The Playbook / Live It / Thirdly — Being a Great Renter
Neighborly notes.
Most neighbor issues are small, unintentional, and easier to fix face-to-face than through the office. A short, calm note — in person or slipped under the door — resolves more than you'd expect.
What's normal
Occasional noise, cooking smells, a package left in the wrong spot. Life-in-a-building stuff. Assume good intent first.
Phrases that keep a note neighborly
- "I wanted to say hi first, before this became a thing."
- "You probably don't realize, but…"
- "I know it's not intentional. Just wanted to flag it."
- "Anything I can do on my side to help?"
- "Happy to talk about it whenever."
Phrases to avoid
- "You always…" or "You never…"
- "I'm going to have to report this."
- Anything that implies you know why they're doing it.
- Anything sent at 2am while you're still frustrated.
Template — a friendly neighbor note
Edit any bracketed field, then Copy. Your edits stay on this page.
When to go to the office instead
Anything involving safety, threats, harassment, or protected-class behavior goes to the office (or the police), not a neighborly note. So does any situation where you don't feel safe knocking on the door.
Printable Neighborly Note template
Optional printable version of this resource.
Related in the Playbook
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