Explore, connect, thrive in
the expat community

Expat Life: Local Discoveries, Global Connections

Loud construction noise all day non-stop from renovation above. Can anything be done?

Slim Shady

New member
I just read a post about loud music from a neighbor. I don't have music but the neighbor above me is doing a renovation of his apartment and there is extremely loud construction noise all day. I can't imagine how long this will take but there is jackhammering going on for the past 2 weeks. I went up to talk to the neighbor but there are only construction workers. I thought there would be more progress but the place is all torn up. They have removed all the floors and now destroying the bathroom and kitchen. They claim this will go on for 3 MONTHS!

Is there anything I can do? I saw in the other post a phone number to report loud music or noise.


Can I call this number to report the renovation? I leased my apartment for 2 years so I can't imagine dealing with this for 3 more months. The owner of my unit told me that there is nothing she can do and this is legal and they have to just work during working hours and not at night. Luckily it isn't going on at night but I work from home so this is a horrible situation. What can I do?
 
I just read a post about loud music from a neighbor. I don't have music but the neighbor above me is doing a renovation of his apartment and there is extremely loud construction noise all day. I can't imagine how long this will take but there is jackhammering going on for the past 2 weeks. I went up to talk to the neighbor but there are only construction workers. I thought there would be more progress but the place is all torn up. They have removed all the floors and now destroying the bathroom and kitchen. They claim this will go on for 3 MONTHS!

Is there anything I can do? I saw in the other post a phone number to report loud music or noise.


Can I call this number to report the renovation? I leased my apartment for 2 years so I can't imagine dealing with this for 3 more months. The owner of my unit told me that there is nothing she can do and this is legal and they have to just work during working hours and not at night. Luckily it isn't going on at night but I work from home so this is a horrible situation. What can I do?
Renovation is different vs. loud music. It is horribly frustrating but as someone that has done over 100 renovations in Buenos Aires, some of which did last many months, there is little you can do as long as they are working during the normal working hours. In most buildings it is from 8 AM to 1 PM and then 4 PM to 8 PM during the work week and on Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM. In most of my projects I wouldn't start until 9 AM and we would finish by 7PM.

Typically before I would start on a renovation project, I would buy a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates and a letter of apology stating how long the project would last. There isn't really anything anyone can do as long as the owner notified the administration and working during these restricted hours.

On Airbnb's you can always leave if this situation presents itself but on a long-term lease you can be out of lock after you sign a lease if something like this starts as the owner of the property doesn't have any control over a situation like this. An ethical owner will allow a tenant out of a lease in this kind of situation but I don't think they are legally forced to. But no doubt a horribly frustrating situation as so many people work from home these days.
 
Renovation is different vs. loud music. It is horribly frustrating but as someone that has done over 100 renovations in Buenos Aires, some of which did last many months, there is little you can do as long as they are working during the normal working hours. In most buildings it is from 8 AM to 1 PM and then 4 PM to 8 PM during the work week and on Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM. In most of my projects I wouldn't start until 9 AM and we would finish by 7PM.

Typically before I would start on a renovation project, I would buy a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates and a letter of apology stating how long the project would last. There isn't really anything anyone can do as long as the owner notified the administration and working during these restricted hours.

On Airbnb's you can always leave if this situation presents itself but on a long-term lease you can be out of lock after you sign a lease if something like this starts as the owner of the property doesn't have any control over a situation like this. An ethical owner will allow a tenant out of a lease in this kind of situation but I don't think they are legally forced to. But no doubt a horribly frustrating situation as so many people work from home these days.
I have been on both ends. We have rented an apartment where we had the next door neighbor gutting his apartment and it was hell for 2 months. There wasn't anything I could really do. Then when we bought our place, we also did a major renovation and then I was on the other side of it. I did the same sort of thing as @earlyretirement with the gifts and explaining to them how long it would take. That helps when they know how long the hell and misery will last. I also had our workers start a little later and finish a little earlier too.
 
It's always a bummer to have to deal with it but as long as they aren't working outside of the working hours there is not too much you can do. I also did a gut job on my place so I felt bad for my neighbor but was considerate on the hours.
 
I just left for several months to go visit my elderly mother. The timing was partly as my upstairs neighbor was renovating her condo. It would have been 3 months of pounding and hammering. I got back and they are completed. Not too much you can do with construction.
 
Gotta suck it up and probably move if you're in an Airbnb. You should be able to get out of the lease if it is an Airbnb. If not you are screwed. Happened to me and I had to go work at a co-working space for a few weeks.
 
Back
Top