Ongoing construction in urban areas often involves the persistent sounds of industrial equipment – even jackhammers.

It’s not unusual to find new apartments being built near existing ones. Then there’s the potential for noise coming from the residents in the form of online reviews.

“It’s best to get ahead of the negative by keeping residents in the loop,” says Lia Nichole Smith, Vice President, Education and Performance, SatisFacts Research and ApartmentRatings.com.

“This could be something as simple as a weekly update or even asking the developers to meet with the residents in a town-hall style format. To address negative reviews, teams will be able to incorporate these efforts into a response. Most residents want to know what is being done and that the management team is on top of things.”

Here’s a generic onsite staff response:

“While it’s great to see all of the new homes and businesses developing in our area, construction noise outside of our community can be a bit distracting. Construction work is only allowed to take place (state days/times here) and we will report any violation of this policy to (state authority here) should they occur. Please be on the lookout for our weekly community e-blast which contains construction updates.”

Smith recommends not apologizing for the negative experience because the community has no control over the issue.

Resident Poll: May 2019

Q: Would construction noise around a community impact your decision to lease at that community? (485 respondents)

• Yes 72.9% 
• No 27.1%

Q: How long would you be willing to cope with construction noise around your community? (140 respondents)

• Less than 6 months: 80%
• Up to 1 year: 10%
• No more than 2 years: 10%

Source: Satisfacts