Legal Situation regarding singing, playing & recording in apartments

[Curve Dominant]

Check your local zoning ordinances. They will prolly have hours/days listed when noise is tolerated.

[bigbone]

I know that neighbours got more patience when they hear peoples sing or play piano
than if you play drums.........

[patrox247]

You can get shut down even if you live in an area where zoning permits noise. The basic jist of most public disurbance laws go something like this.....
If you are making excessive noise and it bothers a neighbor (regardless of the time), you have to stop. Usually you'll get a couple of warnings,followed by a fine,followed by possible jail time. Band rehearsal in an apartment just isn't reasonable, and is very disrespectfull to those around you.

[joelpatterson]

Of course, police in New York wouldn't bother with those formalities--they'd just shoot you.

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

Of course, police in New York wouldn't bother with those formalities--they'd just shoot you.

lol

[Gregg Sartiano]

Originally Posted by patrox247

You can get shut down even if you live in an area where zoning permits noise. The basic jist of most public disurbance laws go something like this.....
If you are making excessive noise and it bothers a neighbor (regardless of the time), you have to stop. Usually you'll get a couple of warnings,followed by a fine,followed by possible jail time.

None of this applies to the family downstairs with the screaming baby who wakes up crying at 7 AM sharp every morning...

[Chrizcol]

Get into an EXTRA LARGE potato sack filled with foam and practice that way. No noise = No problem.

[MattiMattMatt]

Originally Posted by brisvegas

Hey guys,
I'm thinking about giving up my rehearsal space to move into a bigger apartment (in NY). My question is, how is the legal situation regarding singing, recording, playing guitar in apartments?

In NYC, look for a "pre-war" building, as they're called, which tend to have thicker walls and better sound isolation between apartments. Also, generally speaking, you may have more music-tolerance in some neighborhoods over others.