How to deal with overly hardworking and noisy neighbors

Citizens who are busy on weekdays and want to transform their home themselves need to understand whether it is possible to make repairs on weekends, according to the 2021 law, in an apartment. This will avoid scandals due to drilling with your roommate and possible fines.

In a new building

At the same time, there is no uniform law for the whole of Russia dictating the conditions for repair work in residential buildings on weekends. All regions have adopted their own standards. In some regions there are no special prohibitions. In others, the authorities do not allow noise on weekends.

Is it possible to drill on weekends: law 2021

According to the rules, in 2021 it is prohibited to carry out repair work on Sundays throughout the Russian Federation. This is due to the fact that a person needs at least one day off a week, when there will be silence around.

The sound of repairs

And this is a positive thing. As for people who need to make repairs or drill something, there is a Saturday for that (at least in many regions).

Due to the federal structure, different regions have different times when repairs and drilling are allowed on Saturdays. This time changes periodically due to various local initiatives.

And also under the influence of precedents and statistics. So, immediately before repairing and drilling in the apartment, it is important to check the relevance of the information about the weekend.

Ban on repairs

Regulation of the issue

There is still no single set of rules that would control the level of silence during renovations in apartments in all regions of the Russian Federation. Each city and region independently sets similar standards about how much noise can be made and when.

If we take, for example, the Moscow region, the following rules apply here:

• Work cannot be carried out on weekends or holidays;
• Even on weekends, repairs can only begin at 9 a.m. and finish no later than 7 p.m.;
• It is prohibited to use tools that exceed the permissible noise level and create vibrations in the walls. Therefore, hammer drill for drilling, with power adjustment;
• The repair itself or similar work should not last more than 4 months, otherwise you will need to obtain written and official permission from the authorities of the local municipality.

If someone does not want to comply with such laws and regulations, then he will have to pay a large fine. The number of these is growing every year. It is worth noting that in some areas it is impossible to carry out construction and repair work in apartments or residential buildings even during lunchtime.

How long can you drill on weekends?

The time from which renovations in apartments are prohibited on Saturdays differs for different regions simply because it happened that way. There is no point in looking for any objective reasons for specific numbers for a weekend. In most cases there are none.

Noise levels

The difference from when and until what time it is allowed to carry out drilling or repairs on a day off is explained only by the fact that these are different regions, and the laws in them were adopted independently of each other.

This must be taken into account when planning work.

How long can repairs be done on weekends?

The table below shows the times when repairs can be done on Saturdays. Drilling is also allowed during these hours. On Sundays and holidays, noisy renovations in an apartment are prohibited throughout Russia.

Why the law is not perfect

According to medical research, it is important for a person to sleep from ten to six or from eleven to seven in the morning. It is advisable for the child to go to bed even earlier. That's why you shouldn't make noise or drill after nine o'clock in the evening, even if the law allows it.

When you can’t make noise or listen to loud music in the Moscow region

This is not to say that this is unrealistic. Residents can do all drilling and repair work during the day, especially on weekends. It is important to plan events so that at the end of the day it is possible to easily reschedule them for another day, without unnecessary haste.

Perhaps in the future the law in the regions will change, and as a result it will allow repairs on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. After all, this is one of two days off, and someone on this day is already taking a break from the work week.

On weekdays, over time, it may be possible to ban making noise after 9 p.m. and before 7 a.m. This would be justified by human physiology and would benefit health.

Drilling in an apartment building

Of course, there are reasons why it will not be easy to achieve the adoption of such norms. After all, many simply do not have the time to fit into such a framework.

How to protect your rights and where to complain

If noise from neighbors bothers you, there are several ways to restore justice:

1. It will be agreed.
2. Complain to Rospotrebnadzor.
3. To call the police.
4. Go to court.

When is the best time to negotiate?

It is known that repair is not a process, but a state. So just because your neighbor is in the mood to do some repairs right when you decide to take a nap, doesn't mean that sometime in the future you won't drop your drill in fear of an angry neighbor knocking on your door.

This means that you can always complain about the repairman. That’s why it’s better to come to an agreement with all your neighbors about how many hours you can do repairs on the weekend. For example, when you are not at home. Especially if noisy work lasts for a long time.

When to call the police

If you can't reach an agreement. Or your noisy neighbor decided to wash the purchased building materials, and mixed up the time of day and began laying tiles at 2 am, and in response to your comments expressed in complex idiomatic expressions, it’s time to call the police.

The police have the right to hold a negligent neighbor accountable for disturbing the peace of residents with noisy work. At the same time, to bring to justice it will be enough to see a neighbor covered in construction dust, and the repair situation in the apartment.

Grounds for a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor

You should complain to Rospotrebnadzor when violation of the silence regime occurs systematically.

For example, a neighbor does carpentry in his apartment and creates a lot of noise every day, including during the day, when, according to regional laws, this seems to be not prohibited. In such a situation, real responsibility will come only in case of systematic violations.

And to fix them, you will need to measure their strength, as well as a specialist’s opinion about their excessiveness. This can only be done by a special body in the field of supervision of compliance with sanitary rules - Rospotrebnadzor.

In order for him to protect your rights, you need to write a complaint in which you describe in detail on what days and at what time your neighbor bothers you with construction noise. Without the knowledge of the violator, the supervisory authority will measure the noise level near the neighbor’s apartment, and based on the data obtained, will draw up a report.

Grounds for going to court

The court should be taken when other complaints about unacceptable noise have failed. The court of general jurisdiction considers such cases in the manner of claim proceedings. This means that the noise victim will need to file a claim against the offending neighbor and pay a state fee.

In addition, the claim proceedings take place on the principle of competition between the parties. This means that you will have to independently prove the fact that your neighbor violated the silence regime. For this purpose, previously drawn up acts of Rospotrebnadzor, filmed video materials, as well as testimony of other neighbors are suitable.

It will be possible to punish the violator more severely if you file a claim together with other neighbors affected by the noise.

In such a case, the court can be asked:

1. Bring the offender to justice.
2. Prohibit repair work.
3. Evict from the occupied apartment.
4. Pay for moral damages.

Each of these requirements can be independent.

The court prosecutes under the same laws as the police, so there will not be a large fine. But the court may also prohibit a specific citizen from carrying out repair work. And for failure to comply with a court decision, which would be a repeat violation of the silence regime, criminal liability may follow, which will be explained to the violator by the judge.

The Federal Law “On Silence” provides for the right of a citizen to compensation for violations of sanitary standards. Therefore, it is quite natural to demand compensation for moral damage.

At the same time, you will need to prove that increased noise pollution has negatively affected your well-being and overall health. To do this, you will need to undergo a medical examination before the trial and present its results as evidence to the court.

Conclusion

The law guards the peace of Russian citizens and prohibits making repairs on Sundays, other weekends and at night. The violator will face liability, but in order to be held accountable, he must use the provided legal defense mechanism. But first it is better to resolve the conflict through peaceful negotiations.

What's the best way to do repairs on Saturday?

To begin with, the day is generally not suitable for drilling or making a lot of noise, as on any day off. Ideally, you should choose one of the weekdays when most of your neighbors are at work. For example, Wednesday. And start doing repairs from eleven to seven.

Volume level

It is unlikely that this will hinder many people in this case. And even if so, what can you do? Everything is legal. If you don’t want to ever hear your neighbors’ events, you should take care of sound insulation.

Whenever renovations take place, it is important to post a notice in advance indicating that drilling or other work will be done. It’s better to leave a few lines at the bottom, inviting neighbors to write their wishes about how long and when to host them.

For example, someone may have a birthday on this day. In this case, it is better not to do repair work and postpone drilling the walls.

Quiet on weekends and weekdays

Compliance with such ethical nuances will help to avoid conflicts and sidelong glances. In addition, it will instill culture in some of its neighbors. It is important to take into account all wishes, no matter how many there are.

If you are going to do repairs on Saturday, it is better to limit the scope of work as much as possible. Even if this makes it last for a month. This is not difficult if you delimit the room in advance so that it does not lose functionality.

Here's how it's done:

1. Areas that must be left accessible or unaffected for other reasons are identified.
2. A work plan is drawn up in which these areas are excluded. And if this is impossible, others are chosen to replace the previous ones.
3. During work, areas are fenced off with counting sticks or marked with a dry erase marker or something else.

Drilling the partition

This will help you do the work in several stages, without haste. For example, you can carry out repairs on Saturdays for two or three months.

At the same time, the space around will be conveniently organized, and there will be no difficulties with moving around the apartment.

Although, of course, a lot depends on the type of work. For example, most people try to do plumbing work in one day.

Noise enforcement authorities

Administrative units supervise the implementation of noisy repair work in populated areas of the country. If established standards are violated, neighbors have the right to contact the police, sanitary-epidemiological station or Rospotrebnadzor.

You can file a complaint against citizens who ignore the law, but first you should use the following algorithm of actions:

1. Resolve the conflict by mutual agreement.
2. Visit the management company.
3. Contact the local police officer.
4. File a petition to the police.
5. Write to Rospotrebnadzor, Sanitary and Epidemiological Station.

It is not excluded that neighbors may file a noise complaint with local authorities or the electronic reception desk of the city or district administration.

Filing a complaint about noise from neighbors

Before filing a written application, you must call employees of Rospotrebnadzor or the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. Workers will take noise measurements and include them in the compiled protocol. If the document does not bring the wayward neighbors to their senses, you can call a local police officer who will record the offense. Copies of the protocols must be retained for further action if required.

The final authority to combat noise will be the courts. The statement of claim indicating the circumstances should be supplemented with copies of completed protocols of various services. Typically, court decisions are made in favor of the plaintiff.

Sample complaint about noise from neighbors

A written petition for noise from neighbors to the authority must be drawn up in printed form or by hand.

Any of them must contain the following information:

• the group of upper details indicates the full nominal formula, the position of the addressee;
• name form, place of registration, contact details;
• the middle part describes the reason for the appeal with a maximum listing of facts, indicating the exact time of the incidents, duration, supplemented by the names of the persons involved;
• the administrative measures applied to violators are described;
• date of filing the complaint, signature with transcript.

A complaint to the police about noise from neighbors can be sent by registered mail or delivered personally to the local inspector.

A sample application to the district commissioner can be found here.

A sample application to the State Housing Inspectorate can be downloaded here.

Confirmation of noise violation from neighbors

To confirm the offense (noise), you will need to collect evidence.

It can be represented by the following documents:

• witness statements from neighbors in the building;
• audio and video recording of disturbance of silence at home;
• reports drawn up by experts on exceeding the established noise threshold.

Documents drawn up by the police or local police officer are also good evidence that troublemakers cannot refute.

Fixation with sound level meter

Only employees of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station or Rospotrebnadzor have the right to officially register an offense in the form of excessive noise or sound from neighbors. The operation is performed with a special device - a sound level meter, with the data entered in the conclusion, sealed and signed by the person responsible for the procedure.

The document records the volume, date and time of the operation. The first is also good evidence for the court or other authorities if the neighbors make a lot of noise at night or at odd hours during the day. The device takes measurements from a resident who complains about excessively loud sounds coming from his neighbors’ apartment. Even if the area is their private property, they must still respect the established order and the interests of other citizens.

To organize measurements, a written petition is drawn up to the head of the local branch of Rospotrebnadzor, which indicates the reasons for calling department employees to examine the apartment for noise.

Diagnostics can also be carried out by:

• forensic structures for arbitration or civil proceedings;
• non-governmental organizations that have entered into an agreement with Rospotrebnadzor.

When visiting a consumer, the latter are required to have a certificate confirming the right to inspect the apartment for noise.

Fines for disturbing the peace of citizens

What to do if neighbors break the rules

There is no need to rush, although it is better to take action. Especially if it bothers a sick person or distracts from preparing for something important. After all, some teach private lessons at home, and for them it is fundamentally important that there be relative silence.

Noise

Many people are interested in where they can turn if their neighbors are making noise too loudly or late. For this purpose the following authorities exist:

• police;
• Rospotrebnadzor;
• court.

However, it is better to talk to your neighbors first. Especially if it is known that these people communicate normally and there is nothing to fear. Otherwise, it is better to call the police.