As a landlord, you may encounter a lot of challenges and tenant complaints throughout the property management process, primarily including noise complaints. It is your responsibility to resolve these complaints to ensure a safe and habitable environment for your renters.
To resolve the noise complaint adequately, you must know if the complaint is valid. You must be fully aware of the scenario before taking any action. In this guide, our team of experts at Service Star Realty has put together the necessary steps to identify and solve your tenant’s noise complaints.
Investigate the Complaint
Upon receiving a noise complaint, the first step is to research if it is valid or not. Sometimes, the complaint can be just an oversensitive reaction, while at other times, it may be reasonable.
You and your renters must know what kind of noise is acceptable or excessive. For instance, if a renter has been practicing drumming every night, that would no doubt disturb the sleep of other tenants. However, footstep noises on the other hand can be hard to contain and do not come under excessive noise.
You should study the problem from all perspectives before taking any action to resolve it. Directly blaming a renter without performing prior research can result in a potential dispute. Additionally, you should resolve the issue early on to avoid any potential issues in the future.
You must also consider different factors when you encounter a noise complaint, such as:
the number of complaints received
personal experience of hearing the noise
frequency of the complaint reports received
official documentation of the noise
level of noise made – whether it is labeled as a normal activity
If the number of complaints is increasing against a tenant and there is legitimate evidence presented, then the noise complaint can be potentially valid. After you have gauged the severity of the situation, you can review your options for handling the matter.
Consider how often you receive complaints against a particular tenant. If it has been a lot of times, you need to take action. You can refer to the HOA rules and make sure that you have consulted a professional before setting up an encounter with the tenant causing a disturbance.
What if the noise complaint is valid?
After a thorough investigation, if you reach a solid conclusion that noise occurred, you can talk to your renter or neighbor. Avoiding the issue or delaying taking action can be detrimental. You might receive a lawsuit, or a renter may move out quickly due to the issue being unsolved.
A proper discussion must be made, and you must inform the party to limit the noise so that the other residents will not feel any disturbance. Also, documenting the meeting and the solutions agreed upon is crucial in case of further complaints.
Additionally, you can introduce practical ways of limiting the noise around the unit, such as installing soundproof walls or other effective methods that will not impact the lifestyle of the noisy party.
For windows, you can also create a double pane so outside noise will not be able to penetrate the inner rooms. Another simple solution would be adding heavy drapes to the windows for more sound insulation.
You can also request cooperation from the tenants by being mindful of the shutting of their doors. By promoting peace and asking the renters to cooperate with you, you can ensure a quiet and safe environment for the other tenants to live in.
What if the noise complaint is not valid?
Now, if your investigation led to an invalid complaint, you could meet the complainant and explain the situation calmly. You should make sure to listen to them calmly and respond to any further queries of your complainant.
For instance, a neighbor may report that a tenant was making a lot of noise each night, the reality being a party was held for a night. You can speak to the complainant and let them know that the party was conducted only once and resolve the issue.
Include quiet hours in the lease
As a landlord, you can protect yourself against noise complaint issues by specifying quiet hours. This will help you guide renters to be conscious of the sounds they are making and the level of volume that is acceptable in your rental premises.
Bottom line
Dealing with noise complaints is a frequent occurrence when managing a rental space. However, you need to be careful and must avoid confronting a renter without proper checking or investigation of the complaint.
In case of a valid complaint, a warning can be sent out first, especially if the case is minor. But if a renter keeps on ignoring these warnings, then an eviction may be considered. During this whole process, you must document the case so that you stay legally compliant and can protect yourself from any potential disputes.
Consider hiring a trusted property management company like Service Star Realty to manage the whole process of handling tenant complaints. Our team offers various property management services, helping your rental business become successful while making the most out of your property.
Contact us today to learn more!
Service Star Realty
2929 East Camelback Road #119, Phoenix, AZ 85016
(480) 426-9696
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