You will likely get noise complaints if you are the landlord of a building that houses several tenants or if the building is close to other properties.
Neighbors could make these complaints against your renters, vice versa, or by several tenants against one another. This is one of the many reasons you should seek responsible and respectful tenants.
Let's look at how to address these issues about noisy tenants and make sure that both tenants and neighbors may feel peace and relaxation within your rental property.
Investigate the Complaint – Is It Valid?
Whenever you get a noise complaint, carefully assess the circumstances to determine whether the complaint is legitimate or results from overreaction or unrealistic expectations.
There can occasionally be some ambiguity on what constitutes typical daily sound levels and when it crosses the line into "extreme" territory.
Take the time to fully comprehend the circumstance since the issue you're facing may not be as obvious as you think. This can entail learning each party's point of view.
Analyze and judge the complaint.
Before moving forward with a response, it's critical to determine the legitimacy and seriousness of a complaint. If there is a cap on sound decibel levels, landlords should verify with the local governments in Nevada; in such cases, renters may not exceed the limit.
If you're asked to assess a noise issue, take into account the following additional factors:
How many neighbors have complained about the tenant's noise? You may have further supporting evidence if numerous people are complaining about the same party's excessive noise. If there is just one individual complaining, look into it more.
Have you personally heard the noise? The best way to assess the situation and decide how to respond is to observe and hear the noise.
How frequently are noise complaints made? Occasionally or several times per week? It's time to consider actionable consequences if your renter or a non-tenant is the subject of several complaints.
Before addressing repercussions with a non-tenant, review your homeowners' association's (HOA) rules.
Has the noise received official documentation? Through either you or a police investigation? It further supports complaints of excessive loudness and provides you with adequate justification for whatever punitive measures you want to take.
Is the alleged "loud disruption" typical activity, such as walking, chatting, or cooking? It aids in distinguishing between reasonable and unreasonable noises.
When a Noise Complaint is Legitimate
If you determine that the noise complaint is valid, you should act quickly to resolve the situation.
Ignoring or delaying your response to concerns about excessive noise is the biggest error you can make, and will result in unhappy tenants. In serious situations, this could make you open to accusations of negligence and legal action.
Be careful to explain the situation to everyone concerned entirely. When you face a noisy party, suggest reducing the volume to a more suitable level. Make sure the resolution is recorded and communicated to both parties.
If the downstairs tenant's concern is specifically about an upstairs neighbor, think of non-intrusive ways to lessen those noises from daily living.
Consider making home changes that will assist you in reducing noise, for instance. They include:
Insulate: If your walls are thin, boosting wall insulation may assist reduce noise between flats.
Windows: Putting up double-pane windows could reduce noise from the outside.
Tenant Conduct: You can also encourage top-story tenants to be cautious when locking cabinets and doors, for example, as a basic noise reduction technique.
Floor Improvements: Cork and carpet are two types of flooring that can help with noise reduction. These flooring choices could reduce noise before it reaches the tenant on the lower floor.
If the Complaint is Invalid
Inform the complainant if the noise disturbance is unfounded or if your renter is not the source of the problem. Tell them that you've thoroughly investigated the situation and the severity of the incident and that you have found no evidence to support the validity of the complaint.
Inform the renter that you have investigated the noise issue to the best of your ability. Describe your assessment of the noise allegation and your conclusion regarding its justification. Be sure to explain if there was no supporting evidence for the complaint.
Settle on Quiet Hours
Establishing a specification for quiet hours is a terrific method to prevent problems with your tenants from upsetting others with frequent excessive noise. Tenants can use quiet hours to determine when they should be especially cautious of their noise levels.
However, this does not grant your tenants the authority to make excessive noise outside the quiet hour window. Include a list of what constitutes excessive noise, such as noisy parties, lawn mowing during quiet periods, and loud music.
Add a Provision To Your Lease
You should include a clause in your lease that details information concerning noise in a bid to avoid noise complaint difficulties and shield yourself in the future. By doing this, you will have carefully outlined words you may refer to if the need arises.
Eviction
You might be within your rights to evict the renter if you frequently receive noise complaints about them. It might only be the case if the tenancy agreement contains a noise clause, and you can demonstrate that the clause has been repeatedly broken.
It's important to remember that landlords aren't liable for the noise their tenants make.
However, it is always worthwhile doing what you can to address issues of this nature to ensure that your rental accommodation is an enjoyable place to live and develop incredible relations with other local people.
Bottom Line
You must thoroughly investigate any noise complaints made against a tenant. Analyze the complaint and decide if it is justified. Then, depending on how severe the incident was, take appropriate disciplinary action.
You might have cause to remove the tenant if the problem persists. To retain records, be sure to detail the issue.
One of your best chances for choosing excellent tenants is to complete proper tenant screening procedures in the first place, in addition to clearly defining expectations around noise levels.
You can be sure that Evolve Nevada will examine potential tenants and place them in your home so that they are the correct fit from the start.
