Working as a property manager, it is not uncommon to receive complaints about noisy neighbours.
Noise complaints can cover a wide spectrum of grievances, from barking dogs, to noisy parties, to a TV being too loud.
There is no one answer on how to deal with tenants who are frustrating their neighbours or for that matter neighbours who are frustrating the tenants. It is important to note however that a property manager is not responsible for the actions of a tenant, and are not obliged to take action if a complaint is made. However, when a complaint is received, we do approach the situation with a plan.
As a general rule, we will advise the complaining neighbour to attempt self-resolution. If the two parties can discuss the concerns at hand and arrive at a solution amongst themselves, all the better.
If the neighbour and tenant aren’t able to reach a resolution amongst themselves, you can get the local council involved. This is a point where things can enter into a grey area. When residing in a rental property, tenants are obliged to not disturb the peace, comfort or privacy of their neighbours – referred to as ‘quiet enjoyment’. Note that ‘quiet enjoyment’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘not noisy’.
It’s also useful to remember that if the noisy neighbour was not a tenant, but an owner/occupier, there would be no recourse through an agent or the RTA, and the issue would need to be settled between the neighbours.
Noise complaints can be a tricky situation to handle at the best of times as there can be a lot of variance in the interpretation of terms like ‘reasonable’ and ‘excessive’. In these matters we place a strong emphasis on self-resolution, as quite often, the issues can be resolved by the two parties talking it out.
