Good Neighbors Avoid These Three Things

What makes a good neighbor? Does she come over every day to talk and share the news? Does she loan you her tools or, better yet, fix that leaky faucet herself? Does she always invite you to game night or know that you’d rather be left alone entirely?

We all have a different idea of makes a good neighbor, with hundreds of qualifiers. It’s much easier to identify a bad neighbor—those who get on our nerves by acting inconsiderately or rudely. If you’re worried about earning that label, here are some universal bad neighbor behaviors to quit.

Making a Ruckus

Any college student who has fought to sleep while the party of all parties going on next door—oblivious to the midterm exam scheduled for 8 a.m.—knows the curse of a rowdy neighbor. Be it a game night, operatic singing, or even just watching a movie with the volume too high, thoughtless noise pollution in an apartment complex is a quick path to angry confrontations and complaints to management. So do whatever you can to keep it down. When noise is unavoidable—such as music rehearsal or a crying baby—reach out to neighbors to give them some heads up. A little warning and acknowledgment will go a long way.

Overstepping Boundaries

We all come with different levels of comfort when social interaction is concerned. Especially during quarantine, people can be quickly put off by uninvited interruptions in their personal space. Borrowing a cup of sugar is one thing; constantly dropping in to borrow a vacuum or hairdryer is another. That being said, it’s more than fine to drop off a note or greeting card to introduce yourself and invite your neighbors to make a connection if they would like to.

Breaking the Rules

At Beachwood, we ask all our residents who have pets to clean up after them . Not doing so puts you in the fast lane to social ostracization. Wherever you live, know the community guidelines and keep them. After all, how would you feel if someone was parked in your spot?

If you want to be a good neighbor, start by making sure you aren’t a bad one. Keep the noise down, respect boundaries, and obey the rules. That will set you on the right path to becoming the neighbor everyone wants to live by!