One of the worst things that can happen to you if you live in an apartment is that you can get saddled with a noisy neighbor. When you live in a building with lots of other people, some level of noise is to be expected.
That said, some people really take things to the next level by creating an unnecessary amount of noise at all hours of the day. If your neighbors are making your living situation tense by being too loud, follow the following methods to help address the problem.
Look Into Sound Proofing
You don’t have to turn your room into a high-end music studio to get some good insulation against the sound your neighbors are making. You can use cork boards on your walls to dampen some of the sounds and wrap them in fabric to make them even more effective.
This is one of our favorite ways to protect an apartment against sound because you can decorate these boards to make it look like a design choice instead of a necessity. Look into some of our other articles to get inspired with ways you can make this look good.
If the sound is coming from the hallway, look into neoprene seals that will help block sound from getting around your door. If the noise is coming from the person below you, try some heavy rugs to put an extra layer between yourself and your noisy neighbor.
Drown It Out
This is not an invitation to turn your stereo all the way up and blast some tunes throughout the night. That would only escalate the situation and make your other neighbors angry in the process. A noise battle is the last thing you need.
There are responsible and effective ways to cover the sound from a noisy neighbor, though. Look into a fan for your bedside, or even a white noise app on your phone. Either of those options should give you some peaceful background noise to get you through the night.
If your neighbors are especially loud during the day, use music or the TV to play something in the background. That can’t make your apartment silent, but at least it will be your own noise!
Have a Conversation
If your neighbor is practicing their trombone in the middle of the night or doing something equally annoying, it can be tempting to bang on the ceiling or shout through the wall. Resist that temptation because taking a hot-headed approach won’t make them want to cooperate.
Try having a calm conversation with your neighbor. Explain to them how their noise is affecting you, and see if they’re willing to keep it down. If the problem is just that they’re being loud at inconvenient times, explain your schedule to them. There’s a good chance your neighbor will be willing to compromise.
Write a Note
If you can’t quite bring yourself to talk to your neighbor in person about their noise, consider writing a note instead. It’s best to sign your name and/or apartment number at the bottom so the note will have more of a personal feel to it. That way, they can come to talk to you about it if they have any concerns.
If you decide to go the anonymous route with your note, it’s still important to be cordial. If you write someone a nasty note, they might get offended and keep the noise up out of spite. As a general rule of thumb, it’s not a good idea to put anything in a note that you wouldn’t say in person.
Talk to the Apartment Management
This one is something of a last resort. If you’ve already tried talking to the neighbor and they’re not cooperating, you might need backup. Go to the management in your apartment and let them know about your problem.
The noisemaker might be more inclined to listen to the management if they’re not considerate enough to listen to their neighbors. This is especially true if the apartment complex has a noise clause in the lease– your neighbor might risk their home if they don’t get it together.
Before you go to the management, it’s a good idea to gather some support for your claims. Here are some things that could help you out:
• A detailed description of the problem
• A recording of the noise (you can make one on your phone)
• A timeline or log of events (when the noise occurs, when you talked to your neighbor, etc.)
Apartments in Phoenix
If you’ve tried all of the tips above, and you still can’t handle your noisy apartment, it might be best to move. Look into the Phoenix apartments offered by Heers Management. Our properties are well-built and spacious enough to help mitigate noise problems. Contact us to take a tour of our properties and get a first-hand look at how quiet our units are.