You did your homework, you consulted with the best Santa Monica realtors, and you bought your dream home. Everything about your new place is perfect — except for your noisy neighbors. Before you stock up on ear plugs, check out these five tips for dealing with loud neighbors.
- Choose Your Battles Wisely
The only things that are certain in life are death, taxes, and your neighbors having a barbecue that gets too loud and lasts too long. When your neighbors pump up the volume, take a second to assess the situation. If it’s an isolated incident, the best course of action may be to let it slide this one time — or better yet, pop by for a free burger.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you find yourself enraged every time your neighbor sneezes, you might be overreacting. In short, be realistic about noise infractions and their frequency before you act.
If you are one of those who are still looking for a home then make sure you consult the best Santa Monica realtors and check out all things before making a final decision.
- Don’t Leave a Note
There’s virtually nothing to gain by leaving your loud neighbors a note. At best, it comes across as passive-aggressive. Instead of tacking a note to their door, try knocking on it. If your schedules are a poor fit, try knocking again. It may take some time, but addressing your concerns in person is more likely to yield a positive result.
- Get To Know Them
You don’t have to become BFFs with your raucous neighbors, but if you establish a relationship with them it will make it that much easier to speak with them when they crank their home theater’s surround sound up to 11 on a Tuesday night. For starters, they may not even know that they’re being that loud. It may also make them think twice about boosting the volume in the first place. If they know you’re “Chris, who gets up early for work,” for example, instead of just “that angry person next door,” they may exercise more consideration.
- Talk to Your Other Neighbors
There’s safety in numbers. If your neighbors’ volume becomes an ongoing issue, it may be a good idea to see if your other neighbors feel the same way that you do, particularly if there’s a homeowners association or condo board in place. Ideally, you should document the time and circumstances of the noise issues you’ve all encountered. These may come in handy, both for pursuing a truce with your noisy neighbors and for the next step.
- Call the Cops
When all else fails, and you’ve tried to be both understanding and civil, it may be time to call the police. You have a right to feel comfortable and safe in your own home. If your neighbors won’t take your word for it and continue to be unresponsive, maybe they’ll listen to the law. It’s worth noting that, unless you suspect some form of violence or other emergency is occurring, you should contact the police department via its local phone number, not 911.
You don’t have to choose between peace of mind and a protracted war with that couple who love to blare Limp Bizkit deep cuts after midnight. While noisy neighbors may not have been on your radar when you were considering Los Angeles condos for sale, if you act assertively and logically, you can restore calm to your community. Be polite, be firm, and be ready to bring in backup if necessary.
