Non-Aggressive Strategies for Dealing With Noisy Neighbors
October 30th, 2009 by Staff WriterAnybody who has had noisy neighbors knows that this can be a harrowing situation. It can be hard to know how to deal with loud neighbors, and a lot of longtime residents who suddenly encounter a problem don’t know how to go about fixing it. It’s particularly difficult for those who tend to avoid conflict. They may not be able to deal directly with those who are making the noise. For neighbors who are losing sleep over an increased decibel level in a neighborhood, there are a few ways to go about changing the situation without direct confrontation.
Circulating Petitions
A petition is, by definition, a lot of names on a piece of paper. What it represents is that there is an issue that’s affecting the entire community. Creating a petition takes the pressure off of you as an individual, or your specific household. It completely changes an outsider’s perspective on the situation. If you can get a few names on your petition, you may have the momentum you need to get to a solution. The more names you have on a petition, the more seriously it will be taken by anyone who sees it. You can send the petition to the offending neighbors, or keep it for dealing with the police department or local government later.
Start a Neighborhood Group
Starting a neighborhood group does a few different things at once. It can help you deal with the noisy neighbor situation equitably, by involving a large number of local residents. It can also lead to more involvement in other issues regarding neighborhood improvement. Another thing that a neighborhood group does is similar to what’s accomplished with a petition. It shows that a larger group of people is concerned about any given issue. With time, a neighborhood group can become a definitive authority on what happens in a specific area where homeowners or renters get together to make policy informed consensus about their common environment.
Work through Local Government
Your local government, whether it’s a city, county, borough, or township, has a noise ordinance or “noisy neighbors law” on the books. This local law governs the limits of what kind of sound is appropriate in a neighborhood. You can get the language of the law from your municipal government office, or attend a meeting to complain about a situation you encounter. This is another way to begin a dialogue without directly confronting the neighbors, although if it goes further than the meeting, it’s a good bet that you will end up having to deal directly with the offenders when they get wind of the situation.
All of these are legitimate ways to go about dealing with a noisy neighbor problem, but many would say it’s always best to put the noisy household on notice before going ahead with formal complaints. With a careful, considerate approach, you should be to find a balance between direct confrontation and going behind someone’s back, to get active solutions when noisy neighbors are keeping you up or disturbing your neighborhood.
Tags: Neighbors
