What To Do When Your Neighbour’s Alarm Goes Off

Most of us will have been disturbed at some point by a neighbour’s burglar alarm going off, and this can be especially frustrating if you’re rudely awakened in the middle of the night. While you might be tempted to just put some earphones on and write it off as someone else’s problem, it’s important to remain vigilant and not ignore your neighbour’s alarm – it could indicate a genuine issue that requires your attention.

What to do when your neighbour’s alarm goes off

So what do you do when your neighbour’s alarm goes off? Firstly, observe and look for anything suspicious, before contacting the neighbour in question. If you notice any unusual activity or your neighbour isn’t home to turn off the alarm, keep monitoring the situation as you may require police assistance. The team at Astra Security Solutions is here to talk you through the process in detail.

Assess the situation

If you’re disturbed by a neighbour’s alarm, the first thing to do is observe the situation and identify which house the noise is coming from. Keep your eyes peeled for anything that looks suspicious – are there any signs of forced entry? Can you see anyone fleeing the scene? Don’t just glance once and decide the situation is safe, keep checking to see if you notice anything strange.

Notify your neighbour

One of the first things you should do is notify your neighbour. As most burglar alarms are fitted externally, they might not be able to hear it clearly from inside and may even assume it’s coming from another house on the street. Knock on the door if it’s safe to do so, or if you receive no response, give them a call to alert them of the situation.

Wait 

From a power cut or dead batteries to a pet accidentally setting off the alarm sensors, there are a whole host of ways that a false alarm could be triggered. Most modern alarm systems are fitted with an automatic cut-off device that will stop the alarm from sounding after 15 minutes, so chances are that if you wait, the alarm will stop on its own. If the alarm keeps sounding after this time, this might mean that the property is fitted with an older alarm system, or it could indicate that there is a deeper problem.

Contact the emergency services

The emergency services are extremely busy and it’s simply not possible for them to attend every instance of a burglar alarm going off. Therefore, you should only contact the police if you observe suspicious activity. If you believe a crime is actively being committed and that the offender is still on the scene, make sure to call 999 as quickly as possible. Remember, never put yourself in danger or attempt to confront the intruder yourself.

If you’ve seen something that doesn’t look right or the alarm continues to go off, contact the police non-emergency number on 101.

But what can you do about a neighbour’s alarm that won’t stop going off? If this is a persistent problem that happens on multiple occasions, you’re best making a noise pollution complaint to your local council. They will be able to contact the occupant and arrange for the alarm to be switched off, or have the alarm silenced if the person can’t be found.

Invest in regular burglar alarm maintenance 

If you don’t want to be that neighbour that everyone is cursing in the middle of the night, it’s essential you invest in burglar alarm maintenance from an expert like Astra Security Systems. We can minimise false alarms by providing a thorough service, testing all detection devices, batteries, external sounders and the control panel itself to check for any signs of damage. If you’re frequently away from home, we can also provide burglar alarm monitoring through our Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), offering round-the-clock monitoring to ensure the fastest possible response in an emergency. 

Here at Astra Security Systems, the security of your home is our priority. With over 40 years of experience, we supply, install and maintain burglar alarm systems at residential and commercial properties throughout Maidstone, Medway, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and beyond. 

To find out more or to obtain a free quote, contact our friendly team today.