Thinking of finally getting your noisy neighbor revenge? Here are some of the best, sure fire ways to get back on your loud neighbors from hell, legally!
No matter where you are in the world, there seems to be one constant thing: noisy neighbors.
It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment or in a townhouse, there will always be one (or more)upstairs neighbor or next-door neighbor that will make unnecessary loud noises at any given time.
Although there are different types of noisy neighbors, dealing with any of them can be a bit bothersome all the same.
While some of them will back down after you asked them politely, there are still those who just won’t back down.
It may seem a bit petty to get back on them but who cares? Sometimes you have to give people a taste of their own medicine.
There are a lot of ways that you can get back on them but first, do you know the kind of loud neighbor you are dealing with? If not, check out these types of noisy neighbors that you may encounter.
7 Different Types of Loud Neighbors
In the perfect world, you can be surrounded with a bunch of respectful neighbors where you can all live together in harmony.
However, that’s fantasy talk and no neighbors are the same. While some can be nice and pretty tolerable, some can also be downright atrocious and without any regards to everyone around them.
With that said, there are the different types of noisy neighbors.
The Respectful Ones
Let’s start with the good ones. Not all noisy neighbors are bad, you know.
As an overview, these types are rarely even noisy, and when they are, they usually don’t know that the noise that they’re making bothers you. Think of them as the perfect neighbors.
Most of the time, they’ll immediately stop whatever noise they are making once they are aware that it might bother the people around them or they’ll personally go to your house to apologize for making noise.
The ultra respectful ones will even make cookies or food for you next time and leave them at your doorstep.
Honestly, they are so nice that sometimes you deliberately wish that they’re making a ruckus so that you’ll get more of those baked goodies that they make as an apology.
It’s really hard to hate nice neighbors like that, so maybe revenge isn’t really necessary.
The Faultless Ones
They’re almost like the respectful ones since this type can’t really do anything about the noise they are making.
This applies when you’re living in an apartment or flat and the only thing that separates you from them are paper-thin walls or creaky floorboards.
Minding their own day-to-day business, it’s not their fault that the building is badly built. It’s also not their fault that their vacuum makes a bit of noise or that their baby is crying.
As far as you’re concerned, they are only making some normal level sounds in the normal times of the day.
You can’t really get mad at them after you remember that they can also hear everything that you do from their side and since you’re both separated by the same thin walls after all.
The Neutrals
These are the ones that are not too rowdy and can also be a bit friendly, to be honest. They are pretty much normal like the faultless ones but sometimes they forget that they are being too loud.
It’s not like they’re always noisy. Maybe once or thrice a year, they’ll throw a party or get lost in the music that they’re currently listening to sometimes that they forget they have neighbors.
After a few taps on the wall or a “please tone it down a bit” sign from the window, they’ll immediately lower the volume without so much fuss.
They aren’t too respectful and angel-like compared to the first type, they’re just really neutral so you try to be civil with them too. It’s not like you don’t have house parties of your own, anyway.
The naturally noisy
Unlike the neutrals, it’s like in this type’s DNA to do everything loud.
Mind you, they perfectly know that they’re making too much noise, they just don’t care enough to tone it down since they’re used to do it all the time.
If you don’t ask them or visibly let them know that the noise bothers you, they won’t stop.
So it’s better to tell them in their faces to stop whatever they’re doing for your own peace of mind. Most of the time, they’ll be kind enough to stop.
They’re not really THAT bad but they can be obnoxious at times. It makes you want to go head to head with their noise just to be petty but you just opt to leave your home for a while to deal with it.
It makes you wonder sometimes that maybe they used to live along the busy streets of New York.
The King of the Hill
Now we’re at the first type of neighbor that you really want to get back at.
This neighbor believes that since they are in their own space, they have the right to make any noise that they can make under the sun. It’s like their own personal motto came from Napoleon Dynamite’s Uncle Rico, “It’s a free country, I can do whatever I want.”
They have no regard for anyone around them. As long as they’re staying in their property, no complaints will ever stop them from being that annoying.
Usually, these are the rich, spoiled brats, a famous personality, or just a really person who thinks so highly of themselves.
They try to calm their dog down because in their defense, the dog is still in their property.
It’s like that they conveniently forget that sound waves travel differently.
Your complaints will fall on deaf ears and if you don’t call any authorities, they are less likely to stop.
It’s best to let them have a taste of their own medicine to take them down a notch or to kick them off their pedestal.
The Tyrant
Everybody hates bullies, and for sure you’d be saving your best revenge on this one.
You don’t know if they have a personally grudge on you or they just want to make your life a living hell.
This type will do everything in their power to make the strangest and most annoying noises whenever they want.
If they are your upstairs neighbor, they are the ones who will look for a way to maybe vacuum their floor or suddenly take up tap dancing or flamenco as a hobby at ungodly hours.
If they are living next door, they will find a way to mow the lawn at 6 in the morning or hammer away at their fences.
You’re pretty sure they are keeping a jackhammer in there somewhere to use at other times right when you’re relaxing or watching T.V.
Complaints are like energy food for them, they’ll do so much worse if you ever complain about them.
Don’t let them see that what they’re doing annoys you to no end because they’ll use that weakness to bully you more.
They are also the type to escalate to physical violence so you need to be careful too.
The Mentally Troubled
It’s really not their fault to be this way and although they sometimes make the most noise, you can’t really do anything about it.
It’s a hit and miss for them, one day they can be nice and will take your complaint nicely but some days they can be violent.
I have a neighbor once who kept on screaming and throwing things at random times of the day.
Most of us in the neighborhood know that she’s not mentally stable so her sudden outbursts are a usual occurrence in our area. She had also attacked one girl out of the blue once.
It’s better to stay away from this type as necessary because you will never know their current state if ever you decide to talk to them to complain.
If needed, talk with other residents nearby if it’s proper to get some professional help for your neighbor.
Now that you know the most common type of noisy neighbors, the question that comes next is, “What are the best ways to deal with them?” Read on to plan your revenge.
Noisy Neighbors Revenge: 10 Ways To Legally Torment Them
Obviously, it’s not really necessary to get revenge on the angels such as the first three types of neighbors stated above.
Most of the time, you can just fix the problem by asking nicely. If not, then let’s get to the revenge.
1: Innocent Chores
The most common way to get back at them especially at The King of the Hill type, is to let them have a taste of their own medicine.
First is mowing the lawn at the time when you are fairly sure that they are relaxing or sleeping. Don’t face them head on at the same time that they’re doing it.
Make sure to wave at them sweetly once they go out to drink coffee that very morning. They’ll know better than to make noise again.For instance, if you know that they mow the lawn at 6am on Mondays, do it at 6am on a different day.
Rub some salt to the wound by blowing the leaves next using the loudest leaf blower that you can find. Fix the fence too while you’re at it and bring out the chainsaws.
2: Musical Genius
If you have a noisy neighbor who has an affinity for music then this revenge is for them. Since they like music so much, surely they won’t have a problem with this- or will they?
Get your vocal chords ready, plug in your karaoke set, and sing your heart out.
If you don’t want to express your vocal talents, you can try learning a hobby like playing the electric guitar at 12am or having a literal band practice complete with drums, saxophones, or cymbals.
You can also try to listen to some jams using the best sound system that you can find. Start by playing AC/DC’s Highway to Hell or one of the loudest songs in the world, Welcome to the Jungle by Guns ‘N Roses that can get up to -1.931 dB!If you have a good sound system, maybe it’s time to enjoy some good war or action movie with lots of guns blazing while the volume is at the highest level.
3: Animal Lover
This will work well if you already have a well-trained dog, that way you can just make them bark all they want at your command.
Plus points if you take turns shooting the ball at a metal lidded trash can.It’s better if you place the doghouse right next to your neighbor’s backyard or close to the area where you know they are sleeping peacefully.
4: Sporty Neighbor
If you have kids, you can treat them and get your revenge on your neighbor at the same time by just putting a basketball hoop in your yard or driveway.
You can use this opportunity to let your children play sports and bond with them while annoying your neighbor to no end.
Dribble the ball as much as possible and let it bang on the wooden backboard.
With kids, the ball will hit aimlessly at any surface and will create too much noise that your neighbor from hell will definitely hate.
5: Doorbell runner
If your neighbor has a doorbell and no security cameras, you can wait till late at night to incessantly press on them then make a mad run out of there.
Do this at random times of the day to make the timing unpredictable. You will practically feel the thrill of getting caught but be extra careful in doing this.
6: Fight fire with fire
I didn’t mean to literally use fire! However you can covertly set up a string of firecracker at a safe distance in their lawn.
This prank is one of the classic and it’s best to do it at night when you can blame teenage pranksters outside.
That won’t explain why the firecracker is only at their lawn though.
These next activities are not really noise-related but you can still use them to get back at your neighbors and annoy them!
7: Time for a barbeque!
Have a barbeque party while the wind is blowing at the direction of their house. Make the event even rowdier by blasting some music.
You can bond with your family and friends and have fun while getting your revenge.
You can also plan a massive bonfire, it’s better if there’s more smoke. Use a giant fan to blow all of it in their way while they’re chilling by the porch.8: The classic teepee
There are a few jurisdictions in different places that go specifically against toilet papering so do this at your own risk.
Again, this can be blamed on nameless teenage pranksters especially if your neighbors know you as a “harmless” neighbor.
Late at night, enlist the help of your friends or children with throwing rolls of toilet papers all over your neighbor’s house.
You can also do this while they’re on vacation so the chances of getting caught are small. If you’re feeling a little extra hateful, throw eggs into the mix.
9: Cut the breaks
This will only work if you specifically know where your neighbor’s circuit breaker box is.
You’re lucky if it’s at the back or at the side of their house and next to the bushes where you can escape to.
They’ll have a bunch of junk mails in no time and what’s worse is that they have no idea on who might’ve set this up for them.If your neighbor from hell likes to blast music, play instruments, or have an obnoxiously loud shindig all the time, all you need to do is to find their circuit breaker box and shut it down.
A quick and easy solution (or revenge) for your problem. You can also lock it up after shutting it down so it will take a while for them to fix it.
10: Sign them up
Set them up in the most random subscription deals that you can find.
Most of the time, you can just fill up some papers at the grocery stores or pharmacies using their address so they can get the most random deals and junk mails from a lot of stores.
You can also subscribe them in different clothing catalogues for little girls (if your neighbor is a single male) to make it more annoying.
Final Thoughts
These measures are just when you think all hope is lost and your neighbor can’t peacefully and respectfully back down after your complaints.
Of course, the best way is to bring the matter to the right authorities if it becomes too much.
However, there can be times that even talking with the landlord or the police can just make it worst.
If you don’t mind spending money and you don’t want any confrontation, one fool-proof solution is to try soundproofing your house or your apartment.
This will work in the long-run if you’re tired of all the back and forth revenge on top of the noise.
With the right insulation, you can just block out all the noise from your noisy neighbors and keep your peace of mind.
Jessica is a Acoustical Engineer, currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. After graduating from her degree in Master of Engineering degree in Acoustics from Solent University in 2014, Jessica worked for a few companies before She will be blogging about her past and current experiences in the studio and sharing her journey as she pursues her career goals. She enjoy the balance of work inside and out of the office, solving practical problems on a daily basis as every project is different and requires a different solution, the variety of work (sound insulation testing, background noise survey, mechanical plant commissioning, external plant assessment, plant room breakout assessments) and the mix of independent and team work.
Great article. I love to do stuff like this to neighbors who just have no f’ng respect for anyone.
Same
Well I have tried talking to them an it went no where, I tried talking to the Landlord.. Nothing they told me to call the cops. I the lease is said, QUIET TIME between 10pm – 8am.. but they don’t care. So its like this. They wake me up at 3am, I wake them up at 8am. They are college 22 girl. Its going to be a very bad day for them when they have to study for a big test huh! I’m a wicca witch an I am going to have to put a quiet binding spell for them to STFU! It will not do no harm, it will just shut them up. I just is beside myself. Blessed be!
Good to see I’m not the only witch in this bitch with that idea.
Dynamite, strategically placed.
I am worn out with having to deal with them. They first arrived being nicey-nice and then started applying for all sorts of planning applications on to our tiny 2 bedroomed attached houses.
My council has agreed a 3 bedroom extension even though this dwarfs my 2 bedroom attached semi, plus they have done so much work in lockdown involving jackhammer drills and others insanely it is doing my head in. Reported to council but no luck. As they are converting a garage into a kitchen the council have asked them to provide 2 vehicle parking on their property.
They don’t have the space to do it. We have small front gardens appropriate to a 2 bedroom house and there is just no way you can get 2 vehicles in the front garden. At the moment the 2 vehicles are a pick up truck and a SUV. I am at my wits end – any ideas?