Tenant Noise Complaints - Best way to handle
Hello BP Community - I'm Ashley. I am new to BP and relatively new to landlording as well. My first (and only) deal is a 3 unit multifamily building that I'm currently house hacking.
I live on the first floor and have tenants occupying the 2nd and 3rd floor units. My issue is that the two tenants are both trading noise complaints against each other and I don't know the best way to handle the complaints. I don't really want to lose either tenant but the complaints are too much at this point and I want to know how best to resolve. Can you help??
The 2nd floor tenant is very LOUD - in general. She's a loud talker, has loud phone conversations, loud homework help with her kids, loud cooking, loud everything, and the walls are thin. I've sent her emails on the noise levels (noise that I've personally observed) and she apologizes and promises to address, but eventually she gets loud again, slowly but surely. I think it's just her nature, and she's always home which only increases the frequency of the noise. She also complains often about minor, non-issues. She's annoying but pays on-time and was one of the best applicants (on paper). Her unit is immaculate, as she's always cleaning, which is another plus.
The 3rd floor tenant is very quiet (from what I can tell from the 1st floor). She rarely complains about anything and is rarely ever home - I actually never hear from her, it's great. Her unit is also kept very neat and clean and she also always pays rent on-time.
The 2nd floor tenant (the LOUD one) was the first to complain - she said she heard loud banging noises at 2-3 AM, and couldn't sleep. Essentially I ignored the first complaint (maybe it was the wrong move, but it seemed too much like the pot calling the kettle black). I didn't address it in hopes that it was an anomaly and would work itself out. She went on to complain again about the same issue several more times, so I emailed the 3rd floor tenant to make her aware of the noise and ask her and her children to keep it down during those hours.
In response, (and probably in disgust that such a loud person would have the audacity to make a noise complaint against her) the 3rd floor tenant unleashes a flurry of complaints of days and times when she has been disturbed by the 2nd floor tenant. And it's just continued on in that fashion - tit for tat noise complaints from both tenants. My only response is to email each regarding the other's complaints, but at what point is email not enough?
I definitely don't want to lose two good paying tenants, but that might be where this is headed. What's my best way forward?
Thanks!
Ashley