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B1French·20 cards

Dealing with Noisy Neighbours in France

Knock on a noisy neighbour's door, explain the problem calmly and escalate step by step if it keeps happening.

Noise at night, commonly understood as 10 pm to 7 am, counts as tapage nocturne and can earn the offender a fine, and repeated or intense daytime noise can be penalised too. The usual French path is to talk to the neighbour first, then write, then involve the syndic or the landlord, and finally send a lettre recommandée (registered letter) or go to a free conciliateur de justice before calling the police. With a neighbour you don't know well, stick to vous and polite conditional requests like « vous pourriez ».

Courier wearing a backpack delivering food to an apartment door indoors.
Photo: MART PRODUCTION on Pexels
  1. 1

    Excusez-moi de vous déranger si tard.

    Sorry to bother you so late.

  2. 2

    J'habite juste en dessous.

    I live just below you.

  3. 3

    La musique est vraiment forte.

    The music is really loud.

  4. 4

    Vous pourriez baisser un peu ?

    Could you turn it down a bit?

  5. 5

    Il est plus de minuit.

    It's gone midnight.

  6. 6

    Je dois me lever tôt demain.

    I have to get up early tomorrow.

  7. 7

    J'entends tout à travers le plafond.

    I can hear everything through the ceiling.

  8. 8

    Ça dure depuis des semaines.

    It's been going on for weeks.

  9. 9

    Tous les week-ends, c'est la même chose.

    Every weekend, it's the same thing.

  10. 10

    Je ne me rendais pas compte que c'était si fort.

    I didn't realise it was so loud.

  11. 11

    On va faire attention.

    We'll be more careful.

  12. 12

    Vous pourriez me prévenir la prochaine fois que vous faites une fête ?

    Could you let me know next time you have a party?

  13. 13

    Vous pourriez mettre des patins sous les chaises ?

    Could you put felt pads under the chairs?

    Tip: Little pads that stop scraping.

  14. 14

    Le bruit des talons, la nuit, c'est très gênant.

    The sound of heels at night is really disturbing.

  15. 15

    Votre machine à laver tourne à 23 h.

    Your washing machine runs at 11 pm.

  16. 16

    Après 22 h, c'est du tapage nocturne.

    After 10 pm, it counts as a night-time disturbance.

  17. 17

    Je ne veux pas appeler la police.

    I don't want to call the police.

  18. 18

    Je vais contacter le syndic.

    I'm going to contact the managing agent.

    Tip: The firm that manages the building.

  19. 19

    Je vais envoyer une lettre recommandée.

    I'm going to send a registered letter.

  20. 20

    Merci de votre compréhension.

    Thank you for your understanding.