Entitled neighbor demands resident relocate their new AC unit due to noise, resident refuses and hires certified technician to prove it's up to code: ‘I consider the matter closed’

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Aug 3, 2026 11:15 AM EDT

Who here hasn't found themselves desperate to complain about something their neighbor is doing, even though they know they have every right to do it?

If your neighbor decides to buy their teenager a drum kit one day and let him play it during permitted hours, as annoying as it might be, there isn't anything you can do to stop them. It is completely within their right to buy a drum kit and play it, even though it is known to be a disturbance to other people. You can ask them nicely to soundproof the room or get those noise-isolating headphones, but as long as they are not breaking any rules, they don't have to agree.

Still, people should try to be as neighborly as possible and ensure everyone who lives around them is happy and content with the living environment. If you know your neighbor has a newborn, you can be a decent human being and not play loud music throughout the day, and if something they do bothers you, you can take the civilized route and simply talk to them about it.

None of that was applied in the neighborly dispute below, which is why no one in the building is happy with their neighbors. It all started when one entitled resident completely disregarded her neighbors' comfort with every single action she took around her home. Constant renovations, security cameras facing neighbors' doors, and nonstop noise complaints were just the tip of the iceberg. No one was happy living next to this person.

It was when she started complaining about one of the residents' AC units that they really had enough. She never bothered to ask them about any of the disturbances she caused, but suddenly thinks she is entitled to demand they make changes in their home based on her convenience? Not going to happen.

Since the resident knows they did everything according to the law, they also know this entitled neighbor can't demand anything of them. Should they still comply? Only the rest of the story will tell…

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  • AC technician checking unit.
    via Getty Images

    AC technician checking unit.

    Subject is a model.

  • Am I within my rights to refuse a neighbor’s unreasonable demands?

    I own an apartment in a small building, in a small country in Europe. The neighbor owns a ground-floor duplex and
    via Assi6
  • some of that area is directly underneath my living room and small bathroom. She has been carrying out continuous renovations on her unit ever since the
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  • building was built, so for 6 years now. Some additional info: - She has installed security cameras outside her door
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  • that point directly at the main entrance and garage area without asking for or receiving consent from me (relevant to my issue below).
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  • - While my apartment was vacant, she took it upon herself to authorize other neighbors to park in my private garage without my knowledge or consent.
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  • - She constantly complains if anyone leaves a bathroom exhaust fan running for more than 10 minutes.
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  • - She keeps claiming she moved here for "quiet and fresh air", which is ironic on two counts. First, we live in the capital city and her primary home is in a much
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  • noisier neighborhood and she barely stays here anyway. Second, the neighbors sharing a wall with her regularly smoke ciga ttes and w d, yet she has zero issues with that.
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  • Last summer, we installed an air conditioner in the living room. The outdoor compressor unit was placed on my private balcony. This
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  • immediately triggered aggressive reactions from the neighbor across me and this one.
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  • That neighbor went nuts and invaded my apartment to dictate where the condensation drain pipe should drain.
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  • Apparently, I should have asked for permission from the other owners in the building before installing the AC.
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  • AC units attached to a brick building.
    via Nikita Fursenko

    AC units attached to a brick building.

  • However, no one has asked ME for permission if I am fine with either of the shenanigans she or the others are putting.
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  • This summer, she escalated matters, claiming the compressor makes a "humming/booming" noise that forces her son to wear headphones all day in his
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  • bedroom (located adjacent to her balcony). She is demanding that I move the compressor to the opposite side of my balcony.
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  • However, that is not possible because moving the unit is technically impractical. The indoor unit cannot fit on the opposite interior wall and if it is moved, it will be positioned
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  • weirdly in the middle of nowhere, and on top of that, it will blow air directly onto my sofa. Her dismissive response was that this is not a problem and I should "just point the vanes upward". So,
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  • apparently, I have to sacrifice my comfort for hers? During the installation, we used proper anti-vibration rubber mounts to dampen sound transmission. The AC
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  • unit itself is modern and operates quietly. Despite these facts, she insists that I relocate the unit.
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  • I intend to hire a certified technician with an official sound level meter to measure the decibel levels of the AC unit during both day and night. If the
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  • measurements comply with municipal noise regulations, I consider the matter closed.
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  • So, my question is, am I obligated to take any further action or move the unit if decibel levels comply with official noise regulations?
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  • QueenOfPhiladelphia Under zero obligations if it was installed to code.
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  • Vandreeson If it's all legal, do nothing. Her complaints aren't your problem. If she has a problem with your legal setup tell her to call the police.
    via Assi6
  • Traditional Basis4518 Time to get a drum kit and take up Clogging.
    via Assi6

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neighbors house neighborhood summer ac resident air conditioning home entitled people
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