With the exception of heavy sleepers, most people don't need much to wake them up. One single loud noise is all it takes to interrupt you from getting Zs. Even white noise while sleeping needs to be below a certain decibel level.
That means, unfortunately, that just a couple noisy tenants can ruin a good night's sleep for everyone. Don't make the mistake of assuming loud tenants are a minor issue. If you start to get frequent noise complaints, you need to take them very seriously.
Not sure how to handle noise complaints? We've got you covered. Here is your guide on dealing with noise complaints in Salt Lake City.
Understand Noise Laws in SLC
Right off the bat, know that Salt Lake City enforces quiet hours. These hours are from 10 PM at night until 7 AM the following morning. With the exception of construction or important government services, people should not make disruptive noise.
Further, there may be a clause in your tenant lease that deals with noise. If you have quiet hours, then you need to enforce them. Lease enforcement is an obligation to the other tenants who follow the rules.
Investigate All Claims
Sometimes, you have those tenants that complain about everything under the sun. Before taking a noise complaint at face value, investigate whether it is truly a valid complaint. If it is, proceed with the following steps.
Approach Noise Complaints Diplomatically
As with most tenant problems, it's best to be diplomatic from the get-go. Call or visit the loud tenants and discuss the noise complaint with them.
In the majority of cases, they will be understanding and apologetic. While they may not be perfect, they will make an attempt to be better in the future. What matters is that they are cooperative to some degree in solving the issue.
When Noise Complaints Become Grounds for Eviction
If tenants continue to flaunt noise regulations, you may have grounds for eviction. However, keep in mind that this is the nuclear option. You should pursue other avenues before trying this.
Keep in mind, if quiet hours are part of the lease, there may be grounds for eviction. If the lease does not stipulate this, your problem tenants may have eviction protection. In that case, you have to request eviction from a judge.
It goes without saying that you will have much better luck with diplomacy. You can even try other things, such as installing better insulation or double-pane windows. All of this will be much easier--and possibly cheaper--than taking the legal route.
Manage Your Property With Wolfnest
Noise complaints have been around for as long as people have been neighbors. In Salt Lake City, there is a noise ordinance, and you may have quiet hours as part of the lease agreement. When these noise complaints get out of hand, you have an obligation to handle them.
Wolfnest helps you to manage your properties in the Salt Lake area. Visit us here and see how we can make the rental process easier for you.
