To avoid having trouble with the law, it is better to respect the regulations in force when you have to mow your lawn because there is no question of disturb the tranquility of the neighborhood. However, using a lawn mower causes noise pollution. Let’s take stock of the rules to be followed, knowing that they can vary from one municipality to another, and on the sanctions to which one is exposed if one does not respect the law.
A decree to limit noise pollution
It was on August 31, 2006 that a decree was voted to protect people against noise pollution likely to disturb their peace and caused by lawnmowers of all kinds. Noise is considered against a plague because it can be harmful to human health. Rules are therefore imposed, whether in private or public space. Considered abnormal from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., they can also be abnormal during the day, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. nocturnal noise what of daytime noise contrary to what many of us think.
Mowing your lawn, cleaning your wall with a karcher, tinkering… all these actions are governed by the regulations in force and each of us has no choice but to submit to them. And to go further in the protection of othersin terms of sound emission, lawn mowers must imperatively be regulatory.
Given that mayors and prefects have decision-making power in this area, and that the rules vary from one municipality or region to another, it is strongly recommended to inquire at the town hall of your municipality to know exactly when it is possible to mow your lawn without risking being penalized.
Mowing your lawn: times authorized at national level
As we have seen, the time slots during which lawn mowing is authorized may vary from one area to another, but in the vast majority of cases, unless ordered by the town hall or the prefecture, the time slots are The following :
- Sunday : mainly from 10 a.m. to noon, and sometimes only from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.,
- Holidays : from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.,
- Saturday : from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.,
- Open days : from 8.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Non-compliance with regulations on noise pollution: the risks
Any contravener to this legislation, to the communal or departmental rules, is exposed to a financial penalty : a fixed fine set at 68 euros. However, if this fine is not paid within 45 days, it increases considerably since it goes to 180 euros. Worse still, if the offender turns a deaf ear to the injunctions, he risks having to appear in courteither before the civil jurisdiction or before the criminal jurisdiction. It should also be noted that a noisy tenant may have to change accommodation since the court seised has the possibility of announce the termination of the lease… We do not mess with the law on noise pollution.
Before mowing your lawn outside the authorized time slots, it is strongly recommended to show courtesy. The best solution to avoid a fine and destroy the good relationship with those around you, is to find a agreement between neighbors. Taken by surprise, one of them could very well send a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to the authorities in order to enforce the law. But a disagreement can be avoided through dialogue and it is also possible, for example, to request the intervention of a mediator.