Things get worse when the situation can get emotional. Small irritations turn into large ones, or perhaps you’ve been working too much and it just feels like the things your neighbors do are driving you crazy. Whether it’s noise, smell, fighting, rudeness, or even someone taking your parking space, property management deals with these complaints all the time. Read on to find out how you can manage your neighbors and the most frequent source of disagreements.
Noise Related Complaints
Noise is a huge irritant for most people. Whether the complaint is valid (loud fighting) or small and petty (the dog is running around and it’s bothering me), noise is a huge source of regular complaints. So if you notice yourself being a little loud, try to keep it down to keep good relations with your neighbor. They’ll quickly move onto the next, slightly louder source of noise and complain about that instead.
Smell or Smoking
Smoking is allowed in some buildings and banned in others. Some people who buy their units, as in a condo situation, may be entitled to smoke as they please. Other neighbors may hate it, but depending on the situation, you can either complain or be forced to accept it (consider this when scouting real estate). Burning food or having pets that relieve themselves on the floor can also be a big complaint source– and for good reason.
Be Respectful of Neighbors
Successful neighbor living involves being reasonable and respectful. Understanding that you live in a small and often clustered community in close quarters means that you can work towards maintaining a balance. Failure to do so may result in being kicked out or given warnings. Boards may have to step in if one unit owner is causing disruption to others regularly, after which there may be a hearing or even litigation.
Mediation
Some buildings offer the chance for mediation to resolve disputes. In condos and co-ops, this form of communication is helping people learn to be better neighbors but also reach conclusions that work for everyone. Mediation doesn’t work for everyone, but it is a good step towards resolving differences amicably.
Avoiding Legal Issues
Legal issues drive down the value of living there, meaning your own property could become less valuable. Reputation in real estate is big and could persuade buyers and more to avoid your building. Legal issues are expensive and you don’t want to have to bring a lawyer into the mix, so apologize if you have done wrong by your neighbor. If you haven’t done wrong and they’re just wound tightly, try smiling and being nicer or going to mediation. It’s not easy, but it beats living in constant irritation caused by your neighbor.