The short version
- A complaint is judged on the pattern — when, how often, how long — far more than on one loud reading.
- Where cities set a decibel limit for homes, it is usually 55–65 dBA by day and 45–55 dBA at night, measured at your property line or inside your home. Many cities use a plainly-audible test instead.
- Keep a dated log, take readings where your city's code says to, and go to the neighbor, then the landlord or HOA, then the city.
What decibel level is too loud for neighbors?
There is no national limit. Neighbor noise is governed by your city or county's noise ordinance, and by your lease or HOA rules if you have them. Of the 46 large US cities in our noise ordinance guide, 21 set measured decibel limits, 11 use a plainly-audible test, and 14 mix the two. They fall into three kinds:
- A fixed decibel cap, measured at the property line or inside the affected home, usually lower at night.
- A cap relative to background noise: the noise may not rise more than a set number of decibels above the normal level of the area, so the same sound can be legal on a busy street and a violation on a quiet block.
- A plainly-audible test: during quiet hours, noise that can be clearly heard from a set distance or beyond the property line is a violation, whatever the meter says.
| City | Daytime (homes) | Night (homes) |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 55 dBA typical daytime cap | 45 dBA overnight (10 dBA reduction) |
| Washington, DC | 60 dBA | 55 dBA |
| Denver, CO | 55 dB | 50 dB |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 65 dB(A), 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM | 60 dB(A), 10:00 PM – 7:00 AM |
| Kansas City, MO | Leq of 60 dB(A), 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Leq of 55 dB(A), 10:00 PM – 7:00 AM |
| New York, NY | Not more than 10 dB above background, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Not more than 5 dB above background, 10:00 PM – 7:00 AM |
| Los Angeles, CA | More than 5 dBA above ambient is a violation | More than 5 dBA above ambient, with lower presumed ambient at night |
| Philadelphia, PA | Unreasonable noise disturbing comfort or repose | Sound plainly audible beyond the property line during quiet hours |
Figures as written in each city's code. Codes change — each city page links to its source. Find your city.
Step 1: Find the rule that applies to you
Before you measure anything, find out which rule you are measuring against, because it decides everything else: where to stand, what time matters, and whether a number helps at all. There are usually up to three layers:
- The city or county noise ordinance — quiet hours, any decibel limits, and who enforces them.
- Your lease, if you rent. Most include a quiet enjoyment clause or house rules, and a landlord can act on those without the city.
- HOA or condo rules, which often set their own quiet hours and complaint process.
Step 2: Keep a noise log
The log is the evidence. A landlord, HOA board or code officer reading it should be able to see at a glance that the problem is recurring, when it happens, and what it does to you. Fill in a line every time, including the nights you don't measure — two weeks of entries is far more persuasive than one dramatic one.
| Date | Start – end time | Source (what and where) | Reading (average / max) and where taken | Effect (woke me, couldn't work…) | Evidence (video, witness) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 9/12 | 11:40 PM – 1:15 AM | Bass-heavy music, unit above | 48 dBA avg / 57 max, bedroom; 31 dBA with it off | Couldn't sleep until 1:30 | 20 s video |
The first row is an example. to keep by the bed.
Noise log — from decibelpro.io/blog/how-to-document-a-noise-complaint. Measure with the free meter at decibelpro.io.
Step 3: Take readings the way your city measures
A reading is only useful if it answers the question your code asks. A few rules make the difference between a number that helps and one that is easy to dismiss:
- Measure where the code says. Usually that is at your property line or inside your home, often away from the wall nearest the source. Your city's page says which.
- Measure the background too. Take a reading from the same spot at a similar time when the noise isn't happening. “48 dBA with the music on, 31 dBA with it off” shows the problem far better than 48 dBA alone, and it is exactly what a relative-to-background code asks for.
- Measure for minutes, not a moment. Record the average over several minutes and the maximum, rather than screenshotting the highest number you saw. A single peak is the easiest reading to argue with.
- Keep the phone still and away from walls. Hold or prop it at head height in open air, not pressed to the wall or floor, and don't talk near it.
The free online decibel meter works in your phone's browser with nothing to install. A phone microphone is typically within a few decibels of a calibrated meter — good enough to show a pattern and a clear gap above the background, not a substitute for the city's own measurement. See how accurate it is.
Let the meter keep the log for you
A live reading shows one moment; a complaint is about a pattern. Record a timestamped session — ten minutes or the whole night — for free, and it is charted and kept on your device with the average, the peaks and the background level. When you're ready to send it to a landlord, HOA or the city, export it as a PDF.
- Start and end times recorded for you
- Leq, max and L90 background level
- Your last 25 sessions, kept on your device
- PDF report to attach to a complaint
Recording and charting are free. PDF reports are $19 for 3, with no subscription — see pricing.
Recording is free and stays on your device. A phone microphone is not a calibrated instrument, and this guide is not legal advice.
Step 4: Add video and witnesses
A 15–30 second phone video with sound, taken from inside your home with the time visible, lets someone who wasn't there hear what you heard. It pairs well with a reading taken at the same moment. Point it at the noise rather than at people talking: several US states require everyone's consent to record a private conversation, and you should only record from places you have a right to be.
If other neighbors are affected, ask them to keep their own log. Two or three households describing the same nights is hard to dismiss as one person's grievance.
Step 5: Complain in the right order
- The neighbor. A calm, specific conversation or note in daylight — “the music after midnight on weekends comes straight through our bedroom ceiling” — solves more of these than any agency does, and landlords and mediators will usually ask whether you tried. Keep a copy of any note.
- The landlord, property manager or HOA, in writing, with the log attached. They can enforce the lease or bylaws without anyone needing to prove a decibel level.
- The city. Most large cities take noise complaints through 311 or code enforcement, and loud parties in progress through the police non-emergency line. Use the channel your city's ordinance page names, report while the noise is happening when you can, and note the complaint or case number in your log.
- Mediation. Many cities and counties run free community mediation for neighbor disputes, which often works when complaints alone haven't.
- Legal action, as a last resort. A persistent problem can support a private nuisance claim, and this is where a long, consistent log pays off. Talk to a local lawyer or tenant's rights organization first.
Mistakes that weaken a complaint
- One screenshot of a peak reading, with no time, place or background level.
- Measuring with the phone against the wall or floor, which picks up vibration and reads high.
- Complaining only in person or by phone, leaving no written record.
- Confronting the neighbor at 2 AM, or retaliating with noise of your own — both give the other side a complaint about you.
- Exaggerating. A log that says “every night” when the video shows two nights undermines everything else in it.
If the problem is structural — thin walls, a neighbor's footsteps, an HVAC unit that is within the rules but still keeps you up — a complaint may not be the fix. Our guide to soundproofing a room covers what actually reduces noise coming through walls and ceilings.
Frequently asked questions
What decibel level is too loud for neighbors?
It depends on your city, and many cities don't use a decibel number at all. Where a code does set one for homes, it is usually measured at your property line or inside your home and most often falls between 55 and 65 dBA in the daytime and 45 to 55 dBA at night. Other cities ban noise that is plainly audible from a set distance during quiet hours, or measure how far the noise rises above the normal background level. Look up your city's rule before measuring, because it decides where and how the reading has to be taken.
Can I use a phone decibel meter as evidence?
As supporting evidence, yes; as proof on its own, rarely. A phone microphone is not a calibrated instrument and is typically within a few decibels of one, which is enough to show a pattern — the same loud music every Friday after midnight, well above the background level — and enough to get a landlord, HOA or city inspector to take a complaint seriously. Where a city enforces a numeric limit, the reading that counts is normally the one its own officer takes with a calibrated meter.
Is it legal to record my neighbor's noise?
Recording noise you can hear from your own home is generally fine, and a short video with sound is often the most persuasive thing in a complaint. The care needed is around conversations: several US states require everyone's consent to record a private conversation, so point the recording at the noise, not at people talking, and don't record from anywhere you have no right to be. If you're unsure about your state, ask a local lawyer or your city's mediation service.
What are normal quiet hours?
Most US cities set quiet hours that start between 9 and 11 PM and end between 6 and 8 AM, often starting later on weekends. Leases and HOA rules can set their own quiet hours on top of the city's. Your city's ordinance page lists its exact hours.
Should I call the police about a noisy neighbor?
For a loud party or music happening right now, most cities route the complaint through 311 or the police non-emergency number, not 911. For a recurring problem — a barking dog, a neighbor's HVAC unit, early-morning deliveries — the landlord, HOA or city code enforcement is usually the right first stop, and they will want the log described in this guide.
Related guides
- US noise ordinances by city
- How loud is a dog bark?
- How many decibels is too loud?
- How to soundproof a room
This guide describes common practice in US cities and is not legal advice. Rules and procedures vary by city, county and building; check your local code and, for a dispute, a local lawyer.