If neighbors listen to music loudly day and night, what to do according to the law in 2021 and what constitutes a violation of law and order - these questions concern people in apartment buildings not only during self-isolation. How to hold neighbors accountable, what documents need to be collected, how to determine the noise threshold of loud music - you need to know all this in order to act in accordance with the law.
Playing a musical instrument
How to deal with neighbors legally
If you seek advice on various forums because your neighbors are listening to music loudly, you can usually hear the answer: you need to fight it with force. Many reviews even recommend damaging your neighbors’ property or taking revenge using their own method and also constantly listening to loud songs at night. But these actions are illegal.
In a private house
If these measures are taken, then the neighbors above and below will become the injured party and will be able to sue their neighbor.
What to do and where to complain if residents living nearby constantly listen to loud music:
- Contact your neighbor and talk to him. People probably don’t even know that the apartments have insufficient sound insulation, and people who live above and below are also forced to unwittingly listen to the noise of their neighbors. When there are children, you can say that there is a child in the family, and music is disturbing him from sleeping, ask the person to turn off the volume at the designated time.
- Complain to the police. But at the same time, you need to know from what time and until what time your neighbors can turn on the audio system on a weekday and on weekends. Judicial practice shows that this method is the most effective at the initial stage of resolving the issue. As a rule, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs can clearly explain to noisy neighbors that they are breaking the law, the observance of which is necessary.
- File a lawsuit. If residents in a neighboring apartment violate the law on silence every day and this is reflected in the report of the local police officer, then you can go to court. It is recommended to call other neighbors as witnesses to confirm the actual violation.
At night time
In some cases, pre-trial resolution of the problem helps residents.
Sometimes you can simply tell your neighbor what the consequences of listening to loud music in the morning and evening will lead to and what consequences he faces if he does nothing, and the person immediately stops disturbing the peace.
To force a response to the problem, make a complaint in writing addressed to the troublemakers of the residents of the house, describe specific complaints against the neighbor. Indicate the punishment for these actions. Be sure to write down approximately how much the legal fees he will have to pay are. In addition, he will have to pay a considerable fine.
Noise in the entrance of a residential building
The complaint must be sent by registered mail. If a person does not want to pay fines or deal with the court, he will definitely stop making noise, shouting or listening to loud music in the evening.
Evidence of a noise violation for the police
If all attempts to negotiate peacefully have no effect, then law enforcement agencies will have to be involved: the police, the prosecutor’s office, the court.
But then oral history will not be enough. We need proof.
These will be:
- photo and video materials;
- recordings of a conversation with the offender;
- a registered letter to neighbors, in which you express dissatisfaction with such behavior and inform about the possible consequences;
- a report on the noise level examination and similar papers from the police, if they recorded a violation of order.
What to do if your neighbors listen to music loudly at night
Most people work during the daytime, so they just need to sleep peacefully at night, but the very loud music of the upstairs neighbors does not allow this.
Neighbors upstairs are noisy at night
Residents often use the following “at-home” methods to get a good night’s rest:
- Install high-quality sound insulation on the floor, ceiling, walls or doors; this will be a kind of “silencer” for the volume. But in this case, you need to seriously spend money, since major repairs will be required. It won't be possible to do this quickly. Therefore, you will have to endure listening to loud music for a certain time, if the neighbor does not stop being noisy.
- You don’t have to call the police, but, for example, buy earplugs and try to sleep. But if there is a small child in the family, then the constant loud sound will disturb him, and the neighbors on the side or below will remain unpunished and will not know that they continue to violate the rights of other residents by listening to music loudly.
- To stop your neighbors from listening to music loudly, you can do this: just turn off their electricity. But the shield is not always located in the corridor or on the street, for example, in a village; if it is a private sector or a plot in a country house, it is sometimes located in the house. If this intruder is drunk, he will be able to lie in wait and use force. This method is highly undesirable.
- When the “musical” neighbors are already very tired and loud music is constantly playing at night, you can simply not let them sleep during the daytime - turn on, for example, a hammer drill or an electric drill. But not everyone will be able to constantly do some kind of work during the day and spend that amount of time to take revenge on the offender. Let's say right away: this is also not the best solution.
Maintaining silence
However, it is recommended to use legal means. First, find out the night restrictions and where to sound the alarm if the silence regime is violated. This period sometimes differs in all regions.
In 2021, federal law required silence after 11 p.m. and before 7 a.m. both on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays. Federal Law No. 52 gave people the right to be in a calm environment at this time. These standards have not changed in 2021.
But regional legislation is often stricter. They are the ones who dictate when you can make noise in a particular subject of the federation.
Regions adopt their own silence regulations. The local law on silence of almost any subject of the Russian Federation can be downloaded for free on our website in the appropriate section and try to pacify violators listening to music by putting the text in their mailbox.
Girl plays guitar all day
This can be done if ringing the doorbell is impossible or they are not going to open it. When there is an opportunity to see noisy neighbors, it is better to hand it over with peaceful explanations.
What can be the penalty for disturbing the peace of residents?
Although it is quite difficult to prove the fact of a violation of public peace, if all this disgrace does not occur directly in the presence of police officers, it is possible. In case of successful proof, the high-profile citizen will be prosecuted under the following articles of the Code of Administrative Offences:
- Art. 6.3 – refers in general to violations of sanitary rules, including noise impact;
- Art. 6.4 – refers to violation of sanitary requirements for users of residential premises.
Under the first article, the fine for a citizen will be 100–500 rubles, and under the second – 500–1000 rubles. In this case, the qualification of the offense remains at the discretion of the competent authority.
What to do if your neighbors listen to loud music during the day
It happens that the law is violated when not only neighbors play loud music at night, but also during the day. For example, if during the daytime the noise power in the apartment is more than 55 decibels. Also in some regions there is a quiet hour. Typically this period is 2 hours.
Funny company
Therefore, in some regions it is prohibited to make noise between 13.00–15.00. This standard was adopted so that parents can put their children to bed during the day at the designated time. Moreover, they will not have to worry that the child will wake up from loud music or the sounds of an electric drill. Elderly people will also be able to relax during these two hours during the day or have a quiet lunch.
Why do headphones negatively affect your hearing?
When we use headphones, the body's defense mechanism is triggered to absorb sound attacks. The membranes and hair cells of the inner ear die or change, which can lead to hearing loss.
However, damage occurs when the volume of the music increases. Previously, the disease was limited to people over 70 years of age. Now the age has changed to 40 years due to the spread of listening to audio files on headphones.
The higher the volume, the greater the harm done to the body. Loud music forces the auditory organs to work at their limit and they quickly wear out.
Summarizing
If a person listens to music very loudly, no matter at night or during the day, and does not respond to requests to turn the volume down, this issue needs to be resolved by legal means. Don't forget that the silence law applies not only to city residents, but also to the private sector.
Everyone needs to get enough sleep regularly, and neighbors are obligated to respect this right of other residents.
Child learning to play the trumpet
If they make loud noise or listen to music, you need to find out the level of sound coming from their apartment or private house. To contact the relevant authorities, you can use the services of specialists. They will take measurements and draw up the necessary documents. You can call the police, file a lawsuit, but first you should try to negotiate peacefully with your neighbors.
Expertise in determining volume level
The examination is carried out by both public and private structures.
State - SES, Rospotrebnadzor. You can invite specialists from a private company. Such an organization must have a license and special equipment. The costs of the examination are compensated only by a court verdict.
Ideally, the test should be carried out several times under different conditions: day and night, with windows open and closed. Then you will be given a certificate, which will become the main evidence in court.
Whether measurements are always necessary is an open question. If you call the police and the police draw up a civil violation report, sometimes the court can accept such a document.
How to punish noisy upstairs neighbors: practical advice
If you can’t sort things out according to the law, persuasion doesn’t work, and there’s still a strong stomp at the top, and even the music is blaring, then it’s time for a “guerrilla war.”
Human imagination is sometimes amazing. There are many ways to harm your neighbor, but self-harm, damage to other people’s property, and the like are not worth it. This could work against you and require the help of a lawyer. Let's look at safe and effective ways to annoy your neighbors for making noise.
How to ruin the life of your neighbors upstairs
Method 1
- Use the method code-named “Shame on rowdies.” Print out leaflets with a detailed description of the life of citizens N living in apartment no. Decorate the leaflet with cartoons, pictures and slogans like “We ask for silence!”
- Post leaflets in the entrance, near the elevator and mailboxes, and finally, stick them on the offender’s front door or windshield of his car, if he has one!
Method 2
- Try distributing advertisements for the sale of an apartment, car or cottage in newspapers, on relevant websites and on social networks. Whose? Of course, the neighbor's! And don’t forget to include both your home and mobile phone numbers. If you know your work phone number, add that too.
- The main thing is that the terms of sale should be very profitable for the buyer, simply fabulous! There will be no end to the calls and your neighbors will be tortured to explain that they are not selling anything. Or maybe they will give up and move out, selling the apartment to one of those who want to buy it?
Method 3
Order a bunch of goods from online stores to your neighbors’ addresses, sign them up for catalogs and other promotional products. Talking to managers of online stores and filing refusals is a troublesome task that takes a lot of effort.
Method 4
- If your neighbors have a metal or wooden door covered with dermantine, use the following method: shake a raw chicken egg in a bowl, and then collect it in a syringe. Make a cut in the upholstery in an inconspicuous place and pour the mixture there. The smell of rotten eggs is terrible and to get rid of it, neighbors will have to not only remove the upholstery, but also wash the door.
- Instead of eggs, use iodine, vinegar and chlorine bleach, mixing them in equal parts.
Method 5
If your neighbors are superstitious and believe in omens, throw objects at their front door that could pass for attributes of magical rituals - earth, bird feathers, wool, salt, leftover candles, needles, etc.
How to take revenge on a neighbor who has a car
- place a cobblestone or brick on the hood of the car (this will serve as a warning);
- sprinkle more grain on the car and the surrounding birds will flock to the treat (and they will not only peck at the hood and roof, but will also “decorate” the surface with their waste);
- Douse your car with valerian - and all the cats in the area will “pop in for a visit” (traces from dirty paws and claws are guaranteed).
Never break car windows, puncture tires, or throw water-filled balloons onto the roof of a car. If you get caught, you will have a hard time without the help of a competent lawyer.
How to teach alcoholic neighbors a lesson
What to do with alcoholic neighbors who constantly engage in drunken brawls, and the police already know their address by heart? There is one way!
- Come up with a reliable reason (it’s your birthday, you received a bonus or a new position, the reason “drink to my health” will do) and treat your neighbors to vodka laced with a laxative. Of course, they will not be cured of alcoholism, but at least for a while they will have no time for fighting and dancing!
Types of headphone models
- Inserts. They are fixed in the ear canal and, thanks to special elastic bands, do not fall out of the ear. The model is recognized as the most harmful, because the wave hits the eardrum, which impairs hearing.
- Pills. A common option for headphones, included with the phone upon purchase. They do not have seals, so they do not fit so tightly in the ear. The sound is directed not only at the membrane, it is reflected from the walls, due to which the blow is smoothed out and harm to the body is reduced.
- Invoices. They are distinguished by their impressive size when compared with previous species. They fit close to the ear and are not located inside it. Not inferior in sound quality, sound insulation is low. Safe, but increasing the volume also causes hearing loss.
- Monitoring. Similar to the previous version, but the pads are much larger. The least harmful, because the sound is reflected from the walls of the ear. Some models have high-quality sound insulation, which allows you to listen to audio files without harm to others.
