My neighbor left a letter on my door (complaining). What should I do?

Question

She was complaining that my TV is too loud at night. My TV cant be that loud, but I'm going to comply with her wishes to turn it down, but should I write her a letter back?

Answer 1

I would approach the neighbor and talk about it.  Chances are it's not that big of a deal face to face.  People write letters because they don't have the nerve to approach someone.  When you approach someone, especially a neighbor, about a letter of complaint, nicely and courteously, they tend to back down and make less of the situation because they're embarrassed they complained (In a letter!).  I know, I'm guilty of complaining about a dishwasher running at midnight because I was tired and grumpy, when they apologized to my face I was so embarrassed I even wrote the letter.

You have to live next to the person, it may be better to address it than ignore it and only to think about it every time you see one another.

Answer 2

No do not write back. Simply turn down the television and see what happens. It may be loud to her.. The hazards of living in an apartment.

Answer 3

Tell her to stop harrassing you.

Your homes that close for her to hear your tv or is she being noisy?

Answer 4

Nah, let it go.  You could mention it to her if you see her, but wouldn't make too big of a deal of it.  Things with neighbors can easily get blown out of proportion.

Answer 5

Apologize and turn it down.

Answer 6

Turn low the volume for a week or so. And after that don't think they will complain again :)

Answer 7

No you shouldn't write her a letter back, but you should sit down and talk to her like two adults.  Ask her what the problem is, apologize if she felt that it's too loud.  Invite her to your apartment to hear the TV and see what she says.  No need to send notes back and forth though.

Answer 8

If you do respond, make sure it is to improve the situation rather than aggravate it further.

I always prefer getting along with people so if it was me I would make the change and let them cool down a bit and notice it on their own. After some time goes by you can approach them in a friendly way and say you got their note and wanted to find out if it made a difference since you turned your TV down.

It's entirely possible that it's not your TV they're hearing, or maybe it's just louder than you realize, or they have very sensitive hearing. Who knows.

If it's not an issue for you, just accommodate their request as best you can.

I remember once, I was living in this building where the laundry was in the basement. It as open 24/7 and for years because I was in school and at work full-time the only time I had for laundry was at night. The guy who lived there for most of that time was a nighthawk and usually awake at night anyway, but I guess he moved out and I didn't know because one day I went back down to get my clean clothes and found a note on the dryer: Please don't do laundry after midnight. People live down here!

I felt bad because I didn't even know it had bothered anybody since the room was open 24/7. In fact I didn't even know that anybody could hear it from their apartment!

But there wasn't much point in going to apologize. I just always did my laundry before midnight after that and everything worked out :)

Answer 9

Buy some ear phones for the tv..  what you think isn't loud obviously is...  walls are thin.

Answer 10

No need to, just keep it down.

Answer 11

No, I wouldn't.... I might mention to her that I got the note and was turning the TV down (it may be louder than you realize).  You have to live next to each other so try to not make it a bigger issue than it needs to be.

Answer 12

I would, it is better to keep in good terms with the neighbors.  It makes life easier.  And besides even if you think your t.v. isn't loud. If it is by her bedroom wall , it just might be.   I would leave her a note saying . Thanks for letting me know. I had no idea it was bothering you.  I will try to keep it down.

Answer 13

I wouldnt. But if bothered you then you could just kind of slide it into the conversation if you two happen to be to talking. But dont really get into it too much. It could end bad if it got blown up.

Answer 14

Many people who don't think their TV is "that loud" don't realize just how much the bass travels through walls, whether the homes are connected apartment-wise or separated.

I have been both guilty of and the recipient of unwelcome TV noise. While in the room, the TV really doesn't seem loud at all, but when neighbors have complained, I have gone to their places only to embarrassingly hear the low thudding of my TV.

Any time I have been disturbed by someone else's TV, they insist that I couldn't possibly be disturbed by it.

Your neighbor did a kind thing by letting you know that there was a problem, rather than fuming over it and quietly hating you or, worse yet, calling the police and making a big stink.

Give your neighbor a friendly call or visit and thank him/her for the neighborly heads up because you don't want to be a disturbance. This way, in the future, if your neighbor has a problem, they will continue to use friendly communication with you, rather than resorting to getting nasty. Many a neighborhood feud can be avoided with simple friendly communication.