When living in an apartment building, there’s bound to be times when you can hear your neighbors. A complex typically has rules like quiet hours to help regulate, with the average being 7am to 10pm, but there could be times when a neighbor is too loud, or a room echoes too much noise.

In any room, apartment or home, noise will be louder when it has more to bounce off. While minimalism has become a popular style for interior design, it’s not ideal for sound-proofing. A room will feel more homey if it’s filled with furniture and decor you love. If it has some soft surfaces, then that’s even better. Rugs on hardwood, furniture with soft fabric, wall hangings, and sound-proof curtains are perfect for dampening the sound coming from neighbors and for decorating your place.

If you’ve been especially bothered by noise, then try to find the origin. A lot of the time, especially if you’re on a busy street, traffic can become an annoying background noise. Sound-proof curtains or foam tapes can help. If that still doesn’t work to your tastes, then try a noise machine or ear plugs when sleeping.

Typically, normal noises are everyday ones such as walking, talking, or hearing the TV once in a while. If those bother you, try turning on some low music or the TV for your own background noise. More than likely, your neighbors will be able to hear sounds from your apartment too, so as long as it’s not excessive, just let it be. When it becomes excessive, like continuous loud music, shouting, or loud TV sounds, then some extra steps may need to be taken.

First, it’s always better to talk to your neighbor yourself before bringing in the apartment manager. Check your lease agreement for quiet hours, and be sure to mention that if the loud noise is occurring during that time. By renting from the building, they signed an agreement honoring those quiet hours. If it’s not quiet hours, but the noise has become a disruption to your day, try to explain that to your neighbor. Hopefully they can be accommodating, and you reach an understanding.

If all else fails, take notes of when the disruptions happen. A property manager will need more specifics for a noise complaint, and then you also have records of informing them. Either way, it’s always good to at least be on a first-name basis with your neighbors and property manager in case discussions on co-existing need to happen. Tycon Companies has been renting high-quality, affordable apartments since 1973, which makes us one of the most experienced in the area. Give us a call if you’re looking to move.