Excessive Apartment Noise: Understanding Quiet Hours and Complaints

Written By: Amy Rock

When it comes to apartment living, renters across the board would agree that a quiet neighbor is the best kind, and noise between the walls can ruin the whole experience! However, its not just the inconsiderate bass-blasters or late-night party hosts that are the cause of nuisance reports. In fact, many landlords have shared that regular, day-to-day living noises make up the true majority of tenant noise complaints received each year.

What are Apartment Quiet Hours?

At Stone Grove Apartments, quiet hours are from 10 PM to 6 AM. Quiet hour times can vary depending on where your apartment is, based on different city ordinances and different apartment community guidelines.

With so much noise coming from normal day-to-day activities during non-quiet hours, what then is excessive noise in an apartment? And what are the best ways to soundproof your apartment and avoid complaints? Keep reading to find out the most common sources of apartment noise complaints and how to avoid them.

What Are The Most Common Sources of Excessive Apartment Noise?

The Home Theatre Enthusiast- Everyone enjoys a good movie from time to time, but unless you’ve invited some neighbors over for dinner and a flick, they should not receive a full-blockbuster experience through the walls. Television noise is another top noise producer for renters. It’s important to be considerate of your volume level, especially between the traditional quiet hours of 10 PM and 8 AM. And, if ever tempted to purchase the latest bass-enhancing equipment, remember that as an apartment renter, it’s best to forgo the soundbar.

The Herd of Elephants – While at times it may sound as though zoo animals are living upstairs, it may, in reality, be the sounds of your (human) neighbors walking. In fact, due to the construction of most multi-family buildings, sounds can be magnified between floors. This is especially true in buildings that primarily use wood or vinyl flooring. While we cannot be expected to avoid walking in our homes, there are measures that can be taken to avoid excessive noise, such as going shoeless indoors, avoiding running or rough play, and reserving cleaning or washing laundry for daytime hours, when possible.

Fido- Excessive dog-barking is another commonly noted disturbance in apartment homes, especially for pets who are left alone for long periods of time. Finding ways to help reduce your pup’s anxiety, like playing the television at a low volume, creating the feeling of human presence, or closing the shades before heading off to work to eliminate visual triggers. Keeping your pet occupied is another excellent way to avoid unwanted complaints. Qwizl is just one of many pet brands that sell treat-hiding toys to keep your dog entertained and bark-free for hours.

Bon Appetite! – Kitchen and dining areas are the most utilized spaces in many homes, and they also bring on a large number of unintended noise concerns. While shutting cabinets, sliding chairs, and gathering with others are all activities that can and should not be avoided, they still rank highly on the annoyance scale, according to renters. A great way to soften those slam & slide sounds is to apply self-adhesive felt bottoms to the feet of your chairs and inside cabinets. Also, if you’re someone who enjoys a little music while you cook, always remember that sound travels more easily in non-carpeted spaces. So, keep that volume at a mindful level when embracing your inner Rachel Ray!

Apartment Noise Etiquette

Let’s face it: in multi-family housing, there is simply no way to avoid these types of noises. But apartment-livers everywhere can enjoy their homes more peacefully when everyone does their part. Even the smallest efforts to reduce your noise output can go a long way!

A good start to avoid excessive noise in your apartment is to understand the different types of noise complaints made to property managers. Property managers can be very effective in quieting the occasional bass-blaster, home theatre enthusiast, or late-night social host by issuing lease infractions. But it’s important to know that not all noise complaints are created the same. In many cases, noise complaints placed with the landlord do not result in lease violations simply because they are a result of normal day-to-day activities expected to occur inside the home during non-quiet hours.

However, regarding noises caused by day-to-day living, there is a certain “grey area” when it comes to noise complaints. Some activities resulting in noise complaints do not violate community policy and do not violate the lease, like moving furniture, walking loudly, closing cabinets too harshly, or other day-to-day activities. That’s why it’s essential for those wishing to get the best out of their apartment living experience to embrace what noise etiquette means for the modern renter. Understanding noise etiquette is essential to ensuring that you and your neighbors get the very best out of your apartment living experience!

If you're looking for your next apartment home in Burnsville, MN, schedule your tour at Stone Grove Apartments today! Our 1, 2, and 3 bedroom floor plans include carpeting to help reduce apartment noise transfer.