Neighbourly Noise Awareness
Quiet Hours, Open Windows: Noise In-Suite and On Patios
Originally posted: Winter 2025 | Updated: February 2026
Filed under: Bylaws, Community Etiquette, Pet-Friendly Living
Life Close Together, Living Well Together
Red Haus is home to 483 households sharing walls, ceilings, hallways, courtyards, and outdoor spaces. In a community like ours, sound is simply part of daily life. Doors open, children play, pets react, music drifts, footsteps carry, and patio conversations travel farther than we may realize.
The goal of a healthy community isn’t silence—it’s consideration.
Noise concerns are among the most common neighbour-to-neighbour issues in multi-family living, and they affect residents of every kind: pet owners, parents, shift workers, early risers, evening entertainers, and everyone in between. This guide is here to help all of us better understand how to live comfortably and respectfully alongside one another.
What the Bylaws Support
Two bylaw principles guide how Red Haus approaches noise concerns, namely:
Respect Inside the Building
Residents are expected to use their homes in a way that does not create a nuisance or hazard for neighbouring units.
Respect in Shared Spaces
Residents are also expected to use Common Property in a way that does not unreasonably interfere with others and reflects courtesy toward neighbours, families, and visitors.
These standards are intentionally flexible because noise depends on context.
A dog barking once when someone knocks is normal.
A dog barking for long periods at 6:30 AM several mornings a week may need attention.
A dinner gathering on a Saturday evening is part of community life.
Amplified music shaking a neighbouring wall late into the night is different.
Reasonableness matters.
Bylaw References: 3(i), 3(j)
Common Sources, Practical Solutions
Pet Vocalizing
Repeated barking, whining, or howling is often a sign that something needs adjustment—routine, stimulation, training, separation support, or health.
If this is happening regularly, consider connecting with:
Your veterinarian
A certified trainer
A walker or daycare provider
Enrichment or exercise supports
Helping your pet feel settled benefits both your animal and your neighbours.
Patio & Balcony Conversations
Outdoor sound travels farther than many people expect. A conversation on one patio may be clearly heard several floors away, especially when windows are open.
Please be mindful of voices, music, and gatherings outdoors—particularly in the early morning and later evening hours.
A small adjustment in volume often makes a big difference.
In-Suite Audio & Entertainment
Speakers, subwoofers, televisions, and sound systems can carry through walls and floors more than we realize from inside our own suite.
Helpful habits include:
Keeping bass levels moderate
Moving speakers away from shared walls
Lowering volume later in the evening
Checking in with neighbours if you’re unsure
Sometimes the best sound test is simply asking the person next door.
Footsteps, Furniture & Hard Floors
Many Red Haus homes feature hardwood, laminate, or tile. These surfaces can increase impact noise to the unit below. Simple fixes include:
Area rugs in living and bedroom spaces
Felt pads under chairs and tables
Lifting rather than dragging furniture
Mindful movement during early or late hours
These small choices can noticeably improve comfort for neighbours below you.
Dogs on Patios & Balconies
Patios and balconies are meant to be enjoyed, including with your pet. They are also close to neighbouring homes, which means extra awareness matters.
Outdoor Enclosures Are Not Permitted
Dog houses, kennels, crates, and outdoor enclosures are not permitted on patios or balconies. These spaces are intended as an extension of your home—not as a separate outdoor pet area.
Dogs are welcome to enjoy the patio with you, but their primary living space should remain inside the suite.
If Barking Starts, Bring Them In
Dogs on patios often react more quickly to people, pets, movement, and sounds nearby. If your dog begins barking repeatedly or becomes reactive outdoors, please bring them inside.
The patio should be a shared leisure space, not a substitute for walks, exercise, or supervision.
Patios Are Not Relief Areas
Pet waste on patios or balconies creates some of the most significant concerns we see in multi-family living. It can lead to:
Odours entering nearby suites through open windows
Staining of surfaces
Damage to concrete, coatings, and waterproofing systems
Costly repairs and maintenance impacts
For that reason, patios and balconies are not toileting areas. Pee pads, artificial turf relief stations, and similar products are not permitted.
Please use outdoor walking areas and dispose of waste promptly at designated stations or garbage bins.
Where damage occurs, repair costs may be charged back to the unit owner under the bylaws.
Bylaw Reference: 45(g)(i)(E)
Waste Matters: Shared Grounds, Shared Responsibility
The most common pet-related concerns we receive involve waste near entrances, along walkways, and on landscaped areas. A few habits help keep Red Haus clean and welcoming for everyone.
Please Remember:
Do not allow pets to relieve themselves in planters, shrubs, flowers, or trees
Dispose of waste immediately and hygienically
Whenever possible, guide pets at least 20 feet from entrances before relieving themselves
This helps reduce odours, tracking, turf damage, and wear around the busiest areas of the property.
For smaller pets, carrying them a short distance from the doorway can be especially helpful.
Pet Stations are located throughout the property and stocked with bags. If one is running low, please let the Site Office know.
When a Neighbour Raises a Concern
If a neighbour reaches out about noise, it’s usually best to see it as helpful feedback. Many concerns are resolved quickly and respectfully through a short conversation and a small adjustment.
Most issues never need to go beyond neighbour-to-neighbour communication.
If speaking directly doesn’t feel comfortable, or if the concern continues, the Site Office is the next step. Written concerns should include:
Dates
Times
What occurred
How often has it happened
Clear records help the Board understand patterns and respond fairly if needed.
When the Board Becomes Involved
Formal enforcement is rarely the first step. The goal is always to encourage awareness, communication, and reasonable correction wherever possible.
Where repeated or unresolved bylaw breaches continue, the Board may use the enforcement tools available under the bylaws, including monetary sanctions. These measures exist to protect everyone’s ability to enjoy their home.
Bylaw Reference: 43
A Final Note
A quiet building is not a silent building. Babies cry. Dogs bark occasionally. Guests visit. Chairs scrape. Life happens.
The standard at Red Haus is not perfection—it is neighbourly consideration.
Thank you for the care, awareness, and respect you bring to this community every day.
—Your Red Haus Board of Directors