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It is certainly true that there may be no law that can put your noisy neighbors permanently behind bars, but there is still a way where you can achieve sweet justice. It is always a hassle when you are ready for your daily dose of sleep when all of a sudden your neighbor pumped up the volume of their stereo or are just plain boisterous and rowdy. You may feel that there is not much you can do since it's a free world anyway. But there is a chance of hope to keep things under control if you try to talk and straighten the issue face to face with your neighbors.
The first thing to solve such problem is to confront your neighbors. Most people who are creating this kind of nuisance may have no idea at all that they are being too noisy. Ask them nicely that they are causing you sleepless nights or that you are uncomfortable with their noise. They would probably extend their apologies instantly if you let out your concern in a very civil way.
If you get them to stop making noise on your first try, then you are in luck. However, since it may be in their nature to be noisy, you may find yourself in the same situation again and again. If it happens for a second time, approach them again. First, thank them for the improvement that they may have after the first time you approach them about the issue. Let them know that they may be losing their focus of your concern and that they are back to making a disturbing amount of noise.
It would also be a good idea to ask for their home phone number. You can always give them a ring every time things get out of hand and continue to create too much noise for you to handle. Remember that you should talk to them politely every single time. What do you know, you may even be a help in training them to be good neighbors.
It's true that we do not live in a world where all people are understanding and would empathize with the situation at hand. If the above approach doesn't work, then you can go ahead and make a written complaint about your concern with your landlord or building maintenance department, or in worst-case scenario, bring it to the attention of the police.
Of course, you should be polite enough to ask them to quiet down yourself. But if all your requests prove futile, then it would only be appropriate to let your landlord help you with the present situation.
It is a good idea that you get a copy of the standard rental/lease agreement that you signed when you moved in. Most contracts would mention that tenants have the right for quiet enjoyment. This means that peace and quiet should always be top priority to ensure a tenant's comfortable stay. If this part of the agreement is jeopardized it is your landlord's job to ensure that your issue be resolved as soon as possible.
Hearing footsteps at night is a real hassle for anyone. Some condominiums or apartments require wall-to-wall carpeting. By the word “require”, it means that such ordinance is written in your rental/lease agreement. This would help a lot in minimizing the noise. Appropriate carpeting can reduce the noise produced by walking. If wall-to-wall carpeting proved to be out of a tenant's budget, then large area rugs can also be an option.
Every room is required to have carpets and rugs, except of course in the kitchen area and in the bathroom. Carpets in the hallway are required to cover the whole floor area for at least 80%.
Raising your issue in your residence's board meeting could also be of help. Getting more people involved about your concern would be best for you. Let them know about the effort you have put into the situation and demand that the board need to do something to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
When choosing a condominium or an apartment, you should always look into their lease agreement and check if your comfort would be best served. If you want the problem of noisy neighbors to never be an issue, then you can opt to rent in a building with concrete structures.