Apartment living can be tricky. And being that you’re in close proximity to other people, it’s an arrangement that’s not without compromise. If you share a paper-thin wall with your neighbor, noise is going to happen. Arguments, loud music, a blaring TV – they all have the tendency to disrupt your sleep and make you slightly annoyed at your neighbor.
However, despite the fact there’s always some curmudgeonly neighbor who doesn’t even want to hear a pin drop in the adjacent home, a certain amount of noise is acceptable. Still, what can you do if someone has a noisy pet? Here are some tips to help out:
A Pet-Free Apartment
While there are often restrictions on the size and breeds of dogs you can have in apartments, many places do allow pets. A lot of apartment communities have designated dog-walking or playing areas for their 4-legged residents, which can be quite noisy if these areas aren’t set back far enough from the units.
This is the bottom line: If you’re worried about having to deal with the noise of a barking dog (or multiple barking dogs), look for an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Of course, this doesn’t mean there won’t be noise from other sources, like a base-heavy stereo or a neighbor arguing at two o’clock in the morning. When it comes to apartment living, neighbors are always a wild card.
Sit, Talk, and Stay
When you’re dealing with the ongoing noise of a neighbor’s pet, the last thing you want to do is pack up and move. Before you lodge a complaint with the landlord, or result to the unneighborly move of calling the authorities, try talking with your neighbor about the situation.
In other words, explain the problem to them in a non-confrontational way. The neighbor might not even be aware their pet is noisy, because it only starts barking when the neighbor is away from the apartment. These are the types of things that need to be discussed at length. Some neighbors will be receptive to your concerns, while others may get defensive. If you seem to be getting nowhere with your neighbor – after a few attempts – it may be time to lodge a complaint with your apartment management.
While carpet and curtains are known to cut down noise, chances are that unless you have a sound-proof wall, the sound of a barking dog (or even the squawking of a pet bird) will find its way into the apartment. Once you make the landlord aware of what’s going on, your neighbor will probably do everything in their power to keep their pet quiet. Too many complaints could result in eviction of that neighbor, per the lease agreement.
