Noise Pollution Laws?

[WSR]

The apartment next to me is apparently under construction, though I can't see it from the street. They start every morning before 8 and work until about 4pm, even on the weekends. This is a crowded area; apartments are a few meters apart. I'm sure the noise is disturbing dozens of families and personally I can't sleep, study, or Skype.

Does anyone know if there are laws against noise pollution? Does anyone have experience reporting this kind of thing to a landlord or the police? Do people who use a jackhammer at 8am on a Saturday get the death penalty?

Thanks for any help!

[cfimages]

There are laws that are sometimes enforced but I don't think you'll have much luck with noise during the daytime. If it happened late at night you may have a case but if it's stops by 4pm there's probably not much you can do.

[Chris]

One of the more annoying aspects of life in Taiwan: renovations in adjacent apartments.

They usually last 2 weeks. Then it starts in another nearby apartment.

[finley]

Apparently they're not allowed to make a racket on Sundays or evenings, and there are prescribed dB limits for noise levels. However, what's written on paper and what actually gets enforced are two different things, especially where building companies are concerned because "they are important to the economy" (ie., they are run by politically-connected crooks). There are protest banners next to a construction site near my place, where the builders are apparently flouting the law and driving everyone crazy.

OTOH ... if it's just some guy fiddling about moving walls inside his apartment (WTF do people feel the need to do that?) then you can talk to the building supervisor or the area/community manager (you might need to talk to the locals to find out who the community manager is ... but there will be one, and they're usually pretty good). Talking to the police isn't likely to get you anywhere.

[roback33]

they are allowed 7 days a week, also holidays, from 8 AM till 6 PM. I checked the Taipei Noice Regulations, there is nothing you can do

[adikarmika]

... I checked the Taipei Noice Regulations...

Can anyone tell me where to find those noise regulations online? (Doesn't have to be in English.)

I've just moved to a new apartment that's adjacent to a hotel with what appears to be a large (and really noisy) central air-condidtioning system on its roof.
I'm on the tenth floor, about 3 or 4 floors above the noisy air-cooling system
There's constant loud drone day and night - it's almost as if there were a plane parked outside preparing for take-off.

If the noise levels are illegal, I might as well try to get something done.

I am aware that even in the unlikely event that I am able to get something done about the problem, it is not gonna be soon, and so other courses of action I'm considering in the meantime are:

(1) Moving out. I'm only renting, so I can always move if the problem can't be solved. As far as I understand, I'd just lose the one month's rent that I paid in advance if I broke the contract.

(2) Requesting the landlord to replace the windows on the side where the noise is worst (which are pretty old anyway, and not easy to slide).
I don't expect he'd want to spend the money on double glazing, but 7mm glass with new, well-sealed frames would, I'm sure, make a difference.

(3) Putting some sound-absorbing foam (like this: http://goods.ruten.com.tw/item/show?11090401333691)up on the walls and ceiling of the rooms where noise is bad.
As I understand, this will reduce the noise in those rooms, since there won't be any sound bouncing around off the hard surfaces.
Anyone ever tried it?

4) Noise cancellation headphones. It's a constant drone - so in theory, they should work well. But WCIF them?

Comments?
Other suggestions?