7 Tips to Deal with an Annoying Neighbor During Coronavirus

By: Abdullah Haroon

Residents of the apartment live too close to be unaffected by what’s going on next door. In normal times, people had a lot of work to do and many places to go which made neighbors tolerating for each other.

The situation is not the same anymore. Lockdown and work from home have restricted people within the four walls of the apartment. Therefore, it has become more difficult to deal with neighbors.

Your neighbors might annoy you intentionally for fun or other time they might not realize that they are bothering you.

Therefore, dealing with neighbors can be tough, especially when they have annoying habits. So, you need to be extra tolerant towards your neighbor in quarantine, and mutual discussion over the problem and agreeing to a solution is a lot more plausible.

1) Tolerate With More Patience:

The reality is there will be some extra activities by your neighbors given the situation which you are not used to in the past. It is high time to update your rule book.

In case their music is loud for hours seven days a week or they decide to have a dance party at two in the morning, then you are liable to lose patience and may take action.

Your sense of judgment shall guide you in deciding when you can afford to let it go and when it is time to confront the issue.

2) Talk To Your Neighbor:

Given the extended duration of staying home, chances are you might not be able to keep your nerves together and find a reason to talk to your neighbor.

It is a lot more pleasant to discuss the matter on the phone if you have their number, but if not, you may resolve to write them a note or knock on their door.

When you reach out to your neighbor, be nice. If you met for the first time, make a short introduction and throw some light on the issue. Don’t be too quick to place the blame or accuse the person. Tell them how it is creating a problem for you and what they can do to erase the issue.

You may discuss your working hours and sleeping hours to let them adjust accordingly. So, ask them to keep it down during certain hours, like during your workday if you have one, or to lower the volume of their dance party a little bit.

It might take more rounds of discussion before reaching your comfort zone.

There arises a situation where you have to go and talk again about your inconvenience. So it may take some effort and repeated exercise to finally resolve the issue.

3) Practice Manners:

If you talk in a welcoming tune with manners, it is highly likely that your neighbor would not repeat mistakes. So, remember to say “please” and “thank you,” and practice manners.

4) Observe Health Protocols:

If you do take the door-knocking route, observe precautions, like wearing a mask and gloves (if you have them), along with washing or sanitizing your hands before and after the encounter, and keep a social distance.

5) Reach Out To Management:

If you have got neighbors who respond to your issues, you are fortunate enough. Or if they are not still amending their attitude after gentle warnings and reminders it is time to step ahead and take the action. Reach out to the management of the building or the landlord and register a complaint with full details of the problems.

Sending an email is pertinent so both parties have written evidence of the complaint. Along with the problem, mention the efforts you did out of courtesy to resolve the issue. Then let the management deal the mess onward.

The fact is, it is less likely that the issue is resolved the same day. It might take longer so do not lose patience with a slight delay. If your neighbors haven’t changed anything and are consistent with their activities so you can get in contact with management after two or three days to leave a soft reminder.

6) Final Call:

If your building management or the landlord fails to cater to the issue then the police are your last resort. However, it shall be the last option in our list of actions in extreme conditions like the party going out of hand or some sort of security issue.

It is possible that everyone in the building will come to know when police respond to your call and they will interpret it in their own way. So keep yourself braced up.

7) Be The Neighbor You Wish You Have Found Next Door:

If you live in an apartment, you should bear in mind to have a space for a few things from neighbors. You might be having your best time during quarantine but your neighbor may crave dining out or going to theatres etc.

You need to make sure you’re not bothering people. Everybody is coping with the situation in their own way and it might not be necessarily the same as you. We are all in this together.

So, try to be the neighbor you wish you have found next door.