The recent hearing on a noise control ordinance by City Councilor Sal LaMattina is in order and overdue. LaMattina is seeking to put some teeth into a law to make bad neighbors or landlords pay for being a repeated disruption in the neighborhood.
The charm of living in East Boston, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, or the North End is the feel of these old neighborhoods. Yet, this charm is at a cost of living almost cheek to jowl with our neighbors. In recent years, this has become a major problem since students rent many apartments in our neighborhood.
For many of these students, this is their first experience of living independently from their parents. With this freedom comes parties and noise.
Much has been done to try mitigating the problem. As a matter of fact, Suffolk University requires all incoming students to attend a seminar on the need to be good neighbors and keep the noise from parties to a minimum.
As long as we have young students, we will always have parties. The proposal like a monetary fine against both the landlord and tenant that have come out of the hearing at City Hall has put teeth into the basic law of respecting your neighbors.