Teaching from a rented apartment

[alexhayes]

I'm going to be moving into a rented apartment by myself soon. Up until now, I've taught piano in music schools, at student's houses, and at my parent's house a few years back. I'm hoping to teach from the apartment, however I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about it. It's looking like most things will be online where I am for at least the next two months, so I'm not mentioning it to the landlord yet as I don't want to cause any trouble before I've even moved in. I'm worried that either the landlord will say no, or that the neighbours might complain.
I have no idea yet what the neighbours are like and if sound carries easily through the walls. One thing I'm considering is trying to soundproof the room in some way, though I haven't much of a clue about how to do this yet. I know that people may suggest that I bring it up with the landlord now, but it's been really difficult to find the perfect apartment and I don't want to throw it away because of this. I have around 10 students who are living in different countries to me and are looking for online lessons permanently, however the other 8 all live near me and will want to start in-person lessons again when it's allowed. Up until last year I used to travel to their houses, however I've decided not to do that anymore.
I'm wondering what other people's experiences have been with teaching in rented apartments? Have you found it ok and have you come across any problems with landlords or neighbours? Any advice appreciated, thanks!
{I have a digital piano which may make things easier as the sound doesn't carry so much- however I do hope to get an acoustic piano aswell and teach on this if possible}

[j_tour]

Oh yes, I've had many problems with neighbors and homeowner associations/police, but only in the case of reproducing recorded music.  And, no, it wasn't Metal Machine Music or Laibach...just mainstream jazz or orchestral music.  Certainly no louder than various hell-beasts yapping and snarling or the many drunken conversations I've been submitted to as an auditor.

I also use a digital piano, as well as an amplified Hammond-Suzuki and the Rhodes piano at home:  nobody has ever complained, in several cities, and many more apartments, where I'm absolutely sure the neighbors could hear me practicing or just playing on at least the stage piano through a PA speaker.

In my experience, neighbors hate electric guitar, but they hear classical piano or jazz/blues/country piano and give it a pass.  "Awww!  Isn't that precious!  My grandmother used to play like that, may she rest in peace!" 

The acoustic piano would be a bit different, though:  the sound of the mechanical action, the lack of a hard limit to volume (well, beyond how loud you're physically playing).

However, I'd bet you anything you can find a book or document relevant to your particular city/municipality/nation with a title like "Landlords for Dummies" or something:  there may well be accomodations made, as in NYC, for professional musicians to pursue their livelihood within their domiciles.

In my experience it's difficult (in the US) to decide exactly how the law treats civil potential violations:  lots of footnotes.  IME it's a lot of discretion on the part of the sheriff or police agent, and I've had success going up against the judge....but that's unpleasant.

Personally, I wouldn't say anything to your landlord.  Just treat it as something you do, and let them figure it out. 

I'm not saying play Stockhausen or Stravinsky at maximum volume, but I'm guessing your students are going to be playing things much more subdued. 

I don't even think it's a risky gamble:  just do it, and if your students get out of hand with the fff, rap their knuckles with a ruler, or just reduce the volume.

You can as well use a limiter/compressor on the digital device to ensure things don't get out of hand.

And, if it comes down to a battle, a little dB meter is not expensive and you can document how loud your sessions actually are.
 

[anacrusis]

I would carefully look up any laws, regulations or established practises that apply to making noise in rented apartments where you live, and if there are any hours where some level of noise is OK, and also look up what you can do to soundproof regardless if you are going to teach or not. When renting, I would be careful about crossing any boundaries.

If playing piano is generally fine, I guess I don't see why it would be a problem if part of the sounds you make are from an online teaching practise. If you are going to invite students to your apartment to teach them, I would look up if there are any rules/laws/regulations around running a business in this way out of your home first.

My experience from having lived in two different apartments, one with a grand pian oand one with an acoustic piano, is that when the piano is in direct contact with the floor the vibrations get transmitted very strongly to other apartments. A great difference can be made just by having a couple of rugs under and behind the piano (against the wall) plus sound absorbing cups or similar solutions https://www.google.com/search?q=sound+absorbing+cups+piano

Do you know anything regarding how piano playing noise is looked upon in this apartment complex as of yet?

[alexhayes]

Hey thanks for your tips j_tour. It might be a good idea to get a dB meter actually. I think I will just go ahead with it on the digital piano and hope for the best.
anacrusis yeah I will look into running a business from your home and any rules that come with that, as far as I'm aware there aren't any specific rules, but I'll have to check to be sure. I plan to teach on the digital piano for the time being (well whenever I'm able to teach in-person again) to suss out the situation with neighbours.
I don't know how piano playing/noise is looked upon in the apartment complex, I'll find out when I move in. Hoping they appreciate piano playing and don't find it too annoying!

[j_tour]

Hey thanks for your tips j_tour. It might be a good idea to get a dB meter actually. I think I will just go ahead with it on the digital piano and hope for the best.

Yeah, I think you'll be fine.  Or not!   

anacrusis yeah I will look into running a business from your home and any rules that come with that, as far as I'm aware there aren't any specific rules, but I'll have to check to be sure.

There may be.  It really depends on your local regulations and definitions. 

You should look into it, especially since you seem apt to continue down this path, but....I wouldn't stress about it.  You may wish to form an LLC or a SARL, or whatever it's called in your area, but that is probably not the way most independent teachers do it.  Pros and cons, YMMV, all that.

"Who?  Oh, that's my nephew!  We were just playing!  You don't believe me?  Prove it!"

It just depends too much on your local legal environment to give any really solid advice.

Hoping they appreciate piano playing and don't find it too annoying!

Probably will be fine:  most neighbors might even consider that a point of bragging to their friends:  I have a very fine artist as a neighbor!  However, as you know, there are a lot of assholes out there (erm, I might be one!), but most people can be appeased, if only that they have too much to lose by making a possibly violent, deranged enemy out of a neighbor.

I suspect many "civilians" privately think musicians are bloodthirsty savages, who belong to unnameable sordid cults.  It might be true! 

Good luck to you!

[lostinidlewonder]

There should be hours where a reasonable amount of noise is fine. People can use power tools to maintain their homes during the day time. Start collecting lots of egg cartons, they make good cheap sound barriers.

[j_tour]

There should be hours where a reasonable amount of noise is fine. People can use power tools to maintain their homes during the day time.

Damn right.  It's infuriating for how many years in my condo how they can have workmen pissing off the roof above my home office, neighbors running rented industriual equipment, and the pigs get called on me for playing a Jelly Roll Morton record during the same time.

Only solution:  know the law backwards and forwards.  IME, you might have to deal with The Man or go before a judge once or twice, but don't worry about the neighbors.  They may be very nice people, but to me they all have one first name, which is "Karen," and I make sure they know that.

That is, when I deign to acknowledge their presence at all.

I hope your experiences are positive and fruitful:  every building is different.

Worry about the people with authority, if anything.

[joe falchetto]

I find your post very slightly off putting, essentially you are saying that you want to do certain things (having the ideal flat, teaching piano online permanently, stop going to other houses to give lessons, so having even more hours of, possibly unpleasant depending on the students, piano playing at home, use an acoustic piano), but you don't seem very willing to compromise. The only thing you mention in that sense is sound proofing the room, which of course would be perfect but as far as I know is not a minor thing and would probably require permission from the owner.

I understand the viewpoint "if it is my right it is my right" - in that sense just carefully check the laws. Also it is your profession so of course you need to do it and nothing you say is unreasonable. Discussing things may be a better option - suppose neighbours start complaining. You'd probably be in a better position if you have talked things through with the owner from the get go then if s/he learns it by at that point.

Some digitals, for example Yamaha P155, have multiple headphone inputs. You could perhaps try to agree with owner and/or neighbours on some hours in the day to play on speakers/acoustic and use double headphones for you and the student at other times.

Anyway, you are only required to follow laws and don't have to be accommodating -many people would not be. I provided my perspective, but I am not a piano teacher, so I may not be understand your situation well enough.

[ranjit]

I provided my perspective, but I am not a piano teacher, so I may not be understand your situation well enough.

From the perspective of a student, at my level, I wouldn't learn from a teacher with a digital piano because considerations of the touch and tone of the instrument become very important. Just pointing out that this is a consideration.

[joe falchetto]

From the perspective of a student, at my level, I wouldn't learn from a teacher with a digital piano because considerations of the touch and tone of the instrument become very important. Just pointing out that this is a consideration.

That's a good point. It would be fine for beginners/intermediate but it may not be fine for beginners' parents and in general given the choice everyone would probably prefer to have lesson on an acoustic. So yeah, there goes my suggestion.

[lostinidlewonder]

The vast majority of piano students are beginners/intermediates so teaching on digital pianos really isn't that much of a problem. Many students practice on digital pianos themselves at home too. Of course acoustic is very much preferred in terms of piano technique and pedalling understanding but technology these days has a lot of benefits and there are lots of creative ideas with the digital piano you cannot do with an acoustic.