Knowing how to resolve common issues and tenant complaints is important when you own rental properties. Whether you’re dealing with late payments, maintenance issues, or experiencing high tenant turnover rates, knowing how to handle them is crucial. Today, we’ll review how to handle one common issue–noise complaints in a rental property. Read along to learn how to resolve noise issues between tenants.
Contents of This Article:
- Examples of Noise Complaints in a Rental Property
- What Should Landlords Do About Noise Complaints?
- What NOT to Do While Handling Noise Complaints
- Get Fewer Complaints With Professional Management
Examples of Noise Complaints in a Rental Property
If you’re a landlord or property manager in Northern Virginia, you’re likely familiar with frequent noise complaints, especially in apartment buildings. After all, sound can travel quite easily with units next to one another. So, if someone happens to be playing loud music or a neighbor’s dog starts barking, there’s a chance you’ll get complaints from surrounding tenants.
On that note, it’s important for both landlords and tenants to recognize the differences between reasonable noise complaints and normal rental property noises. For instance, although all tenants deserve the right to quiet enjoyment, it’s nearly impossible to live in complete silence all the time. That said, here are some of the most common noise complaints in a rental property.
- Loud music or TV
- Barking dogs or other pet noises
- Yelling, shouting, or loud singing
- Children crying or playing loudly
- Late-night parties
- Outdoor gatherings near windows
- Stomping, running, or jumping from upstairs neighbors
Some noises in rental properties are unavoidable, like walking, talking, or closing doors. While these may be heard by neighbors, they’re not necessarily a reason to complain.
What Should Landlords Do About Noise Complaints?
If you’re a landlord and you receive a noise complaint from one of your tenants, there are a few things you should do to resolve the issue. After all, it’s your responsibility to ensure all tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment. That said, here are some tips for handling noise complaints from your tenants.
- Identify the Noise- The first thing you’ll want to do when a tenant comes to you about a noise complaint is identify the noise and where it’s coming from. Sometimes, tenants may be overly sensitive, or there may be a reasonable explanation for the noise.
- Inform the Tenant- When a tenant comes to you with a complaint about another tenant’s noise, you’ll want to inform the tenant who’s causing the noise. Remember, you’ll want to have this notice in writing so you have proof of notifying the tenant.
- Have a Lease Clause- While there aren’t necessarily laws regarding noise violations, you can still enforce regulations by clearly stating them in your lease agreements. Consider adding “quiet hours” or limiting the number of overnight guests allowed in a unit to help reduce unnecessary noise.
- Take Action- Even if you don’t think the noise violates a tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment, it’s still your responsibility to resolve the issue. So, inform your tenant of what you’ll do to handle the complaint and follow up with them within a week to see if it’s been resolved.
What NOT to Do While Handling Noise Complaints
It’s crucial for landlords to take noise complaints seriously and handle them quickly to ensure all tenants are happy in their rentals. You don’t want to ignore concerns from your tenants or falsely assure them that you’re taking care of a complaint if you’re not actually doing it.
For example, if a tenant comes to you with a complaint about their upstairs neighbor constantly having loud parties and you don’t do anything about it, you could push your tenants to leave and move out. Then, you have more issues–you lose rental income and may end up with bad reviews from that tenant.
Every tenant deserves to live in peace. So, even if you receive a minor noise complaint, you’ll want to investigate and resolve the issue as best as possible. Talk with your tenant, inform them of the complaint, listen to their side, and try to come up with a reasonable solution so both parties are happy.
If you find that a tenant didn’t actually violate any noise policies, you can inform the tenant who filed a complaint that you’ve investigated the issue and didn’t find any violations. Then, ask them what you can do to make them more comfortable and encourage them to bring any other complaints to your attention.
Get Fewer Complaints With Professional Management
Noise complaints in a rental property can happen at any time for a number of reasons, but knowing how to handle them is crucial. Don’t forget that your reputation as a landlord is on the line, along with your rental income. So, if you’re experiencing a high turnover rate due to complaints, it’s a sign that you need to take immediate action.
If you’re an out-of-town landlord or you simply don’t have the time to manage all the inquiries, complaints, or requests you have, it’s time to outsource. After all, the last thing you want is for tenants to become upset because you don’t have time for them.
If this sounds like you, don’t worry–PPM can help! Professional Property Management in Northern Virginia can help take care of the day-to-day tasks, so you don’t have to. Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive rental management services.
