Noise Control in New Zealand: Who to Call and What Happens Next

Excessive noise from a neighbour in New Zealand is not a police matter first: it is handled by your local council, which employs noise control officers who can investigate a complaint and issue a legal direction requiring the noise to stop.

This is general information about New Zealand law, not legal advice. For your situation, consult a lawyer or your local Community Law centre.

Contact your council, not the police, first

Noise control in New Zealand sits with local councils, acting under the Resource Management Act 1991. If a neighbour's noise is bothering you, the starting point is your own council's noise control service, which most councils run outside normal office hours as well, since noise complaints are often an evening or weekend problem.

A council noise control officer's job is to work out whether noise is "excessive": noise that unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort, and convenience of another person, judged against the surrounding area and the council's own district plan rules. What counts as excessive can differ between a quiet residential street and an area zoned for industry or entertainment.

What a noise control officer can do

When a noise control officer attends a complaint, they assess the noise for themselves rather than relying only on the complainant's description. If they agree the noise is excessive, they can require the person responsible to reduce it immediately, and can issue a formal Excessive Noise Direction.

An Excessive Noise Direction does not need to be served on the property owner personally to take effect. It can be given verbally, over the phone, by text or email, or handed to anyone who appears responsible for the noise, or left where they will see it if they refuse to accept it.

How long a direction lasts, and what happens if it is ignored

An Excessive Noise Direction requires the noise to stop for up to 8 days. This is longer than it used to be: before an August 2025 amendment to the Resource Management Act, a direction lasted only 72 hours.

If the noise does not stop, or starts again while the direction is still in effect, a noise control officer, or a police officer working with one, can enter the property and seize the equipment causing the noise, such as a stereo, speaker, or other appliance. Seized equipment is usually held by the council, and the owner may need to pay a release fee and satisfy the council the noise will not continue before getting it back.

If the problem keeps happening

For noise that is a one-off or occasional issue, an Excessive Noise Direction is usually enough. For a persistent problem, for example the same household repeatedly breaching directions, your council can take further enforcement action, and in some situations a complainant can apply to the Environment Court for an enforcement order.

Noise is one of the most common disputes between neighbours, alongside issues like boundary fences and animal control. For the wider picture of everyday disputes between neighbours in New Zealand, see the neighbour law guide.