Short answer: To measure noise for a complaint, keep a noise diary and log levels while the noise happens: inside your home, in the affected room, with windows as you normally keep them. Note the date, time, duration and dB(A) level. Where local rules set numbers, night limits for homes are often around 40–50 dB(A), but councils and landlords use their own certified meters and rules.
A complaint that says “it’s loud every night” is easy to dismiss. One with dates, times, durations, levels and short recordings is not. This guide covers the evidence that helps: a noise diary, a decibel log with timestamps, where and when to measure, how to record supporting audio or video, why to calibrate your phone, and what councils and landlords do with it. It starts with the step that often solves the problem fastest: talking.
Start With a Conversation or Mediation
Many neighbours don’t realise how far their noise travels. A calm, friendly conversation, or a polite note, solves a lot of problems. If that doesn’t work or doesn’t feel safe, ask your landlord, housing provider or building management, or use a community mediation service; many councils can point you to one. Keep a record of these attempts, because councils and landlords usually ask what you have already tried.
Step 1: Keep a Noise Diary
Write down every disturbance as it happens, not from memory at the end of the week. Councils often ask for a few weeks of entries. Each entry needs:
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday 12 September |
| Time started and ended | 23:40 to 01:15 |
| Type of noise | Bass music and shouting through the bedroom wall |
| Where you heard it | Main bedroom, window closed |
| Effect on you | Couldn’t get to sleep; woke the baby at 00:30 |
| Level (if measured) | Average 41 dB(A), peaks 55 dB(A); background 27 dB(A) |
Step 2: Log Levels With a Noise Monitor
A decibel log turns the diary into numbers. The free noise monitor records the level every second with a timestamp, lists every event over your limit with its start time, duration and level, and gives you a CSV file and a report image to attach to your complaint.
- Measure a minute of normal quiet first to find your background level.
- Set the limit about 10 dB above the background and a minimum event length, so single knocks are ignored.
- Add a note with the room and the source, then leave it running during the disturbance.
- Stop the log and save the CSV, the events CSV and the report image with the matching diary entry.
The difference between the events and the background matters as much as the level itself: a noise 10 dB above the background sounds about twice as loud (why decibels work that way). To hear what a given difference sounds like, try the volume level comparator.
Step 3: Measure Where and When It Affects You
- Inside your home, in the affected room. Usually that is the bedroom, or the room next to the shared wall. Put the phone about 1 m from walls and at ear height, away from your own fridge, fan or TV.
- At the time it happens. For night-time noise, measure at night. A single daytime reading doesn’t show a sleep problem.
- With windows as you normally have them. Don’t open windows to make it louder or close ones you usually leave open; the log should show your normal situation.
- With a quiet baseline. Record the room without the noise as well. The background noise test gives a quick reference level.
- Bass needs dB(C) as well. Music and subwoofers read low in dB(A), which removes bass. Note dB(C) readings from our free decibel meter too, and see dBA vs dBC. The frequency analyzer shows whether a hum sits at a low frequency.
For general technique, read how to measure decibels. Levels in the log are A-weighted, which matches how people hear everyday noise (dB vs dBA).
Step 4: Record Short Audio or Video
Numbers show how loud; a recording shows what it is. Record 30–60 second clips during the worst periods, with the phone’s own date and time visible if possible, and note the file name in your diary. Record from inside your home, capture the noise rather than private conversations, and check local rules on recording others. Many phones can’t use the microphone in two apps at once, so use a second device for recordings while the noise monitor runs.
Step 5: Calibrate Your Phone
An uncalibrated phone can be several decibels out. If you can borrow a sound level meter, measure the same steady sound with both and enter the difference once; our guide on how to calibrate a microphone for a decibel meter shows how. Calibrated phones are useful from about 40 to 100 dB, and online decibel meter accuracy explains their limits. Mention in your complaint which device you used and whether it was calibrated.
What Level Counts as Too Loud?
There is no single legal decibel limit that applies everywhere. Rules differ between countries, states, councils, housing providers and tenancy agreements. These reference points help you judge your readings:
| Reference | Typical value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WHO guideline for sleep | About 30 dB(A) continuous in the bedroom | Individual events above about 45 dB(A) are likely to disturb sleep |
| Local night limits for homes | Often around 40–50 dB(A) | Where rules set numbers; they also define where and how to measure |
| Daytime limits | Usually higher than night limits | Many rules only apply during quiet hours |
| Compared with the background | 5–10 dB above it is clearly noticeable | Some rules judge noise against the background level |
In the UK, for example, a statutory nuisance has no fixed decibel threshold: an officer judges it. For context, compare your readings with what 40 dB sounds like and what 50 dB sounds like, or the decibel chart. Our guide to apartment noise complaint levels covers typical limits and quiet hours.
How Councils and Landlords Assess Noise
Your diary and log are supporting evidence. An environmental health officer or landlord will usually review them, then may visit to witness the noise, install their own recording equipment in your home, or measure with a certified Class 1 or Class 2 meter (see sound level meter vs decibel meter). They apply their own local rules and procedures. A clear log helps them decide when to visit and shows the problem is regular, which is often what moves a case forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a phone decibel reading as evidence?
Yes, as supporting evidence of a pattern. Formal action usually relies on certified measurements or an officer’s own assessment.
How do I record decibel levels over a whole night?
Use a noise logger, keep the phone on charge with the screen on, and save the CSV and report image in the morning.
What time do quiet hours start?
Often 10 or 11 pm until about 7 am, but it varies. Check your council’s rules, your lease and any building rules.
Is 60 dB too loud at night?
In a bedroom, yes: 60 dB is conversation level, far above the WHO sleep guideline of about 30 dB(A).
Does the noise monitor record audio?
No. It stores only the numbers, so use a separate device for recordings.
Addito is an audio analysis and sound measurement writer specializing in decibel testing, noise level analysis, sound frequency measurement, and audio engineering tools for creators, audio professionals, students, and everyday users. He creates practical content focused on sound measurement, hearing safety, microphone testing, and acoustic analysis tools.