Gardening, DIY: what you can and cannot do on a bank holiday in France
We also look what to do if your neighbours do not abide by the anti-noise rules
You are within your rights to ask your neighbour to stop mowing the grass after 12:00
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If you plan to use the fine bank holiday weather to crank up the mower or start rummaging for your hammer - beware: there are rules to prevent noise on bank holidays, and fines for those who break the peace.
Bank holidays, or jours fériés, come as thick and fast as the grass grows in May. However, in terms of doing DIY or garden work, the month’s four bank holidays (May 1, 8, 9 and 20) should essentially be thought of as Sundays - a day that has special rules against noise.
Read more: No mow May: homeowners in France asked to let grass grow
What are the anti-noise rules?
There are two rules to prevent noise from annoying neighbours:
A national rule, article R1336-5 of the Code de la santé publique, or public health code, which states “no single noise should break the peace of a neighbourhood by means of its duration, repetition or intensity”
A guideline drawn up by the Conseil national du bruit (CNB), or national noise council, which recommends limiting noise to between 10:00 and 12:00 on Sundays and bank holidays
This guideline applies in many departments, and is strengthened in others.
The departments of Somme, Savoie, Manche and Haute-Saône, for example, follow this recommendation to the letter, banning noise between 10:00 and 12:00 on bank holidays.
Other departments including Charente and Gard go further, banning all disruptive noise “except for urgent public works”.
The information is usually available on the website of your departmental prefecture. If it is not, presume that the department follows the national guidelines.
Read more: Noisy neighbours: France’s most outlandish and notorious disputes
What to do about noisy neighbours
If talking to your neighbours does not work, the next thing to do is to talk to the mayor’s office, first by telephone, then by sending a lettre recommandée, or registered post. This date on this letter could be useful to prove how long the issue has been going on.
If contacting the mairie does not yield anything, contact a commissaire de justice, to establish the facts. You can do this here.
If the noise is particularly bad, you can also alert (déposer une main courante) the gendarmerie, or lodge a complaint with them directly.
They will need to come and check the noise - which should silence the neighbours temporarily at least.
Read more: Noisy neighbours in France: How can I stop a dog barking incessantly?
What are the fines for making noise?
If a noise complaint is found to be justified, and if amicable interventions (often by the mayor) fail, the guilty party will be fined €68, which can rise to €180 if not paid within 45 days.
The source of the noise could also be confiscated, in some cases.
