Noise Complaint Laws for Rentals

Most cities have rules on the books that regulate how much noise people can make and when. This applies to all kinds of noise, from construction noises to garbage pickups to noisy neighbors. If you're dealing with one of these things and it's making you desperately want to move, check to see if the kind of noise, amount of noise and time of day is prohibited by your city's noise laws.

What noises can I legally file a complaint about?

As a general rule of thumb, you can assume that noise during business hours in weekday is acceptable to a point, while loud noises during normal sleeping hours is probably not.

But it's a lot more complicated than that! The biggest cities have noise ordinances that specify what's allowed down to the decibel level and time of day. For example, in New York City, any pet noise during the day that goes on for more than 10 minutes is considered a violation. A dog barking for more than five minutes in the middle of the night is against the ordinance, too. Los Angeles even has a special "noise enforcement" team that does nothing but police noisy people for the benefit of their neighbors. You can call the team directly if someone is causing a disturbance outside of the allowed hours.

Can my landlord help?

Landlords often put terms in their leases to control noise coming from tenants so as to protect the other tenants. The most important thing for pretty much any landlord is keeping people in their rental units, so there is a good chance they'll jump to action if you complain politely to them about a noisy neighbor or even persistent construction.

If there is a term in your lease that mentions noise you'll have even more ammo for when you lodge your complaint.

What about calling the cops?

Most cities actually have teams within their police departments that are responsible for regulating noise with fines and arrests. As a last resort you can make this call—just be sure to have already read up on the legal limits so you know that you have the right to make the complaint.

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