How to Measure Noise From Neighbors
Measure from inside your home, log the time and the average level each time it happens, and compare it with the quiet level of the same room. A dated log beats “it's always loud” every time.
What you need
- A phone or laptop with the decibel meter open. It runs in the browser, no app.
- A notes app or a sheet of paper for the log.
- Optional: a real sound level meter, if you expect the case to get serious.
Step by step
- Measure the quiet first. On a calm evening, run the meter for a few minutes in the room that is affected. Note the average (Leq). This is your baseline.
- Measure when the noise starts. Same room, same spot, about ear height. Leave the meter running for at least a minute so the average settles.
- Write down four things each time: date and start time, how long it lasted, the average and the max reading, and what the noise was (music, bass, footsteps, shouting, a dog).
- Use the right weighting. A-weighting (the default) matches how loud it sounds to you. Thumping bass shows up better on Z-weighting, so note both if bass is the problem.
- Keep going for a couple of weeks. One loud night is easy to dismiss. A pattern of late nights, 15 dB above your quiet baseline, is not.
A simple log
This is the layout to copy. The rows below are an example, not real measurements:
| Date, time | Lasted | Leq / max | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 23:40 | 1 h 20 min | 52 / 61 dBA | Music with bass, bedroom wall |
| Sat 00:15 | 25 min | 48 / 70 dBA | Shouting, door slams |
| Quiet baseline | 5 min | 33 / 38 dBA | Same room, no noise |
Find the rule that applies to you
There is no worldwide decibel limit for neighbors. Rules are local, and many are written as quiet hours or "unreasonable noise" rather than a number. Search for your city, county or council name plus "noise ordinance" or "noise complaint", or check your lease or building rules. Those tell you the hours and, where there is one, the level.
How much a phone reading counts
A phone log is good evidence of the pattern: when, how often, how much louder than normal. As proof of an exact level it is weaker. NIOSH testing found only some phone apps stayed within ±2 dB of a professional meter, and a browser meter needs calibrating before its numbers mean much. If your landlord or local authority takes the complaint up, they may well measure it with their own equipment. Your log is what gets them to come.
If you want readings that hold up on their own, see how to choose a sound level meter.
Talk first, if it is safe
Plenty of neighbors have no idea how much sound travels through the wall. A calm word, with a time and a reading ("Friday, from 23:40, the bass was loud in our bedroom"), sorts out a lot of cases before anyone files anything. If you do not feel safe doing that, skip it and go to your landlord or local authority.
Questions
- Can I use my phone to measure neighbor noise?
- Yes, for a log of when and how loud. NIOSH testing found some phone apps stayed within ±2 dB of a professional meter, but the result depends on the device. A phone log shows the pattern; if the case goes to your landlord or local authority, they may measure it themselves.
- How many decibels is too loud for a neighbor?
- There is no single number. Noise rules are set locally and many are written as quiet hours or "unreasonable noise" rather than a decibel level. Look up your city, county or council noise rules, or ask your landlord, for the limit that applies to you.
- Where should I measure neighbor noise?
- Inside your home, in the room where the noise bothers you, at about ear height, with your own windows and devices as you normally have them. That is the level you actually live with.
- Should I record audio too?
- A short recording helps show what the noise is, but recording rules differ by place. Check what is allowed where you live before recording, and never record inside someone else's home.