Noise is a concern for every resident and because you live in a community, it’s important to understand that some degree of noise is to be expected. At the same time, residents need to consider the consequences of their noisy behavior. To keep everyone happy and maintain civility among neighbors, it’s best for all involved to take a few steps to reduce or eliminate annoying noise.

Be kind and respectful.

A little common courtesy makes a big difference. Keep your music and television at reasonable levels, do your vacuuming before bedtime, and before remodeling, check with the manager about acceptable hours and days of the week that work can be done. If you put in hardwood or tile flooring, use a sound-reducing underlayment. Move your noisy appliance away from walls and put sound-absorbing material underneath before your neighbors complain.

Keep a log.

If you’re disturbed by a noise problem, note the times and the nature of the noise. Ask the manager to listen and verify the noise as well. There may be a pattern in the noise that can be adjusted.

Visit your neighbor.

If your neighbor is the source of the noise, try a friendly chat. Sometimes people just don’t realize how noise is affecting others. People are usually considerate once they realize they’re disturbing others. And, if your neighbor knocks on your door, listen politely and be willing to made changes to reduce your own noise.

Contact the manager.

If a polite request doesn’t change your neighbor’s noisiness, it may be time to ask the manager for help.  Have your noise log ready, including attempts to solve the problem yourself.

Reducing noise sounds like a good idea. A quiet, peaceful community, relatively speaking, is a happy community.