Can I use a decibel app as evidence against my neighbor?

A phone reading can support your complaint, especially with dates, times and a written diary. It is not a certified measurement, and the people handling your complaint may want to take their own readings. Rules differ by country and city, so check with your landlord, HOA or local council about what they accept.

What noise level is too loud from neighbors?

There is no single number that applies everywhere. Many places have quiet hours and local limits, and some judge noise by whether it is unreasonable rather than by a set level. For reference, the WHO suggests bedrooms below 30 dBA at night for good sleep. Check your lease, HOA rules or local council for the rules where you live.

Is it legal to record my neighbors?

Recording the noise level from your own home is usually fine, but recording people's conversations can be restricted, and the rules vary a lot by country and state. Never film into other people's homes. If you are not sure, keep to dBA readings and a written diary, and ask a local advice service.

How long should I keep a noise diary?

Two to four weeks is a common starting point, because it shows a pattern rather than one bad night. Some councils and landlords ask for a set period on their own forms, so use theirs if they give you one.

Should I talk to my neighbor before complaining?

If you feel safe doing so, yes. Many people do not realize how much sound travels. A calm, friendly chat often solves it faster than a formal complaint. If you do not feel safe, skip this step and go straight to your landlord, managing agent, HOA or council.

How to record noise from neighbors as evidence

We read a lot of reviews of decibel apps before we built Loudmark, and one kind kept standing out. People were not measuring for fun. They were lying awake at 2 a.m. because of music, stomping or a dog next door, and they wanted something to show their landlord. Many apps gave them a number that vanished the moment they closed the app. So this guide is about building a record that is actually useful, with or without our app.

Start with a conversation, if it is safe

Before you build a case, consider a short, friendly chat. Many people have no idea how much sound travels through floors and walls. A few tips:

Pick a calm moment, not 2 a.m. in the middle of the noise.
Describe the problem, not the person. “I can hear music in my bedroom after midnight” works better than “You are so inconsiderate.”
Suggest something specific, like turning the bass down after 10 p.m. or moving a speaker off a shared wall.

If you do not feel safe, or you have already tried, skip ahead. Keeping a record from day one is a good idea either way.

What makes a useful noise diary

The people who handle complaints see a lot of “it’s always loud.” What helps them is detail. For each incident, write down:

The date.
The start and end time. “11:40 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.” is far more useful than “late.”
What the noise was. Music with heavy bass, shouting, a dog barking, footsteps, a washing machine at midnight.
Where you heard it. Which room, and whether windows were open or closed.
How it affected you. Could not sleep, woke the baby, could not work, had to leave the room.
What you did. Knocked, texted, called the landlord, nothing.

Write it on the night or the next morning, while it is fresh. A notes app works fine. Keep it going for two to four weeks if you can, so it shows a pattern.

Add readings in dBA with the time

A diary becomes stronger when you add numbers. A decibel meter on your phone can help.

Use dBA. It is the weighting most noise guidance uses. If the noise is bass-heavy, write down dBC too. A big gap between the two usually means a lot of low-frequency sound. Our guide to dBA vs dBC vs dBZ explains why.
Measure where you are affected, such as your bedroom, not right against the wall.
Measure for at least 30 seconds and write down the average (Leq) and the max, plus the time.
Take a quiet reading too. A reading of the same room on a quiet night gives a useful comparison. “38 dBA on a normal night, 58 dBA during the music” tells a clear story.
Keep your method the same. Same room, same spot, same phone, no case over the mic.

For the basics of getting a steady number, see how to measure decibels on iPhone.

Photos and video with the time on them

A short video can show what a number cannot: the bass shaking a glass, or a party that is still going at 3 a.m. Some tips:

Make sure the date and time are clear, either on screen or in the file details.
Keep clips short and focused on the noise in your home.
Film from your own property only. Do not film into other people’s windows or homes.

Overnight logs

Night noise is the hardest to prove, because you are trying to sleep. An overnight log records the level while you sleep, so in the morning you can see when it got loud and for how long. Leave the phone on a bedside table, charging, away from your own fan or white noise machine.

Who to contact

Who handles neighbor noise depends on where you live and what kind of home it is. Common routes:

Your landlord or letting agent, if you rent. Leases often include a “quiet enjoyment” or nuisance clause.
A managing agent or building manager, for flats and apartment buildings.
Your HOA or condo board in the US, which may have its own quiet hours.
Your local council’s environmental health team in the UK, which deals with statutory noise nuisance and may give you diary sheets to fill in.
City or county code enforcement, or a non-emergency police line, in many US cities, for noise ordinance problems.
A mediation service. Some areas offer free community mediation between neighbors.

Call emergency services only if someone is in danger.

Know the limits of phone readings

Be honest about what you have. A phone reading is supporting evidence, not a certified measurement. iPhone mics are not lab instruments, they can flatten out around 95 to 100 dB, and cases and placement change the number. Whoever handles your complaint may come out with their own equipment, or ask you to keep their diary sheets.

Rules also vary a lot by country, state and city. Some places set specific decibel limits by time of day. Others ask whether the noise is unreasonable, and there is no single number. Check your lease, HOA rules or council website so you know what applies to you. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Privacy: what not to record

Keeping a record should not turn into spying. A few ground rules:

Never film or photograph inside other people’s homes, including through windows.
Be careful with audio of conversations. Laws on recording people talking differ a lot between countries and US states. Measuring the noise level is generally a different thing from capturing what people say, but check your local rules.
Keep it to yourself until you share it with the person or body handling the complaint. Do not post it online.

Look after yourself

Ongoing noise can wear you down. Earplugs or a white noise machine may help you sleep while things get sorted. If noise is affecting your sleep or health over a long time, it is worth talking to a doctor.

Where Loudmark helps

Loudmark is a decibel meter for iPhone. It needs iOS 26. We designed parts of it around this exact problem.

For free, you get a live meter in dBA, dBC or dBZ, with min, average (Leq) and max, a session graph, a plain comparison like “As loud as a vacuum cleaner”, calibration, one 85 dB alert and widgets.

Loudmark Pro adds the tools people asked for when building a case:

Evidence camera. Photos and videos with the dB level, max, date, time and place stamped on.
Overnight recording with the screen off for up to 12 hours, keeping short clips of every loud moment, so you can play back what woke you.
PDF noise report with the graph, Leq, max, a table of events, your photos and your notes, ready to send to a landlord, HOA or council.
A custom alert level, saved reference sounds and a Live Activity.

Pro is $24.99 a year with a 3-day free trial, $3.99 a week, or $34.99 once. There is no account, sound is only saved when you start a recording, and it stays on your iPhone.

Loudmark is not a certified Class 1 or Class 2 sound level meter. Its reports are an organized personal record to support your complaint, not a certified measurement, and we cannot promise any landlord, council or court will accept them.