A soft but persistent hum in the garden, a drone entering the bedroom window at night: noise from heat pumps and air conditioners is one of the fastest-growing neighbour annoyances in the Netherlands. The good news: there is a concrete legal limit, and it can be checked. This page walks through what you can do — from recalculating the situation yourself to a formal enforcement request at the municipality.
Step 1: know the limit
Heat pumps and air conditioners placed or replaced since 1 April 2021 must meet a hard requirement: at most 40 dB(A) at the plot boundary in the evening and night (19:00–07:00), and at most 45 dB(A) during the day provided silent mode covers the night. The full explanation is on the noise limits page. Important: 40 dB is not "inaudible" — a unit can comply and still be heard. The limit is about an acceptable level, not silence.
If the installation predates April 2021, this specific limit does not apply. The municipality can still act on serious nuisance, but the bar is higher. Civil neighbour law (unlawful nuisance) also remains available.
Step 2: recalculate the situation yourself
Before starting the conversation or filing a report, it is powerful to know whether an exceedance is likely. You can use the calculator on this site from the "receiving" side: draw the neighbours' plot, place their unit at its real position (estimate or measure the distance to the boundary), and read the level at your boundary. The unit's sound power (LwA) can usually be found online by brand and type — it is on the energy label.
If the calculation comes out (well) above 40 dB, you have a substantiated case. If it stays below, you know that too: the nuisance may be real, but the legal route gets harder and the conversation all the more important.
Step 3: talk to the neighbours
Always start with the neighbours themselves — friendly and specific. Many owners have no idea their unit causes nuisance and can often reduce it easily: enabling or scheduling silent mode, fitting vibration dampers, or having the installer adjust the settings. Bring your calculation or send the share link; it keeps the conversation factual rather than emotional.
Step 4: report to the municipality and enforcement
If you cannot resolve it together, you can report it to the municipality and — more formally — file an enforcement request. The municipality (or its environment service) must investigate such a request seriously. It can commission a measurement or calculation; on exceedance, the owner can be ordered to take measures under penalty. Be concrete in your request: since when, at which times, and attach your own calculation or recordings.
Step 5: measurement, mediation or civil court
In a serious dispute, a measurement or calculation by a certified acoustic consultancy is the strongest evidence. Neighbourhood mediation (free in many municipalities) is a low-threshold alternative when relations are strained. The last resort is civil court on grounds of unlawful nuisance — slow and costly; in practice the vast majority of cases resolve earlier, especially with a clear calculation on the table.
Further reading
- Recalculate the situation with the free tool
- Is it an air conditioner? Read the AC page
- How far must a heat pump be from the boundary?
- The Dutch noise limits explained
- Tips to reduce heat pump noise (for the neighbours too)
- Frequently asked questions
This page is general information, not legal advice. Procedures and terms differ per municipality.