How to Deal With Noisy Neighbours?

Living in close range with other people has several benefits, such as having new friends, BBQ invites, borrowing something missing in your house and much more. But sometimes, there are some frustrations associated with having neighbours, such as them being too noisy.

Though there are no federal laws in Australia that cover loud neighbours, many towns and cities have noise ordinances to protect you. Besides that, if you want to know How to deal with Common Neighbour Disputes or noisy neighbours, some tricks can also help you. Read the blog below to learn more about how to deal with loud neighbours in your area.

Dealing With Noisy Neighbours

Most people have had experiences with loud and obnoxious neighbours, such as your neighbours may be having a little too much fun, practising the guitars or other things like generally being heavy-footed or a loudspeaker. Sometimes, it can be more than irritating, and you may also lose sleep or your patience with it. If you are facing these problems, you must take appropriate steps.

You can choose to read the laws of your state and what rights you have before you look to file a complaint. You must make some considerations before you look to file any complaint.

Reducing Sound With the Help of Furniture and Decorations

Sometimes, if you want to reduce or drown out unpleasant sounds and loud neighbours, there are some helpful tools and decorative tweaks. Though it is not guaranteed that they provide the greatest solution, it can surely provide some help.

• You can add a rug or two.

Though full-blown carpeting is the best to reduce noise, you will not be able to do that in an apartment. You can add in a few area rugs to ensure they absorb sounds and keep things less noisy. They are also a statement piece that does not sound like an intentional sound-blocking tool.

• Opt for a white noise machine and earplugs

Noise-cancelling headphones can be useful in the office or while you are working from home. But you will not use them when going to bed; with the help of a white noise machine or earplugs, you can easily go to sleep and not be disturbed by neighbours who do not sleep before 2 am.

• You can choose to add more furniture.

Sound waves can bounce around empty rooms, and if you have not purchased a sofa yet or are only living with a mattress and lamp, you can opt for more furniture. You can purchase furniture like sofas to block noise.

• You can choose to invest in noise-reducing curtains.

You might have heard of blackout curtains for light, but there are also some drapes available that can help lessen volume from outside. You can not only shut some noise out, but they will also help to ensure that heat and light do not escape.

• Make use of a door draft stopper.

Though the tools mentioned above can be considered the best way to deal with noisy neighbours, they also help prevent cold drafts from coming inside your room. You can look to place one at your front door and one at your bathroom door to ensure that any cracks are sealed that will let extra noise come in.

You Can Take Legal and Verbal Action.

In such cases, there are many legal and verbal actions that you can take, such as the following:

• You can speak with your neighbours

At first, it might feel a little intimidating to stop by their residence and ask them to lower their voices or reduce other noise. People are said to be usually receptive to these requests, and sometimes, they are unable to realise that they are being too loud. If you do not want to opt for face-to-face meetings, you can instead choose to leave a note.

• You can choose to offer your suggestions to them.

At times, your neighbours may be at a loss for ideas on how to lessen noise, or they might be professional musicians/singers. They may even be having a dog run around their house all the time. You can offer them some recommendations, such as adding rugs to the floor, purchasing new cushions, or even soundproofing curtains.

• You can talk to an on-site manager.

Various condo complexes and apartments have on-site managers and leasing offices. You can choose to visit there to let them know what issues you are having with loud neighbours and look for suggestions. They might be able to call or speak to the neighbour for you, and if you rent from a landlord, you can communicate with them about this matter.

• You can choose to file a noise complaint.

If the noise pollution from your neighbourhood is too much, you can choose to make a complaint about a neighbour to the council. This might be the only way for you to get the consideration and attention of your neighbours.

how to But before you file a noise complaint, you must look into the ordinances and laws for the particular city you live in. When you know the laws, you can be assured that you did nothing wrong and that the problem does not escalate further. You should only opt for this choice when all other ways of dealing with neighbours have been exhausted.

How Should You Not Deal With Noisy Neighbours?

Before you look for the best ways to deal with noisy neighbours, you must know what not to do during such moments. Though many people choose to yell back or just leave a note, there are some things that you should never opt for. Some of them are as follows:

• Do not leave any kind of passive-aggressive notes

Though you may be tempted to leave a snarky note on their doorsteps, it is best not to write notes in such situations. A handwritten letter with a name and a number may be okay, but things will only aggravate when you do not identify yourself.

• Do not look to compete with their noise level.

Turning the volume of your TV ten times more or playing music to block the sound coming from next door can only be a temporary fix. There are some issues with these methods, and for beginners, you will only add more to the noise, and this will defeat your purpose of blocking extra noise.

• Do not look to “outnoise” your neighbours.

Sometimes, when you are disturbed by the extra noise coming from the neighbours, you may feel like giving them a taste of their own medicine. But this will only add more fire to the fuel as there will be mutual tension between both parties. In the long run, it is better to approach the situation more kindly.

• Do not confront your neighbours with anger in mind.

Though you should not doubt that noisy neighbours are infuriating, it does not mean you show your anger too. Spewing anger can lead to more drama, fear and a chance of your neighbour not listening to you. You can look to regain your composure before touching this sensitive subject.