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Noise complaint letter: free templates and examples

Updated 2026-11-12

If you haven't asked yet, start with a short note. If that doesn't work, write the landlord, the property manager, or the HOA. A letter gives them dates to act on, and it gives you a dated record that you asked.

Below are three letters you can copy: a note to a neighbor, a letter to a landlord, and a letter for an HOA. Each city page lists the quiet hours and the code section when the city states them. Copy those in. Don't write a section number the page does not show.

Before you write

Start with the gentlest option that might work. A neighbor who doesn't know the bass carries through the floor will often turn it down once asked. Starting with a formal letter can make that harder.

In some cities, asking first is also part of how the rule is written. Several of the noise offenses in Indianapolis apply when someone keeps going "after being asked to stop" (§ 391-302). In Columbus, persisting after a warning or request to stop within 12 hours raises the charge (§ 2329.11(K)). Check your city's page to see how the rules work where you live.

What to include

Whichever letter you send, include dates and times. Listing five nights, with when the noise started and stopped, gives the other person something specific to respond to, instead of a general complaint that they are always loud.

Dates and times. Write down when each incident started and stopped. A week or two of entries shows a pattern.
What the noise was. Music, bass, footsteps, a dog, shouting, a TV, power tools.
How loud it was, in plain terms. Could you hear it with the TV on? Did it come through closed windows? Could you make out words? If you have a decibel estimate, include it, but say it came from a phone.
How it affects you. Lost sleep, a child woken up, work calls interrupted. Keep it short and factual.
What you've already tried. The date you knocked, left a note or emailed.
What you're asking for. A specific request, such as music off by 10 p.m. on weeknights, is easier to agree to than "please be quieter."

Keep your own copy of every letter and note the date you sent it.

Some cities ask for this kind of log themselves. Fort Worth's animal noise complaint page says you'll be asked to keep a complaint log for 7 to 10 days with the dates, times and duration of the noise. The guide to documenting noise covers what a city form usually asks for.

Use the hours your city states

Open your city's page and copy the quiet hours and the code section into the letter. If the page says the city has no general quiet hours, leave the cutoff out. Don't add "quiet hours start at 10 p.m." when the page does not say that.

Some cities add a condition you should mention only if it actually happened. Indianapolis writes several offenses as noise that keeps going "after being asked to stop." Columbus raises the charge when someone keeps going within 12 hours of a warning or a request to stop. Those lines are already in the "Before you write" section, and they belong in the letter when they apply to your city and you actually asked.

If a form on this site fills in the hours and the code section for you, check them against the city page before you send the letter. You still add the dates, what you heard, and what you want. The letter is a draft. It is not legal advice.

Template 1: A friendly first note to a neighbor

Use this when you haven't raised the problem before. Keep it short and assume good faith.

Hi, I'm [your first name] from [unit or house number].

I wanted to let you know that sound from your place carries into mine more than you might expect, mostly [music / footsteps / the TV] late in the evening. On [two or three recent dates], it went on past [time], and I could hear it clearly in my bedroom.

I'm sure it's not on purpose. Would you be willing to [turn it down after 10 p.m. on weeknights / move the speaker off the shared wall]? If something on my end bothers you, I'd want to know too.

Thanks, and feel free to knock or text me at [number].

[Name]

Template 2: A formal letter to a landlord or property manager

Use this once talking to the neighbor hasn't worked, or if you don't feel safe approaching them. Many leases have a quiet enjoyment or noise clause. Check yours and quote it if it applies. In an apartment building, the landlord may be the right person to handle it. SF.gov's noise page, for example, notes that noise in an apartment building "may be the Landlord's responsibility."

[Date]

[Landlord or property manager name] [Address]

Re: Ongoing noise from [unit number] at [property address]

Dear [name],

I am a tenant in [your unit] at [property address]. I am writing about repeated noise from [unit number], which is [above / next to / below] mine.

Since [start date], I have recorded the following incidents:

[Date], [start time] to [end time]: [type of noise, how loud, where in your unit you heard it]

[Date], [start time] to [end time]: [same]

[Date], [start time] to [end time]: [same]

The noise has [kept me awake / woken my children / interrupted work calls] on these nights. On [date], I [spoke with / left a note for] the tenant and asked them to [request]. The noise has continued since then.

[If it applies: Section [number] of my lease says [quote the noise or quiet enjoyment clause].]

I am asking you to contact the tenant and [state the outcome you want, such as keeping noise down after 10 p.m.]. I have attached my incident log. Please let me know in writing by [date, about 10 days out] what steps you will take.

Sincerely, [Name] [Unit, phone, email]

Template 3: A letter to an HOA

HOAs act on their own rules, usually called CC&Rs, bylaws or rules and regulations. Find the section on noise or nuisance before you write and quote it. The board can only enforce what its documents say.

[Date]

[HOA name] Attn: Board of Directors / Community Manager [Address or email]

Re: Noise complaint regarding [address of the source]

Dear Board members,

I own [or rent] [your address] in [community name]. I am filing a complaint about repeated noise from [address].

[Section number] of the [CC&Rs / rules and regulations] says [quote the noise or nuisance rule].

I have recorded these incidents:

[Date], [start time] to [end time]: [type of noise and how loud]

[Date], [start time] to [end time]: [same]

[Date], [start time] to [end time]: [same]

I [spoke with / wrote to] the homeowner on [date] and asked them to [request]. The noise has continued.

Please review this complaint under the association's enforcement process and tell me in writing what action the board will take. My incident log is attached.

Sincerely, [Name] [Address, phone, email]

Tone

Stick to facts and dates. Leave out guesses about why the neighbor is loud, and anything that reads like a threat. If the letter ends up in front of a property manager, a board, or a court, you want it to read as calm and reasonable.

Don't promise or threaten legal action unless you have looked into it. This guide is not legal advice, and the rules that apply depend on your city, your lease, and your HOA's documents.

If letters don't work

If the landlord or HOA doesn't act and the noise breaks a city rule, you can report it to the city. Each city page on this site lists the code section, the hours, and the number to call. Police and code officers usually need to hear the noise themselves, so a log of when it tends to happen helps them pick the right time.

Keeping the log

A paper list works, but it's easy to skip a night and fill it in later from memory. Write each incident the same day. The Noisy Neighbor iPhone app stores each incident with the date, time, length and an estimated decibel level, and it can export the log as a PDF to attach to any of the letters above. Phone decibel readings are estimates, not a certified meter, so treat them as a record of the pattern.

Fill in a letter for your city. The form copies that city's quiet hours and code section. Keep the incident log on this device if you want times to drop into the letter.

Questions about the letter

What should a noise complaint letter include?

Dates, start and stop times, what the noise was, and the change you want. Attach a log if you have one.

Do I have to write a letter before I call the city?

No. A short note is enough when you have not asked yet. Some city rules, including Indianapolis, treat 'after being asked to stop' as part of the offense.

Is a complaint letter legal advice?

No. The letters below are drafts for you to edit. Check the city code, your lease and any HOA rules before you send one.

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.