In addition to filing a citizen s complaint, in most jurisdictions you can bring a civil complaint against your neighbor under the applicable noise ordinance. You can, if you succeed, receive money damages from your neighbor. You will need to prove that the noise violated the ordinance, that you neighbor is causing the noise, and that you attempted to have him stop. Notes of every time the noise problem occurred, whom you spoke to, when the police were called, and copies of all correspondence, will all be important parts of your evidence. If you are renting, and the noise is coming from another tenant, you have the abilty to force your landlord to address the problem.
Tenants have a right of quiet enjoyment under most leases, and under the common law.
If you are renting, follow all of the steps above, but also have a conversation with your landlord or his rental agent, and include the landlord in all correspondence. Taking your neighbor to court will have lasting effects on your relationship with him, so choose that course of action only as a last resort. Most disputes are resolved by simple conversation, and you may want to see if your town sponsors a mediation program for its neighbor complaints. Below are descriptions of typical noise ordinances, with links, where applicable, to more information. You may also want to review past issues of Noise News , a publication by an organization dedicated to no noise General Ordinances Noise levels in neighborhoods are governed by the town or local government.