How a Landlord Should Deal with Noise Complaints
A difficult lesson that landlords learn the hard way is that there is much more that’s involved with property management than just locating suitable tenants. If you are a rental property owner, depending on the terms of the lease, you may be responsible for maintenance, repairs, local ordinances/regulation compliance, and also noise complaints. In fact, noise complaints can be one of the most common problems landlords have to deal with.
If tenants are complaining that someone is making too much noise and not letting them get any sleep at night, the landlord needs to intervene to ensure they’re fulfilling their inherent duty of quiet enjoyment. The way that landlords deal with complaints from tenants plays a huge role in how effective they are at property management. AYC can guide you in connection with the steps a landlord needs to follow in order to successfully deal with noise complaints.
Determine if the Noise Complaint is Valid
The first step that a landlord needs to make whenever a noise complaint is filed is to determine if it’s valid or not. Noise is everywhere, especially in a rental property, and it’s impossible to keep everything silent at all times. However, there is a significant difference between regular noise, such as footsteps, and playing the drums at 2:00 AM. The latter falls into the “excessive noise” category, and it’s a good enough reason to call law enforcement, but this is not always the best decision.
If the complaint is about a regular noise that is difficult to avoid, such as heavy footsteps, the landlord should consider making minor improvements to the property. For example, installing a carpet or placing pads on the bottom of chairs will reduce some of the excessive noise between walls or floors that can impact a tenant’s sleep. The best way to determine if the noise complaint is valid is to listen to both parties involved. Maybe there is a solid reason why a tenant is making more noise than usual, and they will stop after being informed of the complaint.
How to Deal with Noisy Tenants
After determining that the complaint is valid, the next step is to properly inform the noisy tenants of what’s going on through the notice provisions in the lease. In some situations, they might not even be aware that they are making too much noise with their actions, and they will stop. It’s important to react quickly after receiving a noise complaint. Otherwise, the person making the complaint will feel like the landlord/property management doesn’t care about its concerns.
If the person making the noise doesn’t stop, the landlord can contact law enforcement. However, it’s typically best to avoid this type of situation. Taking extra measures, such as installing planting shrubs or double-pane windows can make noise problems go away. Floor upgrades are also a great idea. If there are already hardwood or laminated floors, you should consider adding rugs to soften the area. You can even stop the screeching of moving chairs by adding pads to each leg. This investment is cost-effective, and it can consequently make all your tenants happier.