Excessive noise during the day for citizens living in Moscow has a hidden but very harmful effect. People in large cities experience especially inconvenience. One option is when a citizen is outside his own apartment, he has to get used to the increased noise level. But another, when a citizen is at home and wants to take a break from everyday work, but cannot because of noisy neighbors.
Noise at night
The city has a separate regulatory act - Law No. 42 of July 12, 2002 “On maintaining peace and quiet of citizens in Moscow”, called the law on silence in Moscow. Since January 1, 2021, the official text of this document has remained unchanged.
Legal basis of the silence law
The permissible level of noise and vibration in residential premises is regulated by sanitary and epidemiological standards and GOSTs. They are based on studies that have shown the harmful effects of increased noise levels on the human body.
Moscow legislators adopted Law 42, which is colloquially called the Law on Silence in Moscow. They establish the following standards:
- a period of time during the day when noise cannot be made (quiet hour);
- a period during which you can do repairs and listen to music loudly;
- a list of sounds that cannot be made at night (singing, moving furniture, etc.);
- exceptions.
How to deal with noisy neighbors
There are plenty of ways to influence lovers of noisy pastimes. Here is a list of effective actions aimed at resolving the conflict.
Which one to choose depends on the specific situation:
- You can explain to your neighbors that they are wrong and ask them to stop their illegal actions. Mostly, this method works immediately, and the following actions are no longer necessary;
- to call the police. Some neighbors, despite their boorish attitude, will not argue with law enforcement officers and will stop making noise and disturbing vacationing citizens;
- seek help separately from the local police officer if the Police squad was unable to influence the violators in any way. The apartment will be registered and periodically visited to monitor compliance with the law on silence;
- contact the judicial authorities. This method is suitable for persistent offenders who constantly organize loud night parties, drinking and dancing within the residential area;
- dissatisfied residents can also draw up a collective complaint and submit it to the local administration for consideration. In the worst case scenario for the offender, the court will deprive him of his apartment.
Read: Law on silence in the Republic of Bashkortostan in 2021 in an apartment building and in Ufa
Silence law in 2020
The law of silence in Moscow defines a list of sounds that are considered noisy and prohibited at the time established by regulations:
- music from recreation organizations located near residential premises;
- rearrangement of furniture, loading work;
- scandals and quarrels;
- dog barking;
- carrying out repairs and redevelopment;
- music and TV shows played with poor sound levels.
An additional advantage of the new law is the establishment of an hour of silence from 13.00 to 15.00. This period is designated for children's daytime sleep.
How much noise can you make on weekdays and weekends?
The law separates the ability to make noise on weekdays, weekends and holidays. The period of free time from restrictions is established by Moscow legislation. You can rearrange, play with the dog and drill the walls on weekdays at certain times:
- from 09.00 to 13.00;
- from 15.00 to 19.00.
Exceeding the established noise level on holidays is possible in the following cases:
- on Saturday;
- when carrying out repair work related to the safety of residents;
- prevention and elimination of natural disasters;
- when holding events by religious organizations.
In other cases, it is illegal to exceed the noise level on weekends.
The law on silence in the Moscow region provides for a longer period of time for carrying out noisy work. It amounts to:
- from 09.00 to 13.00;
- 00 to 21.00 (on weekdays);
- 00 to 22.00 (on weekends).
One can note the diametrical approach of legislators in Moscow and the Moscow region to ensuring silence in residential buildings. In addition, weekends are not grounds for suspending repairs.
Administrative liability for violation of the law
For all actions that violate the peace of citizens, liability in the form of fines is provided. For non-malicious troublemakers, a warning may be the first preventive measure. For example, on the fact of unauthorized singing or family squabbles. When using pyrotechnics, no warning is provided.
The fines for violating provisions 273-70 of the noise law in St. Petersburg are as follows:
- for citizens - from 500 to 5000 rubles;
- for officials - from 25,000 to 50,000 rubles;
- for organizations - from 50,000 to 200,000 rubles.
If exceeding the noise level at night is caused by the release of firecrackers or fireworks, then the lower limit of the fine for individuals increases to 1 thousand rubles. For organizations, its value remains the same.
The law as amended for repair work establishes the following amounts of penalties:
- from citizens - from 1 to 3 thousand rubles;
- from officials - from 5 to 10 thousand rubles;
- from organizations - from 10 to 30 thousand rubles.
When can you renovate your apartment?
To avoid disturbing the peace and quiet of citizens, the law establishes a period for carrying out repair work. The issue of silence is problematic for Moscow residents. Since 2002, there have been repeated attempts to regulate it in various regulations. The first law on silence in Moscow did not regulate the issue of repair work, which, given the volume of construction in the city, was initially a mistake.
After several unsuccessful options, changes were made to the new silence law:
- night time is the period from 23.00 to 07.00;
- the list of works that are classified as noisy has been added;
- there is a ban on redevelopment and noisy renovations on holidays and Sundays;
- the period for noisy activities is from 09.00 to 19.00;
- from 13.00 to 15.00 there is an hour of silence;
The exception is new buildings. Repairs can be carried out in them at any time, within 1.5 years from the date of delivery of the house.
Fines
Noise fine due to loud music, shouting, singing at night:
- For individuals it is 500-5000 rubles.
- For officials - 25-50 thousand rubles.
- For legal entities - 50-200 thousand rubles.
Sounds in an apartment building
For setting off fireworks and exploding firecrackers at night, citizens will be fined 1-5 thousand rubles, others - the same amounts as indicated above. Moreover, if in the previous paragraph you can get off with a warning, then in this case it is not provided.
For repairs, unloading and loading during times prohibited by the law on silence, the responsibility is more serious:
- Fine for citizens - 3000-5000 rubles.
- For officials - 25,000-50,000 rubles.
- For organizations - 250,000-500,000 rubles.
For noisy night construction, private individuals are fined 5,000 rubles, responsible persons - 25,000–50,000, and legal entities - 500,000–1,000,000 rubles.
Acceptable noise level
Due to the fact that the concept of “loud sound” is figurative, the legislator has provided for a more specific expression of noise. The unit of sound measurement is the decibel.
The official text of the document provides for the following norms:
- during the day – from 40 to 55 dB;
- during the night – from 30 to 45 dB.
To understand the noise level at a household level, compare it with a car alarm. Its level is 80 dB.
Noise norm according to the law of the Russian Federation
You can make just as much noise in your home as in apartment buildings, as well as in summer cottages. During the day, a comfortable level is approximately 55 dB, when everything is clearly audible. At night, the noise level can only be 40 dB. Many people are comfortable talking in the daytime at a tone of 45-50 dB, at night - about 30-35 dB (this volume is a calm voice and whisper).
Noisy sounds and possible punishment
If neighbors often disturb you at night, then before calling the police, you can find out the noise indicators in dB through the application and record this evidence:
- You can download special applications to your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also measure sound using several devices and compare the results obtained.
- SES workers can professionally record any sounds and noise that come from neighbors at inappropriate times. Accurate sound measurements are made using a sound level meter - a special device.
What to do if neighbors violate the law on silence
The law defines a list of bodies that ensure control over violation of the peace and quiet of citizens. All Moscow citizens who believe that their peace of mind has been violated have the right to contact them. Main organs:
- police;
- Rospotrebnadzor;
- Management Company;
- court.
In most cases, noisy work in a residential building is carried out by neighbors. This is one of the main reasons for disturbing the silence in the city. You can combat this using the following methods:
- conversation with the culprit of the noise;
- contacting the police;
- statement to the local police commissioner;
- written appeal to the Housing Office;
- application to Rospotrebnadzor;
- lawsuit.
The possibility of administrative punishment encourages citizens to carry out work in Moscow during the daytime. However, first you need to use peaceful methods.
Where to turn when neighbors are noisy
Complaints from residents about neighbors disturbing the peace are one of the most common complaints in legal practice. In an apartment or private building, music played at full volume, as well as drilling with a hammer drill or noisy renovations, often become a bone of contention.
Prohibited at night
But there is a law that prescribes a time of silence that must be observed not only in the apartment of a residential building, but also in the courtyard and on the street. However, not everyone is ready to comply with the law.
Peaceful settlement
The first way would be to have a peaceful conversation with the offenders. It is often possible to agree with neighbors on the period of work to be carried out without involving specialized authorities.
If the conversation does not reach a result, it is necessary to begin a pre-trial procedure for resolving the issue. At this stage, it is necessary to involve Rospotrebnadzor.
The main function of this organization is to protect the rights of citizens. Breaking the silence will be a reason for specialists to visit the house and measure the level with a device. However, the event is paid.
As a result, Rospotrebnadzor will issue a conclusion that the level has been exceeded. The district commissioner will draw up a protocol on the administrative violation.
Calling the police
In accordance with the law, citizens can involve police officers in any case of non-compliance with silence in apartment buildings. In practice, residents of high-rise buildings resort to this measure only when their rights are systematically violated.
The police squad will draw up an administrative protocol. If the violation is repeated, neighbors will receive a fine.
An effective method is a collective statement from the residents of the house. A competent resident or initiative group fills out an application and collects signatures from other residents. The document is handed over to the district police officer at a personal reception.
How to protect yourself from noise
In general, before purchasing an apartment, you should request documentation from the developer, including in order to see what material the walls are made of and their thickness.
When inspecting the apartment, pay attention to the grouting of seams and cracks between the floors, and to the absence of cracks in the walls. If the apartment has been remodeled or is planned, then pay attention to the noise zones in the apartment.
Noise protection headphones
In general, noise is harmful to health. To protect yourself from it, you can buy headphones. They will make loud sounds comfortable to the ear.
The earcups are filled with noise-absorbing material and fit snugly to your ears.
Drawing up an application
To draw up an application, you can contact a lawyer. A competent specialist will help in the proper preparation of the document.
However, if desired, the initiative group can independently draw up a statement in free form. It includes:
- name of the district police department;
- data of the district commissioner;
- FULL NAME. applicant or initiative group data, including contacts;
- name of the application;
- description of a conflict situation (for example, a neighbor violated an hour of silence);
- indication of the time of violation;
- reference to noise law;
- statement of request.
- date of application and signature of the applicants.
When submitting an application to the district police officer, you must ask for a copy of the document with a mark of acceptance for consideration. In the future, in case of going to court, a full list of statements to the police, management company, housing office, Rospotrebnadzor and other authorities will form the evidence base.
