Noisy Tenants – When Should A Landlord Step In?

One of the most common problems a landlord could encounter is a noise complaint from one tenant to another. These situations are rarely avoidable as one person’s tolerance of noise, or even what he or she considers noise is different for everyone.

It is usual for the person who complains about a neighbouring tenant’s music or TV volume to rush directly to the landlord with a complaint, rather than address the other person directly.  Since the landlord is the one with whom tenants do business, it simply seems more natural to approach the landlord.

The first step in addressing a noise complaint should be to encourage the tenants to work out a compromise amongst themselves. A landlord never wants to be in an uncomfortable, awkward dispute between two tenants. It is imperative to calmly speak to both tenants involved, rather than relay messages back and forth, arranging a meeting between the two so that they can engage in dialogue. Often, the complaint can be as simple as lowering the volume slightly on the television, or listening to music at a more reasonable time.

Noise is a delicate issue, and only after a meeting of the minds between two tenants has completely failed should the landlord step in and take control of the situation. 

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