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What to do when your landlord will not deal with a noisy neighbor

Updated 2026-11-12

Write to the landlord again, keep a copy, and give them a real chance to deal with the other tenant. If the noise also breaks a city rule, report it to the city. Don't stop paying rent on your own; that can lead to a lawsuit for the rest of the lease.

This is not legal advice. The rules depend on your state, your lease, and whether the noisy person rents from the same landlord.

Same landlord, or not

The first question is who the neighbor rents from.

The Texas State Law Library says Texas has no specific statute on quiet enjoyment, but court cases recognize it. The covenant "makes the landlord responsible for other tenants who create disturbances." It does not make the landlord responsible for noise from strangers or from people who do not rent from that landlord.

The Maryland People's Law Library says something similar. When another tenant causes the problem, it "may be attributable to the landlord because the landlord could take action to stop the offending tenant." It cites Bocchini v. Gorn Management Co., 69 Md. App. 1 (1986). In that case the landlord knew about very disturbing noise for several months, and about threats, and did nothing.

Those two sources are talking about a renter down the hall who has the same landlord. They are not talking about a homeowner next door. For the house next door, use the city noise rule on that city's page. You can still tell your own landlord, but the Texas explanation above does not put that neighbor's noise on your landlord.

Write it so someone else can read it

The Maryland People's Law Library lists three steps when your use of the home is seriously impaired:

Tell the landlord about the problem in writing.
Give the landlord a reasonable chance to fix it.
Have witnesses, if you can.

Its notes on noise add detail. Keep a copy of every complaint. Say where the noise comes from, what it is, when it happens and how long it lasts. Ask other tenants if they hear it. A friend who stays over on a loud night can say what they heard.

A second letter should not just repeat that they are always loud. List the nights, attach the log, say what you asked for the first time and the date you asked, and ask for a written reply.

If you have a lease clause about quiet enjoyment or noise, quote it. Two state statutes put a duty on the tenant, which is the other tenant in this situation. Florida says a tenant must act, and make guests act, "in a manner that does not unreasonably disturb the tenant's neighbors or constitute a breach of the peace" (Florida Statutes § 83.52(7)). Arizona says a tenant must not disturb the neighbors' "peaceful enjoyment of the premises" (Arizona Revised Statutes § 33-1341(7)). If you live in one of those states, you can point the landlord at that line. Other states write this differently, so don't assume your state uses these words.

The complaint letter guide has a landlord letter. A form on this site can fill in your city's quiet hours and code section. The letter is still yours to edit.

Call the city if the noise breaks a city rule

A landlord letter and a city complaint do different things. The city enforces the noise code. The landlord enforces the lease.

SF.gov's noise page says noise in an apartment building "may be the Landlord's responsibility." That does not close the city route. Each city page on this site lists the code section and the number to call. Some cities want 311. Some want the police non-emergency line. A few say to call 911 while it is happening. Use the number on your city's page.

Police and code officers often need to hear the noise. A log of when it tends to start helps them pick a time. Fort Worth asks for a log on animal noise. El Paso's noise form asks for dates, times and length. Those details are in the guide to documenting noise.

If the city cites the other tenant, keep that paper with your letters so the landlord has a city record next to what you wrote.

Don't skip the rent on your own

Moving out, or holding back the rent, does not end the argument. The Maryland People's Law Library says the landlord may still sue for the rent due for the rest of the lease. To win, the tenant has to prove the disturbance was serious enough to count as constructive eviction. The library says to talk to a lawyer before that step.

Occasional loud nights are unlikely to meet that standard, and the landlord has to have had a fair chance to fix the problem. That is what the written complaints are for.

Other steps are smaller:

Ask to move to another unit. The Maryland library suggests this even if it costs money.
Ask the landlord to let you out of the lease in writing. Don't rely on a hallway conversation.
Read the lease for an early-end fee.

The Texas State Law Library says a lawyer can tell you how to proceed, and that legal aid may be available. Our break-lease guide walks through quiet enjoyment and constructive eviction in more detail. Read that before you give notice.

Keep the records

Save the letters, the dates you sent them, and any reply. Save the log. Save any city report number. If you later talk to a lawyer or to legal aid, that is what they will ask for.

The log can live on paper. It can also live in this browser, on your device only, or in the Noisy Neighbor iPhone app. The app adds a decibel estimate. The estimate is not a certified meter reading. The dates and times are the part a landlord can actually use.

Write a complaint letter · Incident log · Quiet hours in 60 cities

Questions about a landlord who will not act

What do I do if my landlord ignores a noise complaint?

Write again with dates and times, keep a copy, and give the landlord a real chance to act. If the noise breaks a city rule, report it to the city too.

Can I stop paying rent because of a noisy neighbor?

Do not decide that on your own. In Maryland, a landlord can still sue for the rest of the rent. Talk to a lawyer before you move out or withhold rent.

Is my landlord responsible for a neighbor who is not their tenant?

Often no. The Texas State Law Library says the quiet-enjoyment cases it describes cover other tenants of that landlord, not strangers or people who do not rent there.

Sources

More guides

Look up your city's noise rules

Not legal advice. Rules depend on your city, your lease and your HOA's documents.