If it were once in a blue moon that's one thing..but if it' pretty consistent and ESPECIALLY during the week past 11pm in LA, call the cops.

I live in West Hollywood, within 200 feet of a bar that sometimes leaves it's back door open. I drown out most of the noise with an air filter and fan...but sometimes it doesn't work and I have called the cops during the week on a couple occassions. (I tried going to the bar and talking to the manager about the back door, and basically they blew me of, so hence the cop call for noise ordinance).

Ok, seriously, call the cops. If you've asked nicely, they only have themselves to blame. I mean, really. Poker outside at 3 am on a weekday? Give me a break. Pick up the phone, call the cops.

I've called the cops several times for noisy neighbors. I've always asked said neighbor to quiet down first and when they didn't, it was time to call the police. I don't care if someone doesn't like me. Sleep is important and they should be respectful and mindful of the fact that they live in an apartment complex with other people. I don't understand people who can't grasp the concept of that.

Oops. It should have read "leaves its back door"...that was more of a typo than a grammatical error on my part.

Talk to the landlord first.

In college there was house about 3/4 of a block away from my apartment inhabited by some of the loudest people I've ever heard. They would throw parties that went until 3-4am that were so loud I could hear them from my room in the center of the building! I called the police when this dragged on after a few months. It didn't really do much to stop them though.

I probably wouldn't unless it was walking up the kids. My husband would in a heart beat. lol

1. Document, document, document... write down the date, time, and circumstances of each incident for a couple weeks or so.

2. Look up the local noise ordinance.

3. Talk to your landlord and see if he/she can resolve the issue. Let your landlord know that if the noise continues after that point, you will call the police.

4. If your landlord can't/won't do anything, then call the police. Know the ordinance and be ready with specific incidents that will establish that this is an ongoing problem.

I live below a couple who apparently enjoy giving their toddler hearing loss with their extraordinarily loud music. Asking them nicely (and repeatedly) to lower the volume proved useless, as I learned they are of the belief that as rent-paying tenants, playing music at any volume is their "right" under some imaginary "statewide law."
Some people just have no regard or respect for others - your neighbors sound like they fit this profile.
Definitely speak with your landlord before you call the cops - I have a great relationship with my LL and whatever he told couple upstairs worked. If your LL can't or wont control the situation I'd notify him or her first of your intention to involve the police, either via phone call or in writing, then do so. Good luck!!!

I would so be calling the police everytime this happens. And document the calls (the police will give a verification number). You can usually approach the city with this information and force the landlord to evict the tenant at a certain point. If you're renting, it might be easier to move.

I agree that it can't hurt to talk to the landlord to see what he or she can do.

call the cops and when they don't do anything start peeing out your window. First couple of times when they are not around. then if they keep it up then pee right on them.
If you are not the only neighbor above them start using their patio as your trash bin. I would also figure out what would ruin their furniture the most. How can you make their deck a magnet for mold, mildew and mosquitos, so that they do not want to use it, See my peeing suggestion. Be prepared to keep your windows shut. You might think I'm kidding and being harsh but they are abusing your rights and you should not have to ask them nicely, they shouldn't be such @$$h0135 in the first place. Common decency.

I'm having a big problem with my neighbor in the next apt. Our leases state no dogs, he got one anyway. The dog barked for hours on end whenever the guy was gone. I first talked to the manager, then the humane society, then the police. The guy was served an eviction and didn't leave. They had to wait 10 days before setting a court date so he could challenge the eviction. More waiting, no news. The dog is still here, the hall smells like urine and feces. They may force the eviction at the end of August. He seems to have more rights than his neighbors.

I just moved into an apartment and the upstairs neighbors threw a party 3 days after moving in. When my ceiling light started shaking at 12:30 in the morning I called the landlord. The next day I saw her and she said that she called the neighbors and let them know that they had to keep it down.

It hasn't been all quiet on the western front but they usually keep it down after 10pm which is good enough for me.

Talk to the landlord before calling the cops. But if that doesn't help, then by all means, try. I'm not sure if it will help since the police don't care all that much about noise complaints. You might have to end up moving in the end.

As for the question: Yes, I would and I have. I don't mind parties, but I really don't want to hear crappy frat rock well past 2am on a Thursday night.

funstraw: ....... (This is the sound of my mouth hanging open.)

You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding. I mean, speaking of common decency.

Vinylcollectors: I would call the landlord first, but if the situation didn't improve I would absolutely call the cops.

Only time i have ever called police on a noisy neighbour was when the noise was them screaming at their 14 year old child and slapping said child with a shoe. I think i had due cause... otherwise i just make enough noise for them to realise they are being a pain in the a55 and then they usually stop. OR as a musical theatre junkie i just start singing the title song from Oklahoma.. over .. and over.. and over!! :D

I'm now at my dorm, but my home is two doors down from the classiest people in all of Columbus, Ohio -- if classy means absolutely stupid, clueless, and rude.

In their backyard, they have intercom-style speakers that blast their radio while they work in their yard. Needless to say, everyone in the neighborhood hears the country radio station all day. This started a few years ago and we called the cops - they'd stop playing it for a week or two, then start back up, then we'd call the cops and the cycle continued.

Well now we just call the cops every single time it is turned on (it is a violation of the city noise ordinance, so it's fair to report them) and they've now been fined because they were reported three times within the certain time frame that warrants a fine.

So call the po-po if you want it to stop.

Well firstly, I'd think that unless the party games are going to turn into a riot - that the police would have more important "crimes" to investigate. Only time I've called the police on the neighbours was when there was a domestic happening.

Secondly, living in Australia this scenario may differ from that in the US - I'd contact the strata / building management, they in turn would send formal letter to tenant advising breach of strata by-laws. If no resolution, letter is sent to the landlord advising them that their tenant is in breach and if not resolved by landlord then action can be taken against the landlord.

If I had his number, I would call Sting at any time, for any reason.

Worse case situation: two rental homes across the street, both occupied by a combination of friends and/or relatives who monopolized the corner with cars and children over the course of two years. The noise went on and on and on. All hours of the day or night. No amount of police visits did anything. Frankly I was afraid, living alone with pets, that the teenagers would retaliate against my cats when I was out, the way they did to the other neighbor's mailbox. Nightmarish? Yup. Couldn't move, I own.
When these people decided they no longer enjoyed one another's company they moved, leaving both homes in shambles. Just writing this makes me feel exhausted.

I agree with the first landlord then police... but I also think you need to create a situation where you may not be the only one to blame. half the issue in experiences like this in the past that I've had is how to deal with the vindictive behavior that comes from the neighbors whom have just had the cops called on them.

So get a few other neighbors to knock on their door. That way, you're not the only one they may go after. And no flaming brown bag of poo on your doorstep, hopefully.

If they're inconsiderate enough to do this type of behavior, who knows what they'll do if you call the cops.

Short version: Document. Complain to the mgr/ll. Call the cops. Repeat.

I've lived 14 years in LA in the same apt. Am currently living with my 4th Neighbor(s)-From-Hell:
2 grandparents
2 parents
1 big dog
1 screaming 2 y/o
1 baby on the way... IN A SINGLE-ROOM APT!!!

If you live in LA, this is the 411 from LAPD:
- First complaint, police come, tell 'em to keep it quiet.
- Second, it's a fine.
- Third, the cuffs come out.

DOCUMENT! Keep a log of dates, times, specifics.

Talk to the Manager/Landlord. Face to face AND in writing.

Look up the Landlord/Tenant Laws for your city. Make a copy & give it to the LL. In LA it doesn't have to be after a certain hour, just that it impinges on your privacy and enjoyment of your living space.

Visit your local precinct and have a sit-down (so to speak) so the cops know you're not some loony but just want to enjoy the home YOU PAY GOOD MONEY FOR. Keep in mind, YOU'RE THE GOOD GUY. Ask for the cops' help resolving the situ. They're supposed to be here for you, the law-abiding citizen.

Something most people don't realize: Cops have the power to label an apartment complex as a 'bad apple' (not the legal term). Once that happens, cops start to drop in a lot, scrutinize tenants and conditions, get in touch with the landlord -- LL's HATE THAT! It's very difficult to get that label removed and get off their radar. They may find themselves receiving a lot more fines, their rental property value goes down, their insurance goes up... Because they let the jerks in.

I'm here to encourage you -- I personally got rid of 2 of the N-F-H by documenting and being a lawful squeaky wheel. (I'm currently trying to work with the current ones who answer the door, "Go ahead, call the police." (And hello to you too!)

my old neighbor 'frenchy' was a complete d-bag. smoked from the time he opened his eyes till he closed them, and would bang against our shared wall all night (these were not sex noises, just random banging). i left him quite a few notes, but to no avail, wanted to call the cops, but there would be no way of getting to him without freaking out his roommate. i emailed the landlord & there was quiet for a few days until he got his own apt. but now in frenchy's place there is an old man with bad hearing and a loud tv and a barking dog who won't shut up (8-10 hours a day sometimes)...

MY ADVICE: if these people are in your same building, check your lease/rental agreement. most contain clauses limiting the noisy hours to 8am-10pm, contact the landlord EVERY time they are partying all night, document, and after so many instances (i'd got with 5) call the cops, and then if it continues call the cops again EVERY time until they stop or get evicted.

I used to live in a mobile home park where we had one really obnoxious tenant who was very loud on purpose just to irritate everyone. The landlord documented everything and called the police twice. One day, he had me call just so it would go on record that he wasn't the only person to find the noise loud. The police finally ticketed the neighbour. He contested and the thing went to court where I was summoned no fewer than three times to appear to testify. Each time, the guy's lawyer managed to get the proceedings reported to a later date. I finally got my moment on the stand and came prepared with notes I'd made at the time of the incident. The landlord had his notes, too. We wanted to be sure of the details since almost two years had gone by (!). The judge ruled in favour of the neighbour because the landlord and I were obviously persecuting the neighbour since we'd made notes and took the incident so seriously (the Canadian justice system sucks). The neighbour continued to make our life hell by playing loud music at all hours, taking air out of tires, vandalising our gardens, and doing other annoying but relatively non-criminal things until he skipped out in the middle of the night. In our case, it was a bad idea to call the cops. :(

i live on the first floor and have heroin addicts for neighbors.

mostly they are just your average couple but a few times a year they lose it and become outrageous monsters for several weeks. i have had to call the police on them countless times. it doesn't really make any difference but when the neighbor chick is out of her mind and trying to climb into your bedroom window, or when the guy is slamming door and cabinets 24/7, locking each other out of the apartment and both are ringing your doorbell for hours (literally) to get into the building, why not call.

always call the police when people are out of control. just be sure not to call 9-1-1 but rather learn the police non-emergency number in your town.

in san francisco that number is 415 533-0123.

My condo building has a large old victorian next door. It used to be owned by an sweer old guy who lived with his grandsons. This was fine until the old gentleman died and the grandsons sold the place...after having loud loud loud sex for several weeks running until 2am. We called the cops when they started up for the third time in a row on the second night in a row. The house was purchased and renovated (hell-o construction noise at 9am six days a week) and THEN rented to a group of hard partying college girls. Their second to last party, my husband went over to ask them to turn it down. That worked for 10 minutes. SO we called the cops. By the time they showed up, my poor husband had been jumped by 2 drunken idiots out front while trying to take our poodle for her nightly piddle. Then, just to prove they are incapable of learning, the girls did it again the next week. This time, arrests were made.

And to think, I worried we'd be the noisy ones with a poodle and a baby on the way!

Err that should be sweeT old guy. He really was a dear....composted all out veggie waste!

i've had a similar experience from next door neighbors at a condominium building. the balcony area was designed poorly in that if not for a low (waist-high) ledge, we practically share one.

they happen to be college students who go to the balcony for fresh air and conversation - loud ones at that! even if they're inside their unit, they are so boisterous and prefer to keep their doors and windows open so we can hear everything.

i can only tolerate their shenanigans til 10pm and after this and still hear their noise, i call the security guard to tell them off. at least to please stop going to the balcony and shut their windows and doors. they do as told but the next night they're at it again. i would tell them off personally but late at night, i'm not dressed decently to knock on a neighbor's door anymore and during daytime they're not around.

i've already drafted a formal letter of complaint to our administration office (noises are definitely a violation of house rules, which i have a copy of) and meant to send it, but thank God, the students are renters and moved out when the school term ended.

these days we have new neighbors who like playing loud music, but it's only during daytime so not as bothersome.

I am a dispatcher and I'll tell you right now, if it's a Friday/Saturday night, the cops have to weed through all of the stabbings, domestics, disturbances (fights, not noise), gunshot victims, trespasses, prowlers, etc. before they can handle your loud neighbor or their barking dog.

You are better off confronting them at a later date or telling the landlord if it is shared living.

If you do call the police for a noise nuisance, don't expect wonders and don't expect them "10 minutes later" unless you live in a small town. Can't tell you how many times people call back screaming because they "have to work in the morning" or their "kids can't sleep" and I have to tell them that doesn't take priority over the person who got stabbed on the next block over....

Call the cops. I have called 311 every time there is a problem, and it has really helped with a chronic problem with a group of neighbors who would set up a huge stereo system on the sidewalk across the street. After several visits from the police, warnings, tickets, and finally arrests (brought on because the neighbors thought taunting the NYC police was a funny thing to do...) the problem has stopped. Taking action definitely makes my neighborhood a better place. If trouble makers are constantly being visited by the police, they will look for a different place to make trouble.

OF COURSE you call the cops. That's one of the many reasons they exist -- to intervene in these types of situations. I wouldn't hesitate, especially in a case like this.

And isn't it true that you can make the call anonymously, OR that you can give your name, etc. to the police but that they won't pass along this info to the noisemakers? If so, there's even less reason to restrain that dialing finger.

p.s. LOL , devonian!

This isnt just an urban problem. Our cabin on 10 acres in Wisconsin until the NFH moved nearby with 5 coon hounds. He was completely uncooperative. You've never heard noise till you've heard these beasts howling for 8 hours starting at 4 in the morning. We've called the police multiple times, he plead not-guilty, paid his fine, then got more coon hounds. The police have been understanding and cooperative but it maddening to have it continue. We document every time with a time sheet on the fridge, record with audio and video when we can, and call the police every time. I have too much invested in my property and will not let this moron ruin it.

Check out the book "Neighbor Law" by Cora Jordan

That comment about peeing on their balcony will do you more harm than good. Sure, we all WANT to get back at people.. but once those neighbours call the landlord or cops on YOU, saying "they deserved it" isn't going to get you off the hook. Public nudity, vandalism, there's a lot of possible charges here that aren't worth it-- grow up!
Also, about the dog in the apartment: Technically (where I live anyway), even when a lease is signed agreeing to no pets, a tenant can have pets and not be kicked out... unless you can prove the pet is affecting the living conditions of the other tenants (allergies, constant barking, etc). Though this may be the case with you, it's hard to prove. That's probably why it's taking so long and why this tenant is being such a pain in the ass to deal with. No pet leases aren't valid by law.

I live in a horrible building with a skeezy landlord we've taken to the Landlord Tenant Board more than once. All of our neighbours are drug addicts and alcoholics and teen parents and.. yuck. At first we told the landlord but now we call the cops straight away for noise complaints. We left a note on the door one time, but seriously, the dude across us was high on PCP and yelling about his abusive past in the middle of the hallway. Threw a fire extinquisher at the cops coming up to get him. People who are rowdy have a tendancy to get violent.. these are not the type of people you want to quiet down by yourself.

I would call the landlord AND the police. Tell the Landlord that youre going to call the police. Also- just for some personal fun. I say drop some things down there...Sprinkle some water, popcorn-things that wont hurt. :-) That might be too much for you but I would love it.

I say call the landlord first. A warning from them will be a little less aggressive than from the police, but might get the message across more clearly. If that still does nothing, call the police. And, as others have mentioned, you need to document every occasion. 'They make noise late all the time' is a lot lessconvincing than 'They have made noise until 4 in the morning 12 times in the past month on these dates' etc.

I call the cops if: a) there is hitting/physical fighting, b) there is loud cursing (I have a daughter...), or c) I have asked them or another neighbor has asked them to quiet down and they haven't.

Honestly, just call 'em. Usually, one or two noise voilations will keep parties calm and quiet.

Okay - I have a issue with hipsters who sit on the stairs in groups while smoking a pack a day - I live in a converted condo - it is uber gated and very quiet - these people are subletting and have no concept of the association rules - wherein they decided smokers should stroll while smoking and dispose of butts in a trash can versus the grounds - I've asked how long they will be here, are they aware of the rules, etc - they all act deaf & dumb - I come home from a long day to 4 hipsters on the steps and landings with butts everywhere - throughout the day - as early as 7am and as late as 3am - trust I have spoken to them, the condo manager and she has spoken to the owner - it is still happening - and surely the cops aren't going to do anything - I'm just tired of all the loitering and smoke - there are NO balconies or patios - this is happening in common space - I have to walk two dogs 3 to 4 times a day - it's a battle everytime - and coming up with groceries - saying excuse me and getting the roll eye - it is getting so old - help?

I will call the police if what I'm hearing is violent (i.e., a screaming argument or physical assault). Otherwise, I complain to the building manager.

we have upstairs neighbors who are getting out of control with their fighting. The girlfriend is especially loud and ridiculously violent when the fighting occurs. THe boyfriend actually called the police on the girlfriend twice in one night a couple of weeks ago. I have never called the police yet, nor have I ever said anything to them. The way I see it, her behavior is not changing, so eventually, they'll be out of the building. If I were to say something to them, the next time she had a crazy spell, I would feel like it was to spite me because I said something. Sadly, I blast our music to drown her out and it works for me, but probably not for other neighbors. I am too non-confrontational for my own good. But my husband and I agreed that next time, we're going to call the police. Only when it's so bad that I feel scared by her screaming and panting like an animal. It's really weird. I think she needs help pretty badly. I also hear her vomiting quite frequently in the mornings. We are about to move out of our place and upstairs next to them (rather than being beneath them)...not sure how to "sell" our apartment to the next tenants since it's sort of unfair not to tell them what they're getting themselves into...

Vhision: Band together with neighbors. You can't be the only one who's being inconvenienced by these jerks. They might be more likely to listen to a group of people versus one. Also, can you try writing to or calling the owner of the apartment yourself?

We have some neighbors 2 doors down who throw parties frequently and have a 'punk band' which they call 'alcoholic white trash'. Nice. Usually the noise STARTS between midnight and 2am, and NEVER on the weekends. I should not be able to hear the lyrics to their music and their screaming over it while in bed with my windows shut two doors down. We have absolutely no relationship with these neighbors... So yes, I call the police. Not every time, but when the noise is preventing me from sleeping, absoluely. After a certain number of noise complaints, something was sure to happen...
And the other day, I was rewarded: neighbor punk in cuffs on the sidewalk. Probably un-noise related, though. I've never heard of anyone being arrested for being ridiculously noisy.

Vhision, stop saying "sorry" or "excuse me." Unless they're 5 year olds, they need to have the minutia of intelligence necessary to get out of the way. If they don't, it's not really your problem if you walk into them... or step on them as you haul groceries up the stairs.
Are there other people in the building who are annoyed with these "hipsters?" Maybe you should all work together. Talk to the condo manager together.. as a group.

As for talking to the condo manager... clearly whatever she did didn't work. Talk to her again. I assume that you're not subletting, so you rent or own and thus are following the association rules. If these people are NOT following or are explicitly breaking rules, write down every rule they're breaking, including the dates and time and file complaint after complaint after complaint to the association. The rules are in place for a reason.

Absolutely - call the cops. Once, I had a neighbor in the condo beside mine who played music so loudly that the pictures on my wall bounced from the bass. This happened 2-3 times a week. I started calling the cops every single time. They would come, knock on the door, she would answer & they'd tell her to turn it down and she would...until 2 nights later when she'd do it again.

Lucky for me, the couple that lived over her also called the cops, as did the people across the hall. And, we called the owner of condo and complained to him, too. Finally, everyone was so sick of our calls that the police told her if they had to come out one more time, they'd take her to the station. And, the owner finally told her he'd evict her.

Happily, she moved. I was overjoyed. The quiet was delightful.

Would do it, have done it, and would do it again. Landlords are all about collecting money from people, and they're more likely to keep collecting that money if they don't piss those people off. Call the police if this keeps happening and don't look back. Most urban communities have noise ordinances that you can stand behind.

I have, a couple of times.

There is a rental house next to us and the landlord is a total slumlord. All the neighbors hate him and every time we call the city, they know exactly who he is and tell us about all the complaints about his many properties and even they call him a slum lord. And he does not keep this house up at all, so only trashy people move in.

The first time was not purposely on them. There was no one living in the house, but one night at about 10 pm I heard guys in the back yard messing around with the fence. The fences were knocked down during Hurricane Ike, and we had paid to put up the one between us even though it was on the landlord's side, but he wouldn't pay. But he never put up the back fence in his yard, and this was like 6 months later. So I was worried the previous renters were vandalizing the property and might damage our fence in the process (which we can't afford). So I called the police and apparently these were people that were going to be moving in and they were putting up a fence. Still, it was weird that they were doing it so late.

The second time was on those renters. It was the night before Easter after midnight, and I heard loud shouts, just nonsense screaming, from their yard and also loud popping. At first I thought it was a gun, but when I went outside, I think he was just hitting something with a stick or something. I yelled at him to be quiet several times and even said I'd call the police, but he didn't even lower the volume, so I called the cops.

I don't like doing it, but I'll call police if I have to. Plus, it may have helped that I called, because recently the landlord was cutting down huge branches from his yard and knocked out several of our fence boards in the process. I yelled at him and told him it better be fixed by the end of the weekend (we have a little dog, so we need the fence up), and he actually did it. Even our neighbors were like, "good luck getting him to do that". But I guess he figured we'd call the cops. And some of our neighbors had just gotten him fined by the city for leaving trash out in the front too long. Unfortunately, we don't have an HOA, so we are screwed.

Calling the cops w/out talking to your neighbors first = Not cool.

Partying too loud and blowing off your neighbors when they ask you to quiet down= Also not cool.

Communication is key, and there are two components to good communication: verbalizing and comprehending.

I've called the cops on loud neighbors before, and I'll do it again if necessary.

Last time, the neighborhood's entire drunken-white-trash contingent was shrieking, laughing, and splashing in the communal pool...at 3:45 a.m! This time, the cops were fed up, and charges were filed.

Ever since, the pool has been mercifully quiet at night.

I currently live next door to casa domestic violence.

They have loud, obscenity filled screaming fits at least once a week. One night, the wife sat on the flat roof over the second floor and screamed about throwing herself off, alllll night. Or so my roommate says. She didn't call the cops though, and i asked her why, and she said "not 911 worthy". I had to explain the concept of the general line, and we decided next fight, we'd call.

So two saturday nights ago, they were screaming and fighting so loud, i could hear them over the TV. Stuff kept falling down the stairs too. (we share a wall with their staircase). So when I heard a very large item (body?) go thudthudthud down the stairs, I called the police. One car shows up. Suddenly, there are 7 cars, an ambulance, and the ambulance SUV that shows up sometimes.
Someone was taken away on a stretcher.

Soooo, calling before talking to the landlord is a good thing sometimes.

(Best part though? the trashy punk neighbours on the otherside, who think they're DJs were all like "you're THOSE people?" when my roommate mentioned that we had called the cops as they were talking about the shenanigans. Assholes. Can't wait to move.)

if i were you, i'd talk to the landlord first. they may be breaking a rule in the lease.

i've called the cops on a neighbor once.

i heard mumbling in the hallway & then loud bangs. i let things cool down & looked & the door was broken & open. it was late at night. i wasn't sure what happened. i called his name, but didn't hear a thing. i called the cops. turns out the guy was THAT drunk. he kicked in his door & passed out!

Thanks for all the advice - I wish I could get neighbors together - sadly I am in a condo conversion - 3 units are empty - one is a crashpad for pilots (I live near the airport) and the other have people who just aren't here enough - I normally work 40 hrs too but am home on disability - my mother informed me of all the nonsense - now that she is gone I experience it first hand - this is my favorite place thus far - I will defend it - I am just concerned the owner is so far removed and all of the problems are civil versus criminal - I d k - emailing the prop manager again with more pictures - I WILL NOT be the one leaving

Thanks for the great advice everyone! I really appreciate it. I've tried talking to them and we don't share a landlord so I can't get help on that front. I think at this point I'll try to rally more neighbors to get involved (I'm sure that others must be annoyed too.) If that doesn't work I'm gonna call the police. I'm sorry to hear about everyone else's horror stories. I know how frustrating it is to deal with inconsiderate neighbors!