Loud neighbor

[Colleen520]

Hello All,

I have been an Air BnB host in Portugal since October 2022. I have a neighbor with two wives who is quite noisy when I have guests staying in the apartment. When I have been there, they are relatively quiet, with only one incident of loud conversation that occurred at midnight at lasted only a few seconds. Yet, I have had two different quests, out of 5 guests, who have rated the apartment with a low score because of the neighbor. I have spoken to the city government office about this matter and they state that the guest will need to call the police to address the problem. I don't want to have my guest to stay at my apartment with the condition that they may have to call the police. Has any other host experienced this and what did you do to resolve the problem? I have spoken to the neighbor, but he seems to think their behavior is normal and laughs about it.

Thanks for any information and help!

[Helen744]

@Colleen520  very tricky because a neighbour can in fact complain about your listing. It is really important to explain to your guests to respect your local community and your neighbours.Having said this I would erect extra fencing or screens and meet your guests for a while because sometimes guests do ask neighbours questions. It is not possible to prevent neighbourhood interactions really , but do ask your neighbour if the guests are bothering in any way ,with parking or entering their property. Apologise to your neighbour because they can complain to council . your guests will go away but your neighbout wont. You do need to get to the bottom of this if you have had two complaints about them . I am sure that you have more than one neighbour so do some more investigation , by asking the guest about specific details. I had a similar neighbour who was over friendly and in fact enjoyed the interractions and would sometimes cause discombobulations as they pretended , very much behind my back ,that somehow they were in charge of my property. They were always very annoyed if my guests parked in the free to use parks and the other neighbour basically blocked my driveway whenever possible. Good luck but it is basically your problem...H

[Colleen520]

Hi Helen,

Yes, there are four units in my building. No other neighbor seems to be disruptive or loud. In fact, one neighbor downstairs has two dogs, a cat, and birds. They are very quiet and respectful. The other neighbor on the ground level is also very quiet. I think this one neighbor is just young and in a difficult situation with two wives living in the same small space. The apartments are nestled behind a closed door that opens to a small courtyard. There is no parking to interfere with this neighbor. When I stay at the apartment, I do not experience what the two guests reported. I am sure the guests are telling the truth, I am just confused as to why this is happening.

Thanks again for your advice.

Best,

Colleen

[Helen3]

This is a strange one. As you know it's illegal (apart for Mormon's in Utah) to have more than one wife so I was puzzled your comments referencing this.

Having looked at your reviews I agree with @Alexandra199  as well as the noise your guests also complain that your place isn't clean, bedding missing and broken items.

Is it worth asking your local cohosts to check the cleaning/set up process.

I would definitely make it clear in your listing that there is the potential for noise, provide ear plugs and have your cohost review the listing to make sure it's to the standard guests expect.

[Colleen520]

Hi Helen,

The bedding was not missing. The one guest didn't like the bedding. That is a preference. The toilet lid is not attached, but the toilet is fully functional. There were many problems that arose outside of my control. As they occurred, the cohost and I dealt with them. 

Thanks so much for your time.

All the best,

Colleen

[Helen744]

@Colleen520 I think it is important that you temporarily move one bed into your sitting area and move the sofa and set up a sitting room in the noisier room., also only take two guests for a while until the situation eases, with a little ingenuity you can get around this . re-orient from the inside as well as you can.. H

[Colleen520]

Thank you Helen, but unfortunately the design of the apartment prohibits such a change in room assignments.

[Alexandra199]

Hi Colleen, I'm really sorry to hear the situation you have here. This is really difficult to deal with but Helen744's idea regarding moving the rooms around is an excellent idea if it is possible to do this. Also limiting the bookings to only two people is a good way forward too.

I have had a look at your listing and the reviews. Yes, the guests mention the neighbours but they also mention a number of other maintenance issues that would probably have added to their unhappiness. If they had found an apartment that was beautifully clean and in tip top condition I wonder if they might have given you a better review and mentioned the neighbours privately? I find with guests that if they find one thing wrong, they then go around looking for other issues. Get all those things sorted and it will make things easier for guests.

Finally, you really need to be 100% honest about the possibility for noise. Explain to guests that the apartment is attached to other dwellings and there is a possibility that on occasion you may hear the neighbours next door. I say this from experience, I have a cottage that has thin walls. My neighbours occasionally can be a bit noisy but I tell guests this before they stay and I very rarely ever have any one mention it. Tell guests clearly and honestly in advance about everything that is a negative about your property and it will save a lot of bad reviews in the future. 

Next time you go and stay you will need to put on your brave pants and go and speak to your neighbour. The behaviour described is unacceptable and would be a police matter in my opinion. Noone should have to hear/witness domestic violence whether they live at the property or are just a guest there.

[Colleen520]

Hi Alexandra,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply. I have spoken to the neighbor about his and his wives behavior. He laughed and said that they are Portuguese and are just loud. I have talked with the Camara, local government, about the situation, and they do recommend that the guest call the police. I am trying to find a way to not antagonize the neighbor as I am not there, nor do I live nearby to handle the situation on my own. I will take your advice about making sure guests know that the walls are thin and the potential for noise from the neighbor is common and to be expected.

I was shocked by the last guest report. How could he possibly know that a vacuum cleaner was hurled at the man? Was he in the apartment? 

There have been a serious of unfortunate events: local power company caused a huge power surge and damaged many appliances and chargers in the city. My guest had four chargers destroyed, and my 500 dollar microwave was fried. The city did pay for the chargers, but not my microwave. Then the electricity failed in the apartment. None of these events ever happened to me when I stayed there. Just bizarre. Called an electrician, he found the problem and resolved the issue. Then the internet and cable company lost power to the neighborhood my apartment is located in. They could not restore it the last two days my guest was there. Just unbelievable series of unfortunate events. All outside of my control, but quickly addressed and resolved. 

The area is growing rapidly, probably faster than the utility companies can manage.

Thanks again for your help.

Best,

Colleen