Annoyed by all the complaints about air traffic over your rental property? Well, you can’t blame them – locations closer to the airport are bound to get all the maddening noise when airplanes fly over during a take-off or while approaching for a safe landing.
Is there anything you can do to save yourself and your tenants from the noise pollution and its adverse health effects?
Honestly, it won’t be easy, but YES you can!
Can Your HOA Help?
In 2019, some HOAs managed to join hands and synergize their efforts so that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would make changes to their flight patterns. Thanks to their efforts, you will find that a Noise Abatement Law exists and that the Environmental Protection Agency takes these things very seriously on account of how noise pollution affects public health.
The real challenge, however, is to get enough residents to rock their boat and, finally, get your local airport to make appropriate changes to muffle the noise.
A Step-By-Step Breakdown
- Contact Your Local Airport
According to the FAA, landlords or the HOA should first submit a complaint to their local airport to address their noise pollution concerns. This can be done via a hotline that connects you to staff or a manager that overlooks the respective airport’s ‘noise management program’.
Typically, it could take a couple of weeks before your complaint is addressed because the staff responsible will draw-up a report that summarizes:
- Aircraft operations and the runway relative to your rental property.
- The altitude of aircrafts over your property.
- Meteorological data
- Send An Email to the FAA
If your local airport fails to take your concerns seriously, you can always contact the FAA directly by sending them an email. Once your email is directed to their ‘Aviation Noise Ombudsman’, they will start investigating your complaint without any bias.
You can also always call the FAA via their hotline, however, they recommend emails as the most effective way of providing your details, which includes:
- Name
- Address
- StateYo
- Zip Code
- Approximate timings of noise disturbances
- A description of the type of aircraft
- Whether departure or arrival flights are the source of the problem
- The local airport
- How often these disturbances occur
- Who you contacted at the local airport (with proof of contact)
- Involve Other City Officials and HOAs
If your HOA agrees with your complaints, there is a huge possibility that most of the surrounding communities are also affected by the noise, If this is the case, your next move will be to establish a noise abatement committee. The only purpose of this committee would be to schedule meetings with the concerned HOAs and authorities and to advertise their goals throughout the neighborhood.
In doing so, you will be able to bring countless other landlords, tenants and homeowners onboard, possibly to sign a petition against noise abatement in your neighborhood.
- Have a Contingency: Soundproofing
Even if all of your efforts fail, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. There are numerous soundproofing strategies that could help your tenants feel at peace in their abode. Some of these strategies may involve expensive constructions whereas others are inexpensive hacks, for instance:
- Install soundproof doors and windows: These heavy-duty materials are designed to block-out all sounds from the outside world, however, they can be a tad bit expensive.
- Install drywall panels and fiberglass insulation: Adding more mass to the outer walls of your rental property can help absorb most of the sound. The same can be said for heavy curtains, and soft carpets.
- Seal gaps: You can easily find inexpensive door seals/sweeps or acoustical sealants to keep sound at bay.
