Neighbor Problems: Renovation Noise

Q: I enjoy reading your column. I’d like your input. A new owner bought an upstairs condo. Their unit is right above my condo. They’ve been renovating their unit every day, Monday through Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm. It’s been like this for four months. There is no end in sight.

The workers are noisy. They leave the windows open in the unit while working. I complained to the management company about this annoyance and I’m waiting to hear back from them. What else can I do?

Neighbor Problems: Dirty Fences

A: This is one of the challenges with congregate living. By that, we mean when you live with shared walls, ceilings, and floors, although people who live in single-family homes can also experience neighbor issues and problems.

Noise home renovations are a problem for everyone. There’s noise, dust, dirt, and leftover materials that irritate and annoy. The way homeowner association boards deal with this is to set limits on when and how renovation and home improvements can be done by outside contractors.

We think that limiting work to between the hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, is pretty good. There are plenty of buildings and HOA boards that permit work to start as early as 7:00am and go as late as 6:00pm on the weekdays, with some extra hours on Saturday morning.

Neighbor Problems: Dangerous Conditions

While four months feels like a long time, it isn’t that much when you’re doing a gut rehab of an entire unit. Between the planning process, demolition, and the rebuilding of the mechanical systems, and then building new bathrooms, bedrooms and a kitchen, it can take awhile to get the work done.

What we can suggest is that you knock on the door and introduce yourself to your new neighbor. Ask them about how the work is progressing. See if they’ll tell you what they’re doing. Then, ask them to let you know if any of the upcoming work will be on the noisier side. You can share that sometimes the work gets loud and interferes with what you have going on in your home.

That sort of friendly, neighborly communication can go a long way in helping you plan your own activities. If you know the neighbor’s contractors will be drilling away on a Friday, you can choose to accomplish work or tasks away from your home that day.

Neighbor Problems: Fences Followup

On the other hand, if you know you have company or colleagues coming over on a certain day, or are doing an important call, you can talk to your neighbor about their work schedule. Perhaps they can adjust the schedule to provide you with the peace and quiet you need to get your things done.

Frequently, work crews may blast music all day long but may not be aware how loud that music sounds in your unit. This happened to us in our last office space. The space below was being transformed into a coffeeshop, and the workers were blasting music while Ilyce was taping radio shows. If you take the time to talk to your neighbor, and ask them to turn down the music, you may find them more than willing to accommodate you.

If nothing works, you can chat with the property management company or even some of the building board members. It’s possible the owner isn’t around while all the work is going on and may be unaware there is a problem. Sometimes a simple inquiry from the management company might be all that’s needed to quiet things down.

How to Approach Neighbors to Buy Their House

Asking around, you may also find that some of the work needs to be coordinated with and approved by the building or its management company. You may be able to find out what work is being planned, and how much is still left to go. Was proper notice given to neighbors? Perhaps not. Between the management company and proactively talking with your upstairs neighbor, you might find some middle ground that provides relief.

Just remember, your neighbor has the right to update and upgrade the unit. And, while it may be a pain for you, be patient. It’ll be over soon enough.