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A noisy neighbor or a neighbor who behaves disruptively in other ways is a familiar problem for many people living in apartment buildings. What kind of disturbance should residents be expected to tolerate, and what can be done about disruptive behavior?
Noise caused by neighbors is one of the most common disturbances in residential buildings. Other types of disturbance may include, for example, vandalism of the property or other people’s belongings, or a resident behaving erratically or in a threatening manner.
“Parties and loud music are probably the most common reasons for complaints,” say the experts at INNA Asuntovuokraus.
Talking to your neighbor is the first step towards more peaceful living. Sometimes the person causing the disturbance may simply be unaware that the noise can be heard in neighboring apartments.
When living in a community such as an apartment building, residents must tolerate the normal sounds of everyday life. Complete silence cannot be expected, even at night. For example, residents have the right to take a shower during nighttime hours.
Behavior becomes disruptive when it causes continuous or repeated disturbance to other residents. A single party, for example, is part of normal life, but residents are not expected to tolerate a neighbor repeatedly holding parties and playing loud music late into the night.
Disruptive behavior is often associated with conduct that may be considered inappropriate, such as excessive alcohol consumption. However, behavior does not have to be considered inappropriate or blameworthy in itself to qualify as disruptive. For example, a dog barking or someone playing the piano for several hours every day may be considered disruptive.
Record your observations and contact the property manager
If talking to the neighbor causing the disturbance does not help, you should contact the property manager and the housing company’s board. They will assess whether further action is required.
If the disturbance is caused by a tenant of a shareholder in the housing company, the matter should generally be addressed through the landlord. As a last resort, the landlord may terminate the tenancy of a tenant who repeatedly causes disturbances. The housing company may also intervene by taking possession of the apartment.
It is important to remember that the burden of proof regarding the disturbance lies with the landlord when terminating a tenancy and with the housing company when taking possession of an apartment. Both measures therefore require evidence that disruptive behavior has occurred in the apartment and that the disturbance is more than minor.
Threatening behavior or criminal activity by a resident may, in the most serious cases, also lead to termination of the tenancy or the housing company taking possession of the apartment. In such cases, you should also contact the police when necessary.
If your neighbor is making excessive noise or otherwise causing a disturbance that affects your living conditions, you should record your observations and submit them to the property manager.
Situations can be challenging when only one resident complains about noise while other neighbors have not experienced any disturbance. Anonymous disturbance reports can also be problematic, as their accuracy cannot be verified.
Written disturbance report
If you wish, you can submit a written disturbance report and send it to asiakaspalvelu@inna.fi. If you are unable to print the form, you can also write the requested information on a sheet of paper, take a photo of it and send the photo to us as an attachment.
Please note that without a written report and the signatures of residents from two different apartments, the property manager cannot issue an official warning to the resident concerned. The established process of asking residents to complete a written disturbance report before further action is also reflected in internal INNA guidance.
Written disturbance report:
