Who Should You Call for Noise Complaints in Vancouver?

Noise is one of the most common complaints in Vancouver condos and apartment buildings, but many residents aren’t sure who to call when they need to make a noise complaint. Calling the wrong person can delay the response, and calling 911 for nonemergencies can unnecessarily clog emergency services.

If you’re a Vancouver resident, this blog will help point you in the right direction. We’ll cover who handles different types of noise complaints, what happens when your building’s residential security team responds, what to do if the noise keeps happening, and how property managers can reduce complaints.

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Key Takeaways

• The right person to call depends on the type of noise, where it’s coming from, and the time of day.
• In buildings with on-site or mobile security, security guards are often the fastest first response to after-hours noise.
• Property managers, strata councils, or condo boards usually handle ongoing noise problems.
• You should only call 911 when the noise suggests someone may be in danger.

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Start by Identifying the Type of Noise

Before you pick up the phone, figuring out a few details will tell you who to call:

• Source
  
  • The source of the noise could be a neighbouring unit, a common area or amenity room, construction, a business, or people on the street.
• Timing
  
  • Such as during the day or within the building’s quiet hours.
• Frequency
  
  • Is this a one-time situation or an ongoing pattern?
• Safety
  
  • Is the noise ordinary, or is it a fight or someone in distress?

These factors will help you direct your call to the party best equipped to help as quickly as possible. Once you’ve determined where the noise is coming from and whether the noise suggests someone is in immediate danger, you can make your call to one of the parties in the following section.

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Who to Call for Each Type of Noise Complaint

Here’s who typically handles each noise complaint situation, depending on the type of residence you live in and the noise you’re hearing:

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Building Security or Concierge

If you live in a condominium with a residential or concierge security team, they can help you fastest with issues like:

• After-hours noise from units.
• Parties in amenity rooms.
• Gatherings in hallways or the parkade.

Guards can respond right away and document the incident.

How to contact: Call or visit your building's security or concierge desk. If your building uses a mobile patrol security guard, call the security company’s dispatch number, which is usually posted in the lobby or included in resident materials. The nearest patrol guard will be sent to your building to address the issue.

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Property Manager, Strata Council, or Condo Board

If the noise is an ongoing problem, your property manager, strata council, or condo board is the right contact. This includes issues like:

• Repeat noise from the same unit.
• Breaking quiet hours or building rules.
• Complaints that may lead to warnings or fines.

How to contact: Send a written complaint by email, letter, or your building’s resident portal. Include the dates, times, unit number (if known), and type of noise. Written complaints create a record that building management teams can act on.

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Landlord

If you rent your home, your landlord is responsible for addressing noise complaints and can help with issues like:

• Noise from another rental unit.
• Repeated disturbances from neighbours.
• Problems that continue after you’ve spoken with the neighbour.

Your landlord can address the issue directly with the tenant causing the noise.

How to contact: Contact your landlord in writing by email, letter, or text, and keep a copy for your records.

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City Bylaw Services

If the noise is coming from outside your building, the City of Vancouver can help with issues like:

• Construction outside permitted hours.
• Noise from businesses.
• Barking dogs.
• Loud vehicles or equipment.

Under Vancouver’s Noise Control By-Law, construction on private property is allowed from 7:30AM to 8PM on weekdays and 10AM to 8PM on Saturdays. It isn’t permitted on Sundays or holidays unless the builder has a noise exception permit. Barking dogs fall under the city’s Animal Control By-law.

How to contact: Call 3-1-1 (or 604-873-7000 from outside Vancouver) between 7AM and 7PM on weekdays and 8AM to 5PM on weekends and holidays. You can also submit a report online or through the Van311 app 24/7.

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Police Non-Emergency Line

If there’s no building security and the noise won’t stop, the Vancouver Police Department’s non-emergency line can help with issues like:

• Loud parties late at night.
• People who refuse to keep the noise down.
• Disturbances in public spaces.

E-Comm, which answers 911 calls in Metro Vancouver, recommends calling city services during business hours and the police non-emergency line after hours for noise complaints.

How to contact: Call the VPD non-emergency line at 604-717-3321.

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911

If the noise suggests someone may be in danger, call 911 for situations like:

• Screaming or calls for help.
• Sounds of fighting.
• Breaking glass.

Only call 911 for emergencies where someone’s safety is at risk. A noisy neighbour, even late at night, isn’t a reason to call 911 and can tie up lines for people who need urgent help.

How to contact: Call 911 and tell the dispatcher what you’re hearing and where it’s coming from.

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How Residential Security Guards Respond to Noise Complaint Calls

When a resident reports noise, security guards follow a process to resolve the issue. They:

• Go to the source and confirm the noise.
• Knock, introduce themselves, and calmly ask the occupants to reduce the noise.
• Use de-escalation tactics if the person they’re speaking to becomes upset.
• Write an incident report and share it with property management.

If the noise continues, the guard will return to the unit and repeat the request for quiet. They may escalate the situation to the building’s management team or police, if necessary.

We covered the complete process in our previous blog, How Residential Security Guards Respond to Noise Complaints.

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What to Do If the Noise Keeps Happening

When a single call doesn’t fix the problem, a paper trail can help you escalate the issue to your strata council and further, if necessary. This includes:

• Keeping a log of the dates, times, the type of noise, and how long it lasted.
• Asking for incident reports from security guards, which can help back up your complaint.
• Submitting a written complaint to your strata council, strata manager, property manager, or landlord.

Under BC’s Strata Property Act, the strata council must give the resident responsible for the noise written details of the complaint and a chance to respond (including a hearing if they ask for one) before issuing a fine.

If your strata doesn’t resolve the issue, owners and tenants can bring the dispute to BC’s Civil Resolution Tribunal. Renters can contact the Residential Tenancy Branch about ongoing noise disturbances, since BC’s Residential Tenancy Act protects a tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment.

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How Property Managers Can Reduce Noise Complaints

If you’re a property manager looking to improve the resident experience at your property, here are a few proactive steps you can take to keep noise from becoming a recurring problem:

• Share building quiet hours with residents or post them on a bulletin in a public area.
  
  • Most BC stratas already have a noise bylaw under BC’s Standard Bylaws, but making them readily accessible to residents can be a helpful reminder.
• Add time limits and guest count caps for amenity rooms and rooftop spaces.
• Use on-site residential security or mobile patrol security coverage on Friday and Saturday nights to help ensure residents follow building rules.
• Track incidents digitally, and analyze reports for patterns like repeat units or problem times. Detailed reports give strata councils the written records they need to enforce bylaws fairly.
  
  • At Blackbird Security, our residential security guards use TrackTik for all reporting. Clients can access their property’s reports in real time through our TrackTik partner portal.

Security guards trained in customer service and de-escalation can further elevate the resident experience by ensuring everyone feels heard, rather than policed.

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Partner With Canada’s Most Trusted Residential Security Company

With years of experience providing residential and concierge security services for strata, apartment buildings, and condominiums across Vancouver and throughout Canada, we’re proud to keep residential communities safe and comfortable for everyone. 

Our residential security guards are trained in customer service, de-escalation, and report writing through Blackbird Academy, our in-house training program, so they can resolve noise complaints calmly and keep clear records for property managers and strata councils. Our residential clients can access detailed incident reports in real time through our TrackTik portal, and each client has a dedicated point of contact.

Contact us to learn how our team can support your residential building in Vancouver.

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FAQs

Who do I call for a noise complaint at night?

If your building has security or a concierge, contact them first. If it doesn’t, call the Vancouver Police Department’s non-emergency line at 604-717-3321. Only call 911 if the noise suggests someone may be in danger.

Can security guards handle noise complaints?

Yes. Residential security guards can go to the source of the noise, ask the occupants to keep it down, and write an incident report for property management. Guards can’t issue fines or enter units, but their reports help strata councils enforce noise bylaws.

Should I call the police for a noise complaint?

Call the VPD non-emergency line if there’s no building security and the noise won’t stop, especially late at night. Save 911 for emergencies, like sounds of fighting or someone calling for help.

What can I do if my neighbour’s noise keeps happening?

Keep a log of dates, times, and the type of noise, then send a written complaint to your strata council, property manager, or landlord. If the issue isn’t resolved, strata residents can bring the dispute to BC’s Civil Resolution Tribunal, and renters can contact the Residential Tenancy Branch.

What are typical quiet hours in a condo?

Quiet hours depend on each building’s strata bylaws or rules, so they vary by building. Overnight hours, like 10PM to 7AM, are common, but check your bylaws or ask your property manager to confirm.