Neighbourhood disturbances

What disturbances do you not have to accept?

When living in an apartment building, some noise and disturbances from neighbors are to be expected. However, you do not have to accept disturbances that seriously worsen the living environment or negatively affect your health. In severe cases, such disturbances may lead to the loss of the housing right.

When assessing whether a disturbance is unacceptable, factors such as how loud it is, how often it occurs, and the time of day are considered. The general principle is that residents should be able to live a normal everyday life in their homes. Special consideration is usually not given to people who work night shifts or who are particularly sensitive to noise.

Disturbances may include loud music, loud conversations, shouting, banging, or knocking on walls and floors. Other types of disturbances can include strong or unpleasant odors in stairwells, threatening behavior toward neighbors, littering outside an apartment, or other behavior that is disturbing or frightening.

What can you do if you are disturbed?

If you feel disturbed by a neighbor, it is often best to first try to talk to the person causing the disturbance and explain how it affects you. In many cases, the problem can be resolved this way.

If the disturbances continue, you can submit a complaint to the housing association’s board. The board will then assess whether the situation qualifies as a disturbance under the law. If the board determines that it does, they are required to take action to stop the disturbance.

If the problems still continue, the association must send a written notice, by registered mail, to the person causing the disturbance. At the same time, the local social services authority must be informed. For such a notice to be legally valid, certain formal requirements must be met. For this reason, it is often recommended that the board seek assistance from HSB Stockholm’s property management, who can help handle the matter correctly.