Residents
Owners
One of the responsibilities of a landlord is handling complaints. Noise complaints are a common problem you’ll face if you’re a landlord. Whether the noise disputes are between your tenants or between outside parties and your tenant/s, you need to respond to it and act responsibly.
Handling noise complaints can take some time as you need to ascertain if the claim is valid or not. Sometimes a simple noise complaint can turn into something nasty. That’s why you need to know how to make the right approach to this problem. Here’s an article that can help landlords handle noise complaints appropriately.
Investigate the Complaint
Visit the property and investigate whether the noise complaint is legit or not. That’s the first appropriate step you can take because you’re unsure, and sometimes there are tenants who have unreasonable expectations or are just plain over-sensitive to noises.
Know the difference between normal sound levels you expect to hear while living with other people and noises that exceed the normal. For example, it will be unreasonable to complain about the sounds of footsteps from another tenant who just arrived from work. But if there’s an intent to make loud sounds of footsteps at midnight just to annoy you, then it can be a valid complaint.
Important Questions to Ask
After receiving the concern of the aggrieved party, you need to respond immediately. Listen closely to the complaint and explain to them the steps you need to take to resolve the problem. Then, give updates regarding the matter until it’s settled. Your response to the issue should be timely and dealt with professionally.
Moreover, you must ask some questions pertinent to the noise complaint to create a favorable outcome as far as possible.
How Many Individuals are Complaining?
You can attest to the credibility of a noise complaint when there are multiple individuals complaining. If only one person accuses another party of making loud noises, you need to carry out a thorough investigation on the issue.
How Many Times has the Same Complaint Was Filed?
If the same complaint accusing one party has been lodged multiple times already, you should consider imposing actionable sanctions. If it happens that the accused is a non-tenant, you can transfer the complaint to the Homeowners Association or law enforcement.
Have You Experienced the Complaint Yourself?
You can make sense of a complaint if you have heard the noise yourself. This way, it will be easy to decide what needs to be done. However, always remember to deal with it in the best way possible.
Dealing with a Legitimate Noise Complaint
Once you figure out that it’s a valid noise complaint, you should gather both parties involved and get a statement from both sides. Don’t ignore such concern or procrastinate with your response because you might only make the problem worse.
When you have gathered both parties, calmly explain the problem. You can suggest the accused party to minimize the noise to normal levels. Don’t forget to document the resolution and ensure that all parties are aware of it. It’s crucial to refer to the household policy regarding noises to resolve the issue properly.
Set Quiet Hours
Setting quiet hours can help minimize the instances of a tenant accusing another of being too noisy. This way, the tenants have a guide when they need to be quiet to avoid disturbing others. For example, during weekdays, you can establish quiet hours from 10 pm to 7 am. During weekends, you can schedule it from 10 pm to 9 am.
It’s also crucial to provide a definition of what constitutes "excessive noises" for them to be more considerate with their actions. For example, you can prohibit playing loud music or throwing loud parties inside your rental property.
Home Upgrades to Reduce Noise
You can minimize the noise in your rental property by doing some home upgrades. Take note of these rental property upgrades for that matter.
- Insulation. Consider installing thick wall insulation to reduce the noise between rooms.
- Improve the flooring. If you want to absorb and reduce noise in your rental property, upgrade its flooring. Soften the noise impact on the flooring with area rugs and carpets. These flooring choices are perfect if you have a multiple-story property.
- Window upgrades. For reducing the noise coming from outside the house, install double-window panes. For an affordable alternative, decorate the windows with heavy curtains to insulate noise. These upgrades won't only minimize the noise but also add beauty to your rental property.
Takeaway
Receiving noise complaints from tenants is not so surprising to a landlord. It’s crucial you know how to handle such concerns and ensure that peace and quiet are observed inside your rental property. If a tenant accuses another of being excessively noisy, investigate the complaint and take the appropriate steps to resolve the issue.
