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Noise pollution in the private sector Notlagen und Opferhilfen Recht und Verbraucherschutz

Do you feel annoyed by noise in your private sphere? Find out about the legal provisions and what you can do about it.

  • Basic information

    The subject area of noise regularly proves to be complex because each of us perceives noise differently. Noises that one person considers to be acceptable may be perceived as unacceptable by the next person. Whether you evaluate sounds as noise depends not only on your personal perception but also on what information you have about the source or cause of the sounds.

    Please note that noises from children playing are part of everyday life and do not constitute noise pollution.

    Department 10 - General Regulatory Affairs - only provides information and advice in this area.

    Notes on night-time and so-called midday rest

    The night (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) is considered to be particularly sensitive to noise, which is why the noise level during this period should be lower than during the day. This also applies to Sundays and public holidays. On the other hand, the midday quiet period - which is often assumed to occur between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. - does not exist under federal law. If your lease or house rules stipulate a midday rest period under private law, please contact your property management company or the person renting the property if you have any questions or have any violations.

    Legal rest periods for garden equipment and machinery

    Please note that certain devices and machines are subject to a legal rest period according to § 4 BremImSchG. You can find the details under "Further notes" in the "Procedures" tab."

    The operating regulations do not apply in commercial and industrial areas.

  • Procedure

    In the case of noise from the neighborhood, you should first speak directly with the person causing the noise, and if necessary also with other affected neighbors. If a compromise could not be reached through the conversation and if it is an unacceptable disturbance of your peace, it may be necessary to involve the competent authority.

    To report acute noise pollution, please contact the public order service during the day:

    • Phone +49 421 361 12340

    or at night to the central police call center:

    • Phone +49 421 3620

    The public order service or the police will then check on site whether the noise is causing a significant nuisance to the general public or the neighborhood and, if necessary, take action.

    The punishment of an administrative offense requires concrete information about the type and extent, the location, the time period (noise protocol) and the cause (polluter) of the noise.

    More information

    Statutory rest periods for garden equipment and machines

    • Motor-driven equipment and machinery, such as lawn mowers, lawn trimmers/lawn edge trimmers, scarifiers, hedge trimmers, shredders/shredders, compressors and high-pressure water jet machines, and hand-held lawn mowers, may be operated from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays (Monday through Saturday).

    Notice:

    The devices and machines mentioned are not an exhaustive list. If the devices and machines are used commercially, they may additionally be used during the time from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m..

    • Brush cutters, portable power chain saws, grass trimmers/grass edge trimmers, leaf blowers and leaf collectors may only be operated on workdays (Monday through Saturday) during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    Notice:

    Provided that the equipment and machines are used commercially and are marked with the eco-label in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 66/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the EU eco-label (OJ L 27 of 30 January 2010, p. 1), they may additionally be used during the time from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

  • Competent Department

    Contact Person

  • Fees / Costs

    gebührenfrei
    An administrative offence due to a noise nuisance can be punished with up to 5.000,00 Euro.

  • Legal Bases

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This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.

The official information in German is complete and correct. 05.08.2025

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