Noise comes in all forms:loud music, horns, sirens, cars and even your voice. Next to discarded trash, noise is the one thing that can cause the most difficulty with neighbors.

Seattle has several noise ordinances which restrict noise between 10:00pm-7:00am on weekdays and 11:00pm-7:00am on Friday and Saturday nights. If the noise associated with your residence can be heard from 75 feet away, you could be looking at a citation.

Citations range from $250-$500. If your residence receives more than one citation, your landlord can be contacted and upon the third citation, the landlord can evict you or face abatement actions by the city. This means the landlord could lose the property or be prevented from renting. Don't get kicked out of your house because of noise!

In addition, the Student Conduct Code gives the University of Washington to also take disciplinary action when it is made aware of citations received by students living in the North of 45th neighborhood. WAC 478-120-025

Tips for Avoiding Noise Citations

• Get to know your neighbors. Do they have children or work early in the morning? Make it ok for them to ask you to quiet down rather than calling the police.
• Tell them if you are going to have a party and give them your phone number.
• Make sure that it is ok to have a party and decide on a time that the party is going to end that is reasonable for everyone.
• If the police show up, be respectful and turn down the music.