Noise and neighbour disputes

It is for anyone thinking about moving to Spain, planning the move or already living there. After reading, you will know whether a noise is normal or something you can act on. You will also know what to do first, who to involve, and how to respond if you are the one being complained about.

Start with "How much noise is normal in Spanish flats, and when?". It sets your expectations for daily life and quiet hours, which makes every other page easier to use. If you already have a problem, go next to "A noisy neighbour: what to do first, step by step", then "How a neighbour dispute escalates, from a chat to mediation".

Key rules

• Night hours: In most cities night hours run from 23:00 to 7:00, but some cities use different bands, so check your own town hall's rules.
• Community fines: A community of owners cannot fine you for noise; fines come from the town hall, and the community can only send a formal warning and, after a vote of the owners, ask a court to order the noise to stop.
• Police number: Call 092 for the local police about noise in most big cities, or 112 anywhere in Spain.
• Evenings: Evening and weekend sociability is tolerated more than in northern Europe, especially in summer and during fiestas.
• Order: Go in this order: a polite word, then the president or administrator, then the Policía Local, keeping evidence along the way.

Noise and neighbour disputes: the whole process, step by step

• Learn your local quiet hours and what counts as illegal noise (Legal noise limits in Spain and who sets them): before you act on a noise problem

• Talk politely to the neighbour, then leave a friendly written note (A noisy neighbour: what to do first, step by step): first, as soon as the noise bothers you

• Write to the community administrator or president, who can send a formal letter (How a neighbour dispute escalates, from a chat to mediation): if talking and the note do not work

• Call the local police while the noise is happening (Calling the local police (Policía Local) about noise): during the noise, especially between 23:00 and 7:00

• The police report goes to the town hall, which opens a disciplinary file and notifies the neighbour: after the police report is filed

• The neighbour makes their defence and offers evidence: typically 10 to 15 working days after notification

• The town hall issues its final decision and any fine: often within 6 to 12 months of the file opening, depending on the city

• Take the legal route if the noise continues: the owners vote, then a court is asked to order it to stop: if every earlier step has failed

• If water leaks from the flat above, close your stopcock, switch off electricity nearby, and warn the neighbour (Water leaking from the flat above: what to do and who pays): immediately

• Photograph the damage and tell your home insurer, filling in the joint damage form with the neighbour: usually within about 7 days

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Dated written complaints to the administrator or president — A noisy neighbour: what to do first, step by step

Payments and receipts

• Receipts for repairs and cleaning-up costs — Water leaking from the flat above: what to do and who pays

Guarantees

• Your home insurance policy — Water leaking from the flat above: what to do and who pays

Other documents

• Police report — A noisy neighbour: what to do first, step by step, How a neighbour dispute escalates, from a chat to mediation
• Written complaint to the town hall — A noisy neighbour: what to do first, step by step
• Noise measurements of the disturbance — How a neighbour dispute escalates, from a chat to mediation
• The community's formal written warning to the neighbour — How a neighbour dispute escalates, from a chat to mediation
• Parte amistoso de daños por agua — Water leaking from the flat above: what to do and who pays
• Dated photos and video of the damage — Water leaking from the flat above: what to do and who pays
• Expert acoustic report — A noisy neighbour: what to do first, step by step
• Written statements from other neighbours who heard the noise — A noisy neighbour: what to do first, step by step
• Recordings of the noise — A noisy neighbour: what to do first, step by step

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Noise and neighbour disputes: questions that cross several articles

Does the community president have the power to fine a noisy neighbour?

No, the community president cannot fine a noisy neighbour, because fines come from the town hall. The president can send a formal warning and, after a vote of the owners, ask a court to order the noise to stop. Read How a neighbour dispute escalates, from a chat to mediation, and Calling the local police (Policía Local) about noise for the fine route.

Is noise I find annoying automatically illegal?

No, noise is only illegal when it breaks the local limits or hours, or is a persistent nuisance, and ordinary living noise is just annoying. Limits are checked by a technician with a measuring device, though police can report shouting or parties they witness without measuring. Read Legal noise limits in Spain and who sets them, and How much noise is normal in Spanish flats, and when?

Do police need to measure the noise before reporting it?

No, police do not always need to measure, because they can report noise they hear themselves, such as shouting, music or parties. Many forces can also measure with a sonometer, a noise meter. Read Calling the local police (Policía Local) about noise, and Legal noise limits in Spain and who sets them.

Do night quiet hours start at the same time in every city?

No, night hours run from 23:00 to 7:00 in most cities, but some use different bands, such as evening periods or other start times. Check your own town hall's rules. Read Legal noise limits in Spain and who sets them, and Summer nights, open windows and patio noise: what to expect.