Loud and shady neighbor bothering my tenant

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Loud and shady neighbor bothering my tenant

Todd Kozak
Investor · Saint Louis · Member since 2020 · 55 posts · 20 votes

I have a couple great tenants in my house in St. Louis city. However, they are dealing with my not-so-great neighbors. SFHs but not much distance between houses.

I know that I can check the noise curfew and I know that I can try and have a civil conversation with the neighbor. Wanted others thoughts on what to do.

Here are the complaints...

Kareoke in backyard, loud and late at night

When a female comes over....

Multiple hours of sex during day and being loud enough to hear in the house

a mysterious jeep shows up to the front of house and honks, then to back of house (alley) and honks and this has happened at least 5-6 times always at 10am

Every time she is there, the guy that lives there removes the license plate from her car and either leaves it blank or temporarily puts another license plate on

Feels like something with drugs, prostitution, or something else shady

This is a decent part of the city (Dogtown).

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
5y

Definitely sounds like something shady going on, but it's not your issue.

Tell the tenants they need to document the behavior and report it to the police. If it's loud karaoke at 10pm, call in a noise complaint. If they remove/swap license plates, take pictures and report it to the police. If they have loud sex, particularly during the day, then I would try to document whether the sex is occurring with different visitors, record the cars and sex audio, then report it to the police.

You can't control the neighbors. Just educate your tenants on their options. If nothing is resolved after a month, you could always write a letter to the home owners with your complaints and threaten to sue them if they scare your renters away, but it will probably fall on deaf ears.

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  • Caleb Brown
    Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    One of the things I always tell buyers is you can't change the neighbors(unless you buy the house). If it continues to be like that try to speak to the neighbors, be civil. Go from there. They aren't technically breaking any laws, right? 

    1Reply
  • Vince Mayer
    Wholesaler · Arnold, MO · Member since 2013 · 348 posts · 183 votes
    5y

    @Todd Kozak

    I would think that tampering with a motor vehicle is illegal. I would report them to the police as the landlord/owner to keep the tenants name out of it.

    1Reply
  • John Teachout
    Rental Property Investor · Concord, GA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    This is a legal issue, not a landlord issue. If the behavior is criminal, call the police. If it's not, buy their house.

    1Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    5y

    Definitely sounds like something shady going on, but it's not your issue.

    Tell the tenants they need to document the behavior and report it to the police. If it's loud karaoke at 10pm, call in a noise complaint. If they remove/swap license plates, take pictures and report it to the police. If they have loud sex, particularly during the day, then I would try to document whether the sex is occurring with different visitors, record the cars and sex audio, then report it to the police.

    You can't control the neighbors. Just educate your tenants on their options. If nothing is resolved after a month, you could always write a letter to the home owners with your complaints and threaten to sue them if they scare your renters away, but it will probably fall on deaf ears.

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    4Reply
  • Alanna Logan
    Realtor · Boston, MA · Member since 2021 · 7 posts · 2 votes
    5y

    @Todd Kozak lol sounds like she’s cheating and doesn’t want to get caught. I’m not sure who is renting the apartment, but that’d be my thoughts.

    1Reply
  • Lawrence BriggsPro Member
    Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2020 · 366 posts · 377 votes
    5y

    @Todd Kozak, sorry that your tenants are enduring such disturbances. After working in the Student Housing industry for several years, I would say that loud sex, during all hours of the day, has been the number one compliant. I would review your city's noise ordinances. Of course, if there are screams of help during such activity, a call to local enforcement will have them investigating the situation asap. 

    As for the changing of car license plates, that certainly seems like possible drug activity or vehicle fraud. 

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  • Joe SplitrockPro Member
    Moderator
    Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
    5y

    @Todd Kozak have you checked to see who owns the property? If they are tenants, you could reach out to the property owner and give them the courtesy of dealing with the issue before involving the police. If the Karaoke is late at night, they may be violating an noise ordinance. As far as the loud sex noise, that is not illegal unless there is some type of decency law that applies. As far as the honking, that could be someone coming to pick them up or it could be a drug drop. Do they get inside the car or just meet at the window? The license plate definitely seems like the most sketchy of all these things. Either he doesn't want someone to know who is visiting or the vehicle has invalid plates. Either way, have them call the police after the plate is taken off or switched. There is no rational explanation for removing the plate, which means the police should definitely come check it out. 

    1Reply
  • Clinton Davis
    Rental Property Investor · Memphis area · Member since 2018 · 103 posts · 51 votes
    5y

    Sounds like she's cheating and they are swapping plates to avoid being caught by either spouse or private investigator.  Take pics and audio, follow her home one day and mail an anonymous package to the husband.  Dang, that's so wrong of me to suggest.  But how desperate are you?

    2Reply
  • Jeffrey Kostic
    Rental Property Investor · Norristown, PA · Member since 2019 · 1 post · 1 vote
    5y

    You could install real or fake external security cameras and post that activity is being recorded. It might discourage them from being overtly nefarious. Above all else you should attempt to find a way to protect your tenants from being the target of retribution by these pricks.

    1Reply
  • Michael Plante
    Deland, FL · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

    Definitely sounds like something shady going on, but it's not your issue.

    Tell the tenants they need to document the behavior and report it to the police. If it's loud karaoke at 10pm, call in a noise complaint. If they remove/swap license plates, take pictures and report it to the police. If they have loud sex, particularly during the day, then I would try to document whether the sex is occurring with different visitors, record the cars and sex audio, then report it to the police.

    You can't control the neighbors. Just educate your tenants on their options. If nothing is resolved after a month, you could always write a letter to the home owners with your complaints and threaten to sue them if they scare your renters away, but it will probably fall on deaf ears.

     THIS ^^^^^^^

    1Reply
  • Terrell Garren
    Rental Property Investor · Concord, NC · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    "If they have loud sex, particularly during the day, then I would try to document whether the sex is occurring with different visitors, record the cars and sex audio."

    Something definitely not covered during landlord school. My new daily to-do list - 

    Fix leaky toilet, patch wall, show property, document tenant sex, cut grass. 

    3Reply
  • Lawrence BriggsPro Member
    Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2020 · 366 posts · 377 votes
    5y

    @Terrell Garren, great reply haha! 

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    1Reply
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