My husband and I just moved into our new apartment, which happens to be above a pizza shop. (Well why we moved into this apartment is maybe another story, because it was so difficult to find an apartment here...) The shop closes every day around 10:30, which is fine with us. But every day starting from around 11 a cleaning lady comes and does not finish the cleaning for the pizza shop until 1 or 2 o´clock in the morning. It was very loud... and we weren´t be able to fall asleep until she finishes...

We tried to talk to the owner of the shop, but he seems to be angry and says that we need to move to a quieter neighbourhood. I felt very sad... I asked him if it is possible that the lady comes a litter earlier and finishes her work before midnight and he said he would try. But it´s still the same... The noise was even louder yesterday. Maybe she was angry that I complained... I don´t know.

I really don´t know what to do... Do I have a right to ask for quietness after midnight even if I live above a pizza shop?

HELP!

If the flat is rented then you need to do two things: join the tenants association (sorry I can't remember what it is called despite seeing it mentioned countless times on other threads) and get info. from them and also contact the owner or the person who let you the flat, probably in that order.

Agree with @Nixi.

@jojojiaying: As you are based in Lausanne, the Tenants Association details applicable to you is this - http://www.asloca.ch/qui-sommes-nous

Best of luck and hope the problem gets resolved satisfactorily and soon!

Thanks Nixi and Isha! I´ll see if I can talk to the owner of the apartment and if there´s nothing he can do, then I´ll contact AsLoca... Kinda feeling frustrated that there´s endless things like this to deal with in Switzerland

I'm not 100% sure, but i'm fairly certain there is a law forbidding noise over a certain dB after 10pm, or 12am or something... I can't find the law on google, but look into it. Might only be for residential areas...

However, on the Home Owners Association website it states it's a localized issue, and if problems persist after discussion with the neighbour, the police may be called to take action. Drastic I know, but if it were the other way round i can guarantee the shop-owner would have no hesitation at calling the police on you if you make too much noise!!

The town where you live has a Polizeiverordnung, ask at the police station what it is. 'Polizeistunden' are still valid in CH and any noise after 22.00 Uhr until 06.00 generally needs a permit. Also lunchtimes are protected 'Ruhestunden' - if you have any trouble just call the police.

I have a hobby room under my head where I sleep.It was rented by a person who made furniture and used an electric wood cutter. We reported him and eventually got him out. But it was a battle.

Did you get in touch with the other tenants in the building?
Are they also bothered by the noise?

Not sure that the OP will have that much luck, knowing when they moved in that there is a pizza place in the building. A certain amount of noise is to be expected. It's a little like moving next to the airport and then complaining about airplane noise....

Well yes. But they did not have the hobby room under their head and were unaffected.
We contacted the owner. But it took a while to get action!

Yes. But there are noise regulations also for the airport

finding a new job is easier than finding a decent apartment to live in Swiss :-( I am looking out for one and havent received a positive response on any of the 14 applications I have submitted so far.

On the link below you will see that the normal rules do not appear to apply to "hospitality" facilities like restaurants, etc. It would appear that there are guidelines, however these are applied differently from case to case and that there are no hard and fast rules.

http://www.baizer.ch/aktuell/index.cfm?rID=1660

So that is when restaurants should close down? It all depends on the zoning for the building and if there is a pizza place in the building then it is obviously a mix of commercial and residential. The same quiet rules do not apply for restaurants as you will see in the link I posted above.

Well we are the only ones who live directly above the restaurant... I don´t think the others can hear their noise... But anyways it bothers us. I´ve been using ear plugs and we´ve been looking for another apt. Apparently there´s little else to be done. But thanks anyway!

It´s true. We also applied for as many and the current apt was the only one we could get, though we weren´t quite satisfied with it...

What time do they start in the morning for preparation, etc? If they do not turn up until say 10am- perhaps you could ask to change the cleaning time to 8-10? Fact is, they have by law to keep premises clean, so cleaning has to be done after or before closing hours (including preparation time). Sadly for you, there is such a shortage of accommodation in that area that the reply from the owners is likely to be 'if you don't like it, we have a queue waiting'... Tough for you, unfortunately. Bonne chance.

Thanks Odile! I asked them if the cleaning lady could come in the morning before they open (around 11 a.m.). But they said that the cleaning lady works in the morning somewhere else and so she could only come at night... Any also when I asked the restaurant very politely if they could keep the noise down a little bit, one guy shouted at me, saying that "if you´re not satisfied, look for elsewhere", as if they owned the place. I´m done talking to such uneducated and selfish people...

You call the police at 22:01 and complain about the noise. You don't wait until midnight, you call them every night, they have to be quiet after 10 pm.

I agree, you tried to communicate friendly but no success. You have either two options:

• You call the police to settle the matter right
• You move away from that flat. I know how hard it is to find a flat in Lausanne