Unless you’ve gotten incredibly lucky with your new apartment, you will likely have to deal with noisy neighbors at least once over the next few months. How you do this will often directly impact the final results, so let’s take a look at a few essential do’s and don’ts when it comes to dealing with noisy neighbors.

The first thing every person should keep in mind is the golden rule: treat others as you would want to be treated. That means using common (sense) courtesy in your day to day life. Don’t blare loud music past a certain hour; try not to have loud fights that others could hear and other basic things like this. If you aren’t getting the same level of courtesy back from your neighbors, a good place to start is with a simple knock on the door. It could be that your neighbors simply don’t realize that their behavior is being heard outside of their four walls. Simply knock on their door and politely ask them if they realize that others can hear what their doing. Even if you’re angry, be as polite and kind as possible. If the behavior continues, than it is time to involve your land lord or building manager.

Try to keep a record of the disruptive behavior or even a videotape that shows the noise or disturbance. Present the evidence to those in charge and see if that stops the noise. As a last resort, the police can be called, but make sure that this is absolutely the last option.