If there is one thing that tenants often complain about, that is noise. Barking dogs, loud music, and any disturbing sound in the middle of the night. People, in general, want to live peacefully and with that, they prefer rental apartments that are quiet. Does your property have that amenity? 

Tenants have the right to quiet enjoyment. A rental that's noisy increases tenant turnover. You don't want that. The best way to deal with noise is to prevent it right from the start. Also, you should be able to handle noise complaints when they happen. 

In this blog post, we share six helpful tips.

1. Let your lease do the talking.

Your lease is a powerful tool that anticipates and prevents problems during the rental period. Set a policy "quiet hours" that requires everyone to avoid causing too much noise. There must be no loud music and blasting television. Tenants should also limit the number of guests who will enter the unit.

2. Speak with incoming tenants.

Have a conversation with potential tenants on the issue of noise. If a tenant happens to be a night owl, advise him to use his headphones when listening to music or having a conversation with others. That way, he doesn't disturb sleeping tenants. Let all tenants know in advance about daily noises they'll anticipate such as morning trash pick-up. 

3. Listen to the complaint.

One of the best skills you should possess as a landlord is listening. Listen to what a tenant says about the noise. Listening in person will also help you get a good idea where the noise is coming from. Also, make it easy for tenants to contact you, and address their complaints in a timely manner.

Related: Communication: The Key to a Healthy Landlord-Tenant Relationship

4. Start a friendly conversation with the person causing the noise. 

It's not proper to attack the person responsible for the noise immediately. A tenant may be completely unaware of his behavior. Strike a casual conversation. Take a stronger action only when necessary.

5. Pay attention to the kind of tenants you screen.

Some tenants are overly sensitive to noise and may have trouble adjusting to your rental setting (if it's near the bus station or in a busy place). You might want to ask a previous landlord if the tenant applicant often complained about noise. If you encounter these tenant applicants, consider offering an out.

6. Stay calm. 

The worst thing that you can do is to make the situation worse between the person who caused the noise and the complainant. Remain calm and never encourage a confrontation. Maintain peace. Don't let the tenants solve the problem themselves and don't hand it over to the police. As a proactive landlord, try to stop an argument before it starts. Document everything. 

If you’re ready, make Landlord Prep your go-to resource for landlording education. Here, we offer a complete DIY landlording course to get you on the right track. Join our academy today. If you want, you can check out Flavia’s real estate investing webinar first!