Many Russian citizens are familiar with the situations that often accompany repairs carried out in city apartments: you need to drill in your free time, that is, on weekends, and residents of neighboring apartments do not just complain and resent, but also scandal and threaten with fines. Is it really impossible to drill at weekends? Can I get legal penalties for breaking silence on weekdays and weekends? Read about this in our article.
Federal Law on Silence in 2019
Not all citizens of the Russian state know that currently the current legislation of the Russian Federation provides for the regulation of violations related to the peace of Russians. All the frameworks of “noisy” actions are established at the federal level. That is, the authorities of large cities adopt laws on the regulation of the regime of silence, which operate at the local level.
So, in 2017, updates to such a law came into force:
- noise level from 7.00 to 23.00 should be no more than 40 dBA;
- noise limit at night (23.00. 7.00). up to 30 dBA.
Such restrictions are introduced specifically so that residents of apartment buildings have the opportunity to protect themselves from noise harmful to themselves. This applies to visitors to medical institutions, schools, kindergartens.
details about all the nuances and limitations of the law on peace and quiet can be found in the pivot table, by clicking on the link http://pravpotrebitel.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/tishina9.jpg. This chart contains all the relevant data for the regions of our state (from the Republic of Adygea to Moscow and St. Petersburg. only 20 items).
“Noisy” actions prohibited by law in 2019
Russian law clearly limits the time when it is impossible to violate the permissible limits of the noise level:
- on weekdays from 22.00 to 8.00;
- during the siesta (in the "quiet hour" of daytime rest) from 13.00 to 15.00;
- on weekends and holidays from 23.00 to 12.00.
Repair is strictly prohibited on weekdays from 20.00 until the morning.
The law considers the “noisy" actions:
- loudly turned on radio, TV, musical instruments;
- playing musical instruments (trumpet, Fortepiano, piano, drums, violin, etc.);
- pyrotechnic works (including on holidays, except New Year holidays);
- unloading and loading operations during the move (including furniture relocation);
- screaming with scandal, singing, whistling, loud speech;
- all types of repair work (including, it is impossible at this time, defined by the legal framework, to drill walls and ceilings).
In case of violation of the peace of Russian citizens, the violator can be punished in a completely legal way.
Where to go about non-compliance with the silence law
If you yourself find yourself in a situation where your neighbors disturb your peace by “noisy” actions at the wrong time, write a complaint about them (of course, after preliminary peace talks). You can file a similar complaint with the local administrative court, which, after considering it, will make its decision.
Before the trial, it is advisable to contact the local police department, that is, to your local police station and Rospotrebnadzor. Also, the sanitary-epidemiological service measures the noise level in the room, officially fixes this in the necessary documents (acts) that are provided by the victim to the judicial authorities.
Video: Can I Work with a Hammer on the Weekend
How noise is measured during repair work
The amount of noise produced during construction and restoration work is determined by special instruments. sound level meters, since it is measured in acoustic decibels (dBA). This unit of measurement is a physical quantity that shows the level of sound pressure on the human ear.
The sound level meter works on the principle of a conventional microphone, but a voltmeter is also connected to it, on which the scale of marks is indicated in acoustic decibels, so that you can determine the noise level in the desired units. Its principle of action is based on the work of such a human organ as the ear. That is, this device captures not only the frequency of sound noise, but also its intensity. Also, several filters are built into the sound level meter, which imitate the mechanism of the human ear. Two such filters are currently used:
- A. creates the effect of the middle ear, that is, it catches the range of low noise levels;
- B. effectively responds to loud noise (including drilling-pounding type actions).
Thus, this device acts on peak levels and evaluates them in an average mode. All sound level meters that are designed to measure noise in our country are produced in accordance with officially approved standards. GOST 17187-81. Of course, measurements made by devices of this type depend on the purpose of the measurements and on the conditions in which they are carried out (in an empty room, the echo effect may affect the noise level).
Sanitary and epidemiological station carries out appropriate measurements of the noise level, in the case of a written complaint from a Russian citizen:
- Employees with a sound level meter visit the plaintiff on weekends precisely during the period of time specified in the legislative documents.
- Measure the noise level in the plaintiff’s apartment.
- Record data on official procedures and results in the relevant documents (acts of a survey of living conditions).
- Go to visit the intruder.
- The noise level in the intruder’s apartment is measured during his repair work (that is, when he begins to drill, knock, etc.).
- Record all measurement results in the compiled act.
You, having the relevant document in your hands with official data on the violation of the quiet regime and your peace, feel free to go to court to punish the offender.
Penalties for breaking silence
If you decide to drill the wall on weekends after 23.00, please note that neighbors can contact the relevant state authorities with a statement on you. Penalties for individuals have a step system, that is, a monetary penalty for each subsequent violation of the silence law will be higher:
- for the first time. from 1000 rubles to 3 thousand rubles (depending on the severity of the moral damage suffered by the victims);
- the second time. 4000 rubles;
- the third time. 5 thousand rubles.
Such fines are provided not only for individual citizens, but also for officials and legal entities. An official can be paid from 5 thousand rubles (for the initial violation of the silence regime), up to 50 thousand rubles (for the third and subsequent times). But for legal entities (companies, firms, enterprises) in case of non-compliance with the framework of this Federal Law, you can immediately prepare a sum of 20 thousand rubles (minimum penalty for the first time violation) up to 150 thousand rubles (maximum monetary penalty).
The listed penalties do not apply in a number of cases, which are also stipulated by law:
- During religious events.
- In the prevention of various criminal and unlawful acts.
- During emergencies and emergency response.
That is, during an emergency (earthquakes, floods, etc.) you can drill even on weekends.
How to avoid penalties for disturbing neighbors
If you still decide to start repair work on the weekend, and are afraid to receive a monetary penalty for your actions, do not worry, there is a way out. Experts suggest that you can agree on a good deal with your neighbors, and then take written permission from them to carry out repairs in your apartment on the weekend. Just do not forget to register in it all types of “noisy” work that you will perform (for example, hammer, drill, etc.), as well as indicate the exact time of their implementation (from 8.00 to 23.00). If you have such a document, you can safely begin repair work on the improvement of the living space in which you or your relatives live.
Expert Advice
In order not to cause any misunderstandings between you and the residents of neighboring apartments, remember some of the nuances that accompany any repair work. So, during any noisy activities, you just need to take a break every six hours (both you and your neighbors take a short “quiet” break). The duration of any continuous repair should be about three months (in the case of a protracted "long-playing" option, there will be a need to be interrupted for a month, after which it will be possible again to engage in a "noisy" arrangement of your home).