Contents
Many people have probably come across renovations at the neighbors. Noise for several months is exhausting in earnest – especially if there are small children in the apartment. How to be? The psychologist gives a few simple recommendations, and the lawyer talks about the legal side of the problem.
Psychologist tips
Do not treat repairs as something directed against you personally. We are all people, we all move and make repairs. You probably also once made repairs, and someone tolerated you. The lighter the attitude, the easier the reaction.
Calm down before sorting things out. Get distracted by something else, occupy yourself with something interesting. Tune in to a peaceful, friendly and constructive dialogue.
To effectively interact with people, you first need to establish a trusting contact., get to know each other a little, talk on abstract topics, for example, discuss the news of the day. And only then offer to discuss the disturbing noise.
Sometimes people may just not realize that they are causing someone inconvenience.. And a correct request to listen to your proposals can be perceived quite benevolently and positively.
Don’t start with rudeness. If you endured the sounds of repair for a long time and you are boiling, you should not immediately “rush into battle”. Having started acquaintance with swearing, you are unlikely to change the current state of affairs, and the conflict that has arisen will not be the most successful start to neighborly relations.
Communicate sincerely! If your arguments are 100% convincing, but your facial expressions, voice, intonation – that is, all non-verbal information – will show disrespect, then most likely it will be noticeable, and a person on principle will not want to meet you.
Think in advance what compromises you are willing to maketo demonstrate their willingness to peacefully resolve the situation. There is a so-called resistance effect – the desire of a person to do something opposite to what he is encouraged to do. This is due to the need to resist seeming attempts to limit the freedom of choice, despite all the logic and reasoning of the opponent’s opinion.
Often we do not meet halfway, not because we do not agree with the arguments of the opponent, but because we do not want to seem too compliant
Therefore, you should not put much pressure on a person, but it is better to provide solutions that are convenient for you. Thus, the interlocutor will not get the feeling that he is under pressure (after all, he is not told what to do, but is offered a choice), and any of the options will be a suitable solution for you.
You can agree neighborly on the time of “noisy” work. For example, you walk with your child on the street at certain hours when you can do the loudest things, and at some hours the child sleeps, and then it’s better to do something quiet (for example, lay tiles or laminate, install plumbing, conduct an electrician ). Just discuss this with your neighbors and initially offer your own solution to the issue so as not to confuse them. If your option is not accepted for some reason, be willing to listen to your neighbors’ options.
If calm and respectful communication with noisy neighbors is not successful, do not take it personally. After all, life doesn’t end there. However, your opponent must understand that there are legal time limits for any source of noise. So, you know exactly at what time the neighbors will not make noise.
Try not to get hung up. Try adjusting your daily schedule to new circumstances: for example, change your child’s daytime sleep or go for a walk at the noisiest time. Remember, you cannot control everything around you, which means that you should accept reality as it is, with all its pluses and minuses.
Legal advice
What to do if dialogue with neighbors fails? When should you go to court?
These and other questions are answered by a lawyer in the field of civil law, deputy director of the Paritet law firm Elena Linnik: “Each subject has its own restrictions on the permissible noise level and the time for repair work in residential premises. In Moscow, for example, it is unacceptable to make noise from 23:00 to 07:00.
When it comes to repairs, the time intervals are even stricter. So, you can not make noise from 19:00 to 09:00 and from 13:00 to 15:00, as well as on Sunday and non-working holidays. These restrictions do not apply to new buildings if such work is carried out within one and a half years from the date the house was put into operation.
Other Russian regions have their own restrictions – study them carefully before making demands on your neighbors.
If negotiations with the owners of the apartment from which noise is heard have reached an impasse, present them with a claim in writing
Warn them that you are ready to contact the competent authorities – the police, Rospotrebnadzor, the court.
If this does not work, the next step is to bring recalcitrant neighbors to justice, administrative or civil. In Moscow, the maximum fine for such an offense is 2 rubles. To hold accountable, call the police, the arrived employee will draw up a report on the violation.
Neighbors can be held civilly liable through legal proceedings. You can file claims for compensation for non-pecuniary damage. All available evidence should be attached to the statement of claim – fixing the noise level, video evidence (record on video with sound when the repair is especially loud), testimonies of other residents who also suffered from the sounds of repair, the facts of negotiating with neighbors and appealing to authorized bodies drawn up protocols for neighbors.
In practice, a couple of fines issued and the need to defend themselves in court teach people politeness and the need to take into account not only their own interests, but also those of others.
Kirill Yakovlev – psychologist, member of the Association for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, author of the book “Get Real!”. His .