Apartment Quiet Hours: Here’s What You Need to Know

Living in an apartment building means sharing space with neighbors. Sometimes that’s great! Borrowed sugar, friendly hellos, someone to water your plants... But it’s not all roses. Other times, it’s 2 a.m., someone upstairs is rearranging furniture, and you’re supposed to wake up in four hours to go to work. Not fun.

If this happens once in a while, it’s probably not an issue. But if you can’t enjoy your peace and quiet in the evening and at night, then you can talk to your neighbors about apartment quiet hours. And equally, you must respect apartment quiet hours yourself, so your neighbors can enjoy their peace and quiet.

If you want to learn more about the subject, read on! We’ll discuss why quiet hours are important, whether they are legally enforceable, and how to handle noisy neighbors.

Keep in mind that the information in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice.

In a Nutshell

• Typical quiet hours: 10 p.m. - 7 a.m. (weekdays)
• Legally enforceable: yes, if stated in a lease or local ordinance
• Common penalties: warnings, fines, or even eviction for repeated violations
• Exceptions: emergencies, necessary repairs, and reasonable daily living sounds

What Are Quiet Hours?

Quiet hours are designated times when residents need to keep noise levels down. In other words, it’s an agreement between neighbors that everyone deserves peace during certain hours, usually when most people are sleeping or getting ready for the day. These hours are usually part of your building's community guidelines, designed to promote respectful tenant relations.

This doesn’t mean that you need to make your apartment completely silent. You can still watch TV, talk with your family, and live your normal life. It’s just that you need to keep your voice down, avoid playing loud music, and avoid vacuuming late at night, for example.

Quiet Hours in Apartments

Usually, quiet hours in apartments run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays. Some communities adjust these slightly, starting as early as 9 p.m. and ending as late as 8 a.m.

Quiet hours are typically more flexible during weekends. Many places extend the evening cutoff to 11 p.m. On Friday and Saturday nights and to 9 a.m. in the mornings.

Keep in mind that quiet hours are usually specified in the lease agreement for the rental property. They also vary depending on local noise policies and the ordinances established by each apartment complex.

What Activities are Restricted During Quiet Hours?

Basically, anything that could wake your neighbors or disturb their peace falls into restricted territory, including:

• Playing loud music or cranking up the TV volume
• Hosting parties with multiple guests
• Operating power tools, vacuums, or other noisy appliances
• Moving furniture around or doing other noisy chores
• Having loud conversations or loud arguments that carry through the walls
• Letting dogs bark continuously
• Running laundry machines late at night
• Playing musical instruments at high volume

The key word here is excessive. You don't have to restrict regular living sounds. Footsteps, water running, or flushing the toilet are part of apartment life and generally acceptable even during quiet hours.

Are Quiet Hours Legally Enforceable?

Yes, quiet hours are generally legally enforceable, but it depends on how they’re established.

If quiet hours are specified in your lease agreement and you break them, you’re violating the terms you signed. In this case, the landlord can enforce these rules through warnings, fines, and, if the problem is not solved, eviction proceedings, since this is essentially a lease violation that leads to legal action.

Most cities also have noise ordinances that consider excessive noise during certain hours a legal violation. But these laws exist separately from your lease. In such situations, the police can issue a citation or fine for noise ordinance violations, typically ranging from $50 to several hundred dollars, depending on severity or location.

What Happens If You Violate Quiet Hours?

Here’s what happens if you violate quiet hours:

1. Your neighbors might talk to you, asking you to respect the quiet hours.
2. First offense: if you still don’t respect quiet hours after your neighbors ask you to, the landlord might issue a verbal or written warning. This gives you a chance to correct your behavior without serious consequences.
3. Second offense: you might receive a formal written notice documenting the violation and warning about future consequences. This notice typically references the specific lease clauses you’re violating. You might also receive a penalty fee as specified in the lease.
4. Multiple violations: when warnings and fines don’t work, landlords can pursue eviction as a last resort. This typically requires documented evidence of multiple complaints and proof that you were properly notified of the violations.

In any case, the exact process depends on your lease agreement and local laws. For example, many landlord try to address excessive noise by mediating between involved parties, especially when the offending tenant claims they weren't aware of how much the noise coming from their unit was affecting others.

How to Handle a Noisy Neighbor

We’ve only discussed how to avoid becoming the noisy neighbor yourself so far… But what can you do if your neighbor is the noisy one? Here are some tips!

Step 1: Talk to Your Neighbor Directly

This feels uncomfortable, but it works surprisingly often. Many people genuinely don't realize how much noise carries between apartments. Just make sure to approach them politely during a calm time, not at 2 a.m. when you're angry.​ And keep it friendly. Say something like, "Hey, I can hear your TV through our shared wall pretty clearly after 10 p.m. Would you mind turning it down a bit?" Most reasonable neighbors will apologize and adjust their behavior.​

Step 2: Document Everything About Excessive Noise

If the noise continues, start keeping records. Write down dates, times, duration, and the type of noise you're hearing. Audio recordings with timestamps add credibility if you need to escalate the situation.

Step 3: Send a Written Note

Sometimes a written message works better than a face-to-face conversation. Keep it polite but clear about the problem and when it's happening. Suggest specific solutions, like moving speakers away from shared walls or lowering volume after 10 p.m.​

Step 4: Contact Your Landlord or Property Management

Bring your documentation to your landlord, as they have more leverage to enforce clear expectations about quiet hours and address the issue through official channels. If multiple neighbors are affected, ask them if they’re willing to file complaints as well, as this carries more weight.​

Step 5: File an Official Noise Complaint

If management doesn't respond adequately, you can file complaints with local authorities. You can also call the non-emergency police line when noise violations are happening, as they need to witness or measure the disturbance.​

Don't call 911 unless you suspect domestic violence or illegal activity. Non-emergency situations go through regular channels.​

When Quiet Hours Might Not Apply

Some situations create exceptions to standard, local noise ordinances, such as:

• Emergencies: smoke alarms, medical emergencies, and urgent maintenance issues obviously take precedence over noise concerns.​
• Disability accommodations: Fair Housing laws require landlords to make reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities. Medical equipment, service animals, or disability-related needs may produce noise during quiet hours.​
• Normal living sounds: babies crying, flushing the toilet, walking across floors with normal footsteps; these sounds are considered unavoidable parts of apartment living; they don't violate quiet hours even if they occur late at night.​
• Construction with permits: some emergency repairs can't wait until morning; landlords may need to perform urgent maintenance during quiet hours, though they should minimize disruption when possible.​

Tips to Maintain a Peaceful Living Environment and Decrease Noise

As mentioned earlier, living in an apartment community means everyone has the right to quiet enjoyment of their home. That doesn’t mean total silence, but it does mean being mindful of acceptable noise levels so that all residents can share a peaceful living environment. So, here are some tips that can help you decrease noise and allow other tenants and neighbors to spend their evenings and early mornings in peace and quiet!

Be Mindful of Daily Noise

• Lower the volume: keep TVs, speakers, and other electronics at a moderate level, especially at night. Avoid blasting music during quiet hours.
• Plan louder tasks: run laundry, vacuum, or move furniture during daytime hours when noise issues are less likely to disturb others.
• Use soft materials: rugs, carpets, and curtains can absorb sound and reduce echo, making your space naturally quieter.
• Communicate with neighbors: if you’re hosting guests or planning something noisier than usual, give neighbors a heads-up. This can prevent apartment noise complaints and maintain goodwill.

Soundproof Your Space

Even if you’re careful, some buildings have thin walls or floors that carry sound easily. A few simple adjustments can help you reduce that:

• Add sound barriers. Place bookshelves, wall hangings, or acoustic panels along shared walls to help decrease noise transmission.
• Use white noise, as it can mask background sounds and help create a calmer environment, especially at night.
• Use weather stripping under doors or foam padding around windows to block unwanted sound transfer.
• Buy some soft furniture, such as fabric chairs and couches, as these can help absorb noise.

FAQs

What time should you be quiet in an apartment?

Generally, you should keep noise down during “quiet hours,” which many apartment communities set between 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. or similar. Many local laws also define separate night-hours when sound must be significantly reduced so that all residents can enjoy a peaceful, livable environment.

What time can I tell my neighbors to be quiet?

You can reasonably ask your neighbors to keep the volume down when you’re being disturbed. You can do this after the established quiet hour begins (often around 10 p.m.) or at any time if the noise is clearly unreasonable or disruptive. Your lease, condo rules, or local ordinance may provide more specific times and standards.

What time can I make noise in an apartment?

You can usually make normal everyday noise (like talking, TV at moderate volume, cooking) at any time, but during quiet hours (often late night/early morning), you should be especially cautious not to disturb others. If you plan louder activities (e.g., party, instruments, drills), schedule them during the day or with prior consent of your neighbors or property manager.

What is considered quiet during quiet hours?

Quiet means noise that does not carry into neighboring units or living spaces or noise that does not disturb other residents’ sleep or comfort. During quiet hours, you should avoid loud music, heavy footsteps, or drilling, shouting, or bass-heavy noise that travels through walls.

What is the noise law in Georgia?

In Georgia, there is no single statewide apartment-specific quiet hours law, but many municipal ordinances apply. For example, in Marietta, Georgia, the quiet hours for residential buildings are from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the sound limit is 60 dBA.

How much noise is too much in an apartment?

Noise is too much if it’s plainly audible in adjacent units when it shouldn’t be (especially during quiet hours), or if it significantly disturbs other residents’ comfort or ability to use their home. Some jurisdictions quantify this with decibel limits; others rely on the “reasonable person” standard or “plainly audible” threshold.