of managing housing properties. Some people think they can make as much noise as they want, while others seem to expect everyone to whisper in their own homes. If you don’t address noise problems correctly, you could end up with tenants leaving, and no landlord wants that. Discover how to deal with noisy tenants on your property.
Reduce Noise Between Units
The best way to handle noisy tenants on your property is to try preventing tenants from hearing each other. You can insulate walls and put carpet on floors to cut down on noise. It also helps to use on-site laundry rather than in-unit laundry so your tenants make less noise in their units.
Put a Noise Clause in the Lease
You’ll have a harder time enforcing a noise policy if you don’t put one in the lease. The lease is really the only place where tenants acknowledge the conditions they live under, like keeping a respectful noise volume. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck trying to enforce whatever “right of quiet enjoyment” policy your municipality has.
Talk to All Parties
If a noise complaint is filed, the first thing you’ll need to do is talk with the parties involved, the complainer and the noisy tenant. Get an idea from the complainer about how loud the noise is, how often it occurs and how it interferes with their daily life.
Next, you’ll need to talk to the noisy tenant. Let them know that you’ve received noise complaints, including the time and the way it’s impacting other tenants. Sometimes, a tenant doesn’t realize they’re being disruptive and will quickly change their behaviors.
Determine Whether Excessive Noise Is Present
If the noisy tenant disagrees with the complaint, you’ve got more work to do. Try talking to other tenants, without giving out names of the tenants involved, and see if they’ve been hearing excessive noise. If no one else seems to have any problems, then your complaining tenant is probably being over-sensitive.
Enforce Your Policy
If you do determine that a tenant is being excessively noisy, you should give them a formal warning with official documentation. This is typically a “cure or quit” notice. If the tenant doesn’t fix the noise problem, they will be in violation of their lease. Evicting a tenant for noise complaints should be your last option, but you never want to risk angering your other tenants into leaving.
