DecibelwerkQuick answer: Put the phone where you hear the noise (usually your bedroom), take the case off and leave it still. Log the level once a second through the noisy period, every time it happens, and keep a short written diary alongside. The useful numbers are the average (Leq), the loudest moments (Max and L10) and the quiet background (L90). Then check your local noise ordinance before you complain, because the limits and quiet hours are set locally.
Why this is hard to prove
Noise complaints fail for three reasons: “it’s loud” is subjective, the noise is intermittent so it’s gone when someone comes to check, and nobody wrote down when it happened. A record that shows a repeated pattern (dates, start and end times, how loud above your normal background) answers all three.
Option 1: A written noise diary (free)
Before any app, keep a diary. Landlords, HOAs and city noise teams commonly ask for one.
- For each incident, note the date, start and end time, what you heard (bass, footsteps, shouting, a dog) and which room you were in.
- Note how it affected you: woke you, stopped you working, kept a child up.
- Keep it for at least two weeks so a pattern shows.
Option 2: Log the level with your phone
A meter app adds numbers to the diary. Set it up so the readings mean something:
- Placement: where you sleep or work, about ear height, away from your own fridge, fan or TV. Case off, bottom microphone uncovered, phone flat and still.
- Weighting: A-weighting (dBA). Ordinances that set decibel limits generally use it.
- Baseline: log a quiet evening first, so you can show the difference between normal and the problem.
- Log the incident: start before the noise begins if you can (parties and bass often follow a schedule), and keep the app open until it stops.
- Label each log with the room and what you heard.
Which numbers to quote
| Number | What it shows | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| L90 | The background, normal level | Your quiet baseline |
| Leq | Average over the period | Compares nights fairly |
| L10 | The loud events | Bass, slams and shouting |
| Max | The single loudest moment | Shows the peaks that wake you |
| Time above a level | How long it stayed loud | “Above 55 dB for 2 hours after midnight” is concrete |
The gap between L10 and L90 is often the most telling number: it shows noise standing out above the normal background, which is what makes it disturbing.
Which should you pick?
| Your situation | Best first step |
|---|---|
| Renting | Diary plus logs, sent to your landlord or property manager in writing |
| HOA or condo | Diary plus logs, sent to the board under the community’s noise rules |
| Neighbour’s house | A friendly conversation first, then your city or county’s noise complaint line with the record |
| Commercial noise (bar, factory) | Your city’s code enforcement or environmental health team |
To understand the levels you’re seeing, use the decibel chart of common sounds, and see how to measure decibels on iPhone for getting accurate readings.