It can be incredibly annoying to have to deal with your neighbors playing their music too loudly. This will undoubtedly get on your nerves and it can wind up distracting you from doing what you need to do. You might be wondering what you can do to get your neighbors to stop this type of behavior. Is there anything that you can do to legally stop them from playing loud music during the day?
I’ve already written about this topic in regards to neighbors playing loud music at night. I determined that there were laws in place that made it illegal for them to play their music past a certain point at night. Generally, it was found that playing music that was too loud past 11 PM was unacceptable. There are also certain decibel levels that need to be adhered to.
The laws aren’t entirely the same during the day. There are still some requirements that people need to pay attention to but people are usually allowed to play their music a bit louder during the daytime without getting into trouble. There are some exceptions that I will speak about later on, though. Keep reading to figure out what you can do and whether or not your neighbors can get into trouble for their rudeness.
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The Noise Control Act
In 1972, the EPA established the Noise Control Act to keep people from having to be pestered by unnecessarily loud noises. This helped to establish some ground rules for what noise levels are going to be seen as acceptable. Eventually, it was determined that local governments would need to enforce their own rules. This means that the area where you’re living is likely to have its own set of rules that lay out how loudly people can play music during the day.
Some places are going to have stricter laws than others. In parts of New Jersey, there are noise ordinances that state that you cannot produce sounds that go beyond 65 decibels outdoors between the hours of 7 AM and 10 PM. The indoor limits are set at 55 decibels during the daytime. Knowing this, you can see that local governments do have standards in place to deal with people who are being too loud.
What Can You Do if the Neighbors Keep Playing Loud Music During the Day?
Call the Police
Don’t be afraid to call the police to complain about your neighbors playing their music too loudly. If it is bothering you and preventing you from relaxing or working from home, then you might need some help to take care of the issue. Look up the noise laws in your area and see if the law is going to be on your side. You might be able to take care of this issue very swiftly.
Once you call the police, they’ll be able to send someone over to talk to your neighbors. After receiving too many complaints, your neighbors will eventually get into some serious trouble. Depending on the local laws, they could face fines or other types of punishment for disobeying the noise ordinances. Don’t hesitate to give the police a call if you feel that your neighbors are breaking the noise laws of your city or town.
Apartments Have Their Own Sets of Rules
It should also be noted that apartments have their own sets of rules. Many apartment complexes have very specific noise ordinances in place. Violating the rules of the apartment can lead to tenants being evicted. If you’re living in an apartment complex, then you should be able to call your apartment manager or landlord to discuss any violations.
This is a good way to deal with the problem of a noisy neighbor. You’ll be able to discuss things with the person in charge of your apartment complex. They can then intervene on your behalf and reprimand the neighbor who is being too loud. This should solve the problem and if it doesn’t, your neighbor will simply be evicted after too many offenses have occurred.
White Noise Generators
There is a chance that your city or town doesn’t have the right laws in place to help you. For instance, your neighbor could be playing their music at just the right level to be in compliance with the laws. If these noises are still bothering you, then you might want to take steps to drown them out. One of the most practical ways to do this is to purchase a white noise generator.
White noise generators produce simple background noises that help to drown out annoying sounds. If you purchase one of these, then you should be able to get through your day without being bugged by your neighbor’s music. This is an especially good idea if you work from home and need to be able to concentrate. Simply turning the white noise generator on should make it so that you don’t really hear your neighbor’s music any longer.
Earplugs and Noise-Canceling Headphones
Another possible solution is to purchase some earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, or these earmuffs for sleeping. These can be worn in or on your ears. They will get rid of outside noises so that you can enjoy some silence while you’re working or doing your chores. Of course, you won’t be able to hear much that is going on if you make use of these.
It might not be practical for everyone to buy noise-canceling headphones. If you need to listen for the phone during your day, then this might not be ideal. Even so, this is a good idea to consider if it will work for your situation. Keep it in mind if your neighbor’s music is really bothering you.
Install Soundproof Materials in Your Home
You could decide to soundproof your home in order to get rid of the noise problems as well. Soundproofing a house will cost some money but it’s a good way to solve your loud music issues. You could install acoustic sound-absorbing tiles, soundproof insulation, and many other things. If you truly value peace and quiet, then you might want to consider taking this action.
Depending on how much money you have to spend, this will either be practical or impossible. Consider how much it would cost to soundproof your home before proceeding. It isn’t incredibly costly to soundproof a home but it will require an investment. I know that not everyone has the cash to spend on a project such as this so just remember that you do have other options if this doesn’t sound ideal.
Consider Talking to the Neighbor
You could also consider talking to your neighbor about what is going on. Depending on the type of person that your neighbor is, this might be a good idea. If your neighbor is friendly and reasonable, then he or she might be willing to turn the music down or use headphones. If you’re going to go this route, just remember to be as cordial as possible.
You don’t want to come across as someone who is demanding. You’re going to get better results if you’re nice to your neighbors and treat them with respect. This will make them understand your plight better and you might be able to solve this loud music during the day issue. Remember that this might not be a practical idea if your neighbor doesn’t have the right temperament.
Avoid Lashing Out or Taking Revenge
It might be tempting to get really mad and try to take revenge on your neighbors. You might want to lash out at the neighbors and do something nasty for all of the annoyance that they’re causing you. This is a very bad idea and you need to be above this type of behavior. Everyone has moments of weakness and you might be very worked up over this but try to take a deep breath and calm down.
You have to deal with this situation as a responsible adult should. Use the above advice and call the police or try speaking to your neighbor calmly. If this doesn’t work, then you can always try to drown out the noise using a white noise generator or noise-canceling headphones. You have options and one of them should help you to solve the issue.
In Conclusion
Now that you have taken the time to go over the specifics, you should know a lot more about this topic. Playing loud music during the day can be illegal depending on what the laws state in your area. You should be able to discover what the noise laws are in your city without having to dig too deeply. Once you know the laws, you might be able to simply call the police to get things taken care of quickly.
If your neighbors aren’t breaking any noise ordinances by playing their music, then you’ll have to go another route. You could speak to the neighbors in a respectful way or you could simply try to drown out the sounds of their music. I think that either of these ideas will be very practical so long as you have the right mindset. Just remember that you need to stay calm and try to handle things politely.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to solve this loud music issue without it being a really big deal. You definitely want to be able to feel comfortable in your own home. Whether you work from home or you’re retired, you shouldn’t have to put up with obnoxious music during the day. Don’t let this issue get on your nerves when you have plenty of viable options for handling it.
