Your home is your castle but how do you deal with noisy neighbours?
As much city living is on top of each other, you may know your neighbour’s movements and whereabouts more than you would like. This could be due to the quality of the soundproofing of the building, or your neighbours simply may be of the noisy variety.
But how do you handle those situations when the dog has barked one too many times? Or the loud music continues until three in the morning for the third night in a row? Or if the door is always slammed sending reverberations through your home?
Sadly being annoyed by neighbours or even your own housemates is quite common. But how do you handle the situation with someone you potentially walk past daily in the corridor?
1. Talk.
First and foremost approach your neighbour in a calm manner and explain the problem. It may simply be that they are not aware of the noise they are making and how it impacts you. It is best to wait until after the incident when you have a cooler head and your neighbour is not mid way through their all-night party. In many cases this is enough to resolve the issue but how you approach the chat, will influence the outcome. Remember everyone has the right to enjoy their property so you need to make sure that your request is reasonable and you don’t jump in all guns blazing.
2. Take notes.
Once something has started to aggrevate you, it becomes hard to ignore. Not only will this send you stir crazy, but you may also find that that you have amplified the situation in your head. Record the regularity of the incidents noting the date and time. By doing this you can accurately assess how regularly the noise issue is occurring and will compile records should you need to take further actions.
3. Contact the landlord or management company.
If your attempt to talk to your neighbours has fallen on deaf ears, then you may need to take it one step further and contact your neighbours landlord if they are renting, or the management company. By bringing it to their attention and asking them to address the problem, your neighbours may understand the severity of the issue. Some tenancy agreements and buildings only permit music between certain hours so this may help in resolving the issue. Again go with a calm attitude to get them on your side.
4. Move.
As a last resort you may need to consider moving. Not an ideal situation but if you feel that you have exhausted every angle and learning to meditate won’t help keep you calm, this could be your only option. Check out the listings on Thailand Property and you maybe fortunate enough to find another unit in the same building far away from your neighbours. But before you take the plunge, check if your noisy neighbour is looking to move anytime soon as you don’t want to find out that they are moving a week after you do!
