Noise pollution from house music

What to do if the neighbor is playing music?

Sonorous tones, pleasant rhythms and melodies that go into the ear – or at least hours of droning, horns and strumming: house music usually gives the musicians more pleasure than the neighbors who belong to it. For example, the neighbor’s son practices the violin for two hours a day, the mother takes singing lessons, and the basically friendly tenant above his own apartment can’t keep his hands off the drums. What are the limits for noise pollution from house music?

General rules of conduct – comply with rest periods

If a child learns to play the recorder, this usually does not pose a problem for the neighbours. However, if they practice on a saxophone or the accordion, the neighbors also benefit from the musical background noise. In order to protect people from noise, certain quiet times must be observed. Of course, this includes the night’s rest between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. as well as any rest periods that are defined by the house rules. In addition, in order not to strain the nerves of the roommates of an apartment building too much, the duration of the music-making is limited in time. It is difficult to give exact details on this, but there is a basic rule of conduct that says: It is quite common to practice one to two hours a day on your instrument or to train your voice vocally. If this cannot be reduced to room volume due to the characteristics of an instrument, one hour is generally considered appropriate. Drummers usually have to limit themselves to 45 to 90 minutes a day, depending on the season.

What to do if the house music is disturbing?

Learning to play an instrument requires a lot of practice. This usually takes place in the home at home and neighbors should also be understanding. However, if the noise pollution exceeds the usual level, you can take action. Before you jeopardize the good neighborhood, you should first have a friendly conversation with the musician and describe your problems. Invite him to understand the noise level in your home. A mutual solution can usually be found. However, if the neighbors do not respond to your requests and are by no means willing to observe the quiet times, you will be directed to the landlord. He, too, has a legitimate interest in ensuring that the times for making music and the rest periods specified in the house rules are observed.

House music by professional musicians

Anyone who, as an artist or musician, has to practice an instrument for more than the usual amount of time every day as part of their job should inform the landlord of this before moving into a rented apartment and have the landlord confirm this in writing. Because courts have already decided several times that professional musicians may practice significantly more than the normally permitted times per day, depending on the instrument.

In the interest of all neighbors, a joint solution is of course the best option. Approaching each other and showing mutual consideration is a basic prerequisite for this. And there is still one consolation for practicing children or musicians: at some point they will get better through a lot of practice and the music may even please the neighbors who used to be annoyed.

[If you have any questions about neighborhood disputes, please contact a lawyer. We only give general information here!]