Noise complaint from neighbor — how to communicate with the guest?

Category: Guest Communication

By: Tyler Jackson

Posted: 2025-12-07T06:20:13.318Z

My neighbor texted me at 10:30pm that my guests are being loud on the balcony. I could hear music through the Ring doorbell audio. No party — just a couple having drinks and playing music at moderate volume. How do you message the guest without ruining their experience but also address the neighbor's complaint? This feels like a lose-lose.

Reply by Ryan Tanaka:

Here's my go-to message for this exact situation: "Hi [Name]! Hope you're having a great evening! 😊 Just a quick heads up — our neighbors are early risers and the sound carries a bit between the balconies. Would you mind bringing the music inside after 10pm? Totally fine to keep enjoying the balcony — just keeping it quieter outside will help us be good neighbors. Thanks so much, and enjoy the rest of your night!" Key elements: - Friendly, not accusatory - Gives a REASON (sound carries, neighbors are early risers) - Specific ask (music inside after 10pm, not "be quiet") - Permission to continue having fun (just inside) 99% of guests respond well to this. They weren't being malicious — they just didn't think about it. For repeated noise issues, a Minut (https://minut.com) sensor is invaluable. It monitors noise levels in decibels and auto-sends the guest an alert when noise exceeds your threshold. Removes you from the equation entirely.

Reply by Michael Thompson:

I invested in Minut (https://minut.com) noise monitors for all 3 of my properties after exactly this scenario. Best $99 I've spent. The device sits in the living room and measures decibel levels. If it crosses my threshold (set at 75 dB for nighttime), it: 1. Sends ME an alert 2. Optionally sends the GUEST a text or in-app alert 3. Logs the incident for documentation The guest-facing alert is the magic part. It says something like "Hey! Just a friendly reminder that quiet hours start at 10pm. Would you mind keeping things down a bit?" — and it comes from the system, not from me. Much less personal. Since installing Minut, I've had zero neighbor complaints.

Reply by Daniel Kowalski:

Also have a conversation with your neighbor OUTSIDE of incident moments. Something like: "Hey, I want to be a good neighbor. My Airbnb brings in different guests each week. If noise is ever an issue, text me immediately and I'll handle it within 15 minutes. I also have quiet hours from 10pm-8am in my house rules." Proactive neighbor management prevents 90% of escalations. Most neighbor complaints happen because they feel ignored, not because of one noisy night.