How to measure noise for a noise complaint

Before you complain about noise, keep a dated record for two to three weeks: when the noise started and stopped, what it was, where it came from and how it affected you. Decibel readings taken from inside your home make that record stronger, especially with a quiet reading to compare against, but councils mainly look for a pattern. Many UK councils send you their own diary sheets, and officers may visit or measure for themselves.

Rules differ by country and city, so check your local council's or city's noise page as well. This guide covers what helps almost everywhere.

1. Try talking first, and keep a copy

Many councils ask you to speak to the neighbour before you complain. Basingstoke and Deane council notes how often neighbours are unaware of the disturbance they cause. If that does not work, write a short, polite letter and keep a dated copy. If either of you rents, the landlord may be able to act, since most tenancies forbid disturbing neighbours.

2. Keep a noise diary

A diary is the evidence most councils ask for. For each incident, note:

Describe the effect calmly and plainly. Slough council's guidance says this helps show you are not oversensitive to noise, and that an occasional party is unlikely to be grounds for action. North Sydney council suggests keeping the diary for two to three weeks before sending it in.

3. Measure from inside your home

Measure where the noise affects you: the bedroom at night, the living room in the evening. For night-time warning notices in England and Wales, the council itself must measure the noise from within the home of the person who complained, so readings from that spot are the ones that matter.

How to take a useful reading with a phone:

1. Close the windows if the noise comes through a wall or floor, and switch off your own TV, fans and music.
2. Hold the phone still, at arm's length and away from walls, or rest it on a soft surface in the middle of the room.
3. Measure for at least a minute while the noise is happening, and note the average (LAeq) and the maximum.
4. Take a second reading when it is quiet, at a similar time of day. The difference between the two shows what the noise adds.
5. Write the time next to each reading so it matches your diary.

4. Understand what the numbers can and cannot do

A phone app gives an estimate, not a certified measurement, and most procedures do not rely on your readings alone. In England, noise counts as a statutory nuisance if it unreasonably and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home, or injures health; that is judged by an officer, not by a single decibel figure. In the US, local noise ordinances set quiet hours and sometimes decibel limits, and the city or police decide.

What your readings do well is show a pattern: the same level at the same late hour, night after night, compared with a quiet baseline. Together with the diary, that is a record an officer or landlord can act on.

5. Keep the record in one place

SoundSense saves each check with a title, the place you type, notes, and the average (LAeq), minimum and maximum. You can share a check as a CSV file or an image for free, or as a PDF report with Premium; every report says plainly that readings are estimates. Premium can keep recording with the screen locked for up to 8 hours, useful for noise that starts late at night.

SoundSense does not record audio, so it never captures anyone's conversation. If your council gives you its own recording app or equipment, use that as well: it is what the council is set up to review.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Noise nuisances: how councils deal with complaints
• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, A guide to dealing with noisy neighbours
• Slough Borough Council, Noise complaints
• North Sydney Council, Dealing with neighbour noise

Updated 23 October 2026 by the SoundSense team at Just IT.