text:
Good Questions: How Do You Quiet Your Neighbor???
Dear AT,
I have this dilemma. Starting anywhere from 5:30-6:30am the person living above me, is up and making a lot of noise. I honestly can't fall back to sleep, I'm up the entire time. And due to my job, I dont have to be at work till 10, so I'm up later than he is.
It sounds like he's going up and down steps, walking around, and sometimes its sounds like he may be working out. Over the weekend it sounded like he was jumping rope.
How do I approach him, w/ out coming off as a enemy?
We advocate putting all of the bad thoughts out of your mind and approaching him directly. Employing a smile, explain to him the problem - which he may be totally unaware of. Most apartment buildings require carpets, so we would also start there, and certain times of morning (before 9am) and night (after 7pm) ARE quiet times. Be friendly and trust in him to solve the problem, until you have real reason to be upset. Then "go to the mattresses...." Anyone else?? (Thanks, Michele!) MGR
106 Comments
do NOT approach. i am living through a hellish experience as i write this with my living situation. albeit, i live in a rather seedier area then is probably being discussed...i have a MAJOR problem with a family above me that plays insanely loud rap constantly (think, 4 am?) and has children that run across the floors seemingly jumping from couch to couch. so, i took the suggested steps (from my local precinct): call 311, make an official noise complaint. then 2) tell your super and landlord. they are your last line before calling the cops directly. i went up and asked them to be quiet after steps one and two and they threatened to, no joke, "kill me" if i knocked on their door again. when i called to report this lovely incident the police officer informed me that, because of nyc laws, I (not him!) can be charged with harassment for going to their door to complain (no matter how nice i was). so, use your landlord/super first, then go to the cops. 75% of the time when you go to knock on their door it makes the situation worse (accord. to my cop friend).
good luck!
I'd say you might as well talk to the tenant first, but my experience is that if they didn't notice how noisy they were being in the first place, it's because they don't care. I've just had two consecutive upstairs neighbors who I swear liked to rearrange their furniture at 2am, and when I asked politely (I'm a 5'3" female with a very soft voice) if it could perhaps wait till daytime, they both were immediately hostile. Oddly, when I called 311 I was told I couldn't file a noise complaint without the police showing up. But I called some housing office and they told me to keep a log of the noise for a few weeks, then send a registered letter to the landlord explaining the situation.
I sure wouldn't talk to the tenant about carpeting, though. Get the landlord to do it; it probably says something about that in the lease anyway, since it's NYC law. If the carpeting doesn't work and it's a true nuisance, you should keep sending registered letters to the landlord. If there's still no improvement, you can go to housing court. My last landlord was very cooperative; I think the kind of tenant who disregards others tends to be a source of aggravation for the landlord as well.
I have been through this in two different apartments within the same building. The first place was a third floor unit that was incredibly quiet when I saw it during the day, but at 6:30pm the neighbors upstairs (a couple) got home and were incredibly noisy. They would stomp around in shoes for hours and roll their office chair up and down the living room, oblivious to the fact that it was loud. I panicked and was furious at how misleading this building was (they only show during the day and have a sign outside advertising 'renovated' suites, while the walls are paper thin) and called the property manager. I told her about it and asked her if there were any top floor units and asked her not to speak to the people upstairs and that I would leave them a note. She called them anyways and they were furious that I complained when I tried to deal with them. They were quiet for a while, but after a month the noise reached it previous level and I was once again being woken up early and had to listen to them all evening. I even offered to buy them a few rugs and they told me to stop harassing them 'cause they hear noise too and just put on the stereo. Very passive aggressive people.
I moved up a couple floors to another unit and found that there was another stomper above that place. The guy had wall-to-wall carpet in his living room and I could still hear him walking. In the summer I could dismiss it because he was only one person and left the apartment more often than the previous neighbors who were always home. Now that it's getting cold and the windows are closed the noise is more noticeable 'cause the traffic isn't drowning everything out. My friends think I am crazy (or unlucky) at this point, but I left him a 'carefully' worded note that was succinct (I tend to over-explain, hence the length of this post) and the noise has been better. I decided to pick my battles and chose to ask him to walk lightly in the bedroom, hoping that he'd take it as a hint that he's loud everywhere. I started the note with "I realize you wouldn't do it on purpose, but…" and "we seem to have very different schedules", being as meek as possible 'cause people immediately take offense when reading a letter because they can't hear your tone of voice. I wanted to tell him he was an ungraceful oaf, but I think it's better to kill them with kindness. Go visit with a bottle of wine or leave it with a note if you're not comfortable meeting them. Sometimes anonymity is a good idea.
I have a similar problem in that my new building has drywall-thin walls and dogs. These people down the hall from me let their dogs run wild in the halls as they take them out for walks and they fight and growl and bark their way past our door. One night the small dog barked for virtually hours on end. Our cat, who used to like to occasionally roam the hallways himself and now can't, is not very pleased. How do I tell someone to get their dogs to shut up? If I left a note they would know it was us since we're the newbies on the floor.
well shortly (in some areas) that letting dogs and cats roam freely will be taken very seriously.
in my area: wash. d.c. if ya let yer dog go unatended... esp. if the mutha gets mean with ya an' bites ya the owner will have to pay the dues for it big time.
and plus it's unsanitary, where the hell is the management? maybe call animal control and talk to them about what's going on...
Wow! In a way, I feel better after reading all these posts; now I know that I'm not alone! I recently moved into an apartment in an area where apartments are difficult to obtain. The location is extremely convenient for me, and I don't want to move since the closest other apartment to my workplace requires a 40 minute commute. Unfortunately, two (or three?) college students (males) live above me. All I hear throughout the day and into the late night are stomping feet and what sounds like heavy furniture being moved. Some nights it even sounds as if they're rolling bowling balls across the floor! I stopped by two times since I've been here to ask if they needed help moving, telling them that I heard a lot of banging coming from above me for the first month. (I hoped they'd take the hint to quiet down.) The replies I got, even while being "Mr. Nice Guy with a smile" were less than ideal. The stomping did decrease for two days after each of my "visits", however old habits die hard. The worst noise always seems to occur on the weekends, too. I have a job that requires me to be up at 6:00am on Sundays, so this is extremely annoying. These boys don't play loud music or shout, however, but stomping at seemingly random times turns my ceiling into a 24' bass drum booming at double forte! (That's enough to make anyone jump!) Because so many college students live in this building (unfortunately) noise complaints are practically useless. I've invested in ear plugs and those things guys who mow lawns wear over their ears to keep the noise level down. The two in combination seem to work well at night, however sometimes the bangs of moved furniture or dropped weights are loud enough to cut through even this much ear protection! I guess that's my introduction to the wonderful world of apartment living.
I've been living in my basement apt. for 3 years. The lady above me moved out the end of sept. and the new tenants moved in a month later. In this month span the landlords pulled up all the carpets and stripped the hardwoods, loud within its self. So this single mother moves in with her 9 year ol and just gives er hell. Constant stomping at all times. These people dont sit down. You'd think someone as overweight as her would lose some effin weight stopming around like that constantly in motion. So when they do the big bangs I get out my trusty hockey stick and just whale on the ceiling a few times. This kinda makes them angry. But atleast I let them know that someone is living below them. I complained to the supers after a week, but things havnt changed at all. You'd think while she was moving in she would have consideration for any tenant living below her or next to her. I could go on and on. So know i've implacated a plan. I hooked my stereo up in my bedroom, below her little ones. I'll just give 'er at 3am every morning, for the rest of her time here
My family & I recently moved into a two-family apt. Its absolutely beautiful. This is the first time however that we live on the first floor - and it will be our last. There is a couple who live upstairs - they have to be in their late 20's - early 30's. They come home fro work around 11 pm and act like no one else lives in the house. She constantly walks around in her f---in pumps. He walks like he weighs 300 lbs. but is no where near that weight. And they have a dog who they like to play with at that hour so all you hear is him running across the floor. She will think nothing of vacuuming after midnight. They walk all over their apt. like they are running from one room to another. She never ever takes her f---in shoes off. I dont get it. The first thing I do when I walk in is kick off my shoes. But just like someone said above, its not that they dont realize what they are doing - they just dont care. They are a pain in the ass.
Hi. I just read the horror stories about stompers. I think stompers pretty follow similar patterns:they stomp about,make some banging noises,go quiet,then they start up again. They usually do it as if they can't function without doing it. They are aware,unless they lack any kind of common sense. I am dealing with a stomper myself. I left him a note addressing the problem; it was very polite. He didn't stop. I addressed it to the landlord; he has done very little about it....he even passively faulted my writing the tenant ,as opposed to offering him a beer and face-to-face chat about the problem. The tenant is a loser! I can no longer give him the benefit of the doubt. His stomping and banging is fairly random,but quite frequent. To drown it out,I play my music loudly or wear headphones......I still hear him,though. I'll eventually move,because he's driving me INSANE!!!!! Any good advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I live on the 3rd floor of a 3-floor apt bldg and am constantly worried I'm making noise, because I've lived through that, and it's awful. I know, though, that no matter what I do, I'm sure my downstairs neighbor is going to think I'm being obnoxious. Every step I take, even with shoes off, makes the floor creak (to the point that it bothers me!). Because this neighbor chain smokes (which ends up in my apt) in a nonsmoking building, I don't care as much...but I think in old buildings, it can be really hard to stifle normal living noise!
The girl who lives upstairs from me is the sweetest and kindest person and I really do like her. However, I honestly think all her shoes are made of cement!! And she probably doesn't weigh more than 100lbs!
That being said, I never complain about the noise (to her anyway....) because I feel like it then voids my option to be noisy. I like to have friends over and we like to play Pat Benetar and dance at 2:00AM. I have a small dog and though he isn't a big barker, he does bark and run around a lot. The guy downstairs never complains, bless him.
People in glass houses....
*A while ago, we had a few fellas living above us with 9pm-3am daily disco dance party issues. After repeated friendly discussions, the last of them, resulting in none-too-causal physical threats, I had become fairly angry, as the neighborly talks were falling on deaf ears.
One night broke the last straw and I trudged up the back stairs and pounded on thier door. They obviously couldn't hear me, as Pasha was beyond the wood door or something, which made me more furious. I banged so hard the door burst open. We both stood - shocked - looking at each other. I told them to get down stairs and hear how loud it was. They came down and finally understood.
After that, our relationship was lovely, until the DEA showed up and dragged them off to prison for trafficing.
Ahh, goodtimes!
*Not that this is an ideal solution, but perhaps worth a chuckle.
If you have a nice neighbour, talk to them. Otherwise, move out, it's not worth the hassle. Although like Christine, having lived with noisy neighbours in the place above me and now having moved somewhere quieter, I worry that I'm making too much noise and so I'm always turning the stereo down/creeping about in socks, etc.
I just moved into a basement apt, and have come to call my upstairs neighbors Stompy, and Leadfoot, for it seems like they would really have to make an effort to make as much noise as they do. My roomate mentioned to them that their dog dragging a rawhide bone all around their hardwood floor was rather irritating, so they had the brilliant idea to replace that toy with a hard rubber ball, that bounces all over the fuggin place.
I don't know that anything can really be done about this sort of thing, apart from the situation represented in a prior posting, where the upset tenant demanded that the upstairs people come down to witness the noise. But that's a pretty extreme request. It's hard to not come off like an asshole, especially when you're as exasperated as you are when listening to this kind of stuff.
Whoa...I think I just heard the girlfriend upstairs yell at her boyfriend to be quiet. Cool. It is one in the morning, after all.
In fight fire with fire situations, my I reccommend the bands Pig Destroyer, Opeth, and Obituary. Turned up to a loud volume, they probably won't help the situation, but will at least provide a grim satisfaction.
Rock on, Downstairsers.
Lets face it! Houses,triple deckers etc. all are poorly constructed. Look at those Hurricanes blowing houses to pieces. That wouldn't occur in
well built houses. Point. There is no sound construction. Its two by four's and sheetrock.It's ridiculous. Always get a place on the top floor. Research the neighborhood.That is real important and if you live below a family your screwed. They will just think your anti-family if you take offence at the rug rats running
up and down for hours at a time. Also you don't know who you are dealing with..you could get your head blown off complaining...advice..research the
premises beforehand always get a unit on the top floor or rent a house out with space between you and your neighbors.....live near senior citizens not college kids or in the ghetto where not only do you have to deal with misogynistic satanic garbage rap but semi-automatics going off in kids
hands who don't even know who there daddy is.....
hello, i can completely relate to all the posts here. The guy upstairs from me sounds like an elephant. What has helped me was earplugs at night combined with a portable air conditioner/fan, in addition to an air purification device that makes a lot of noise to block out sound. The hamilton beach allergen reducer makes a decent fan sound that helps block out sound and will help you sleep.
Now this guy has developed a wicked cigar smoking habit. So thats been terrible to deal with. If anyone would have any advice at all, i would be more than grateful.
it's good to know I am not alone. there is at least comfort in the fact that there are other kind spirits out there, not just a bunch of stomping jerks. It is a mystery to me what these people are actually doing. I have never in my life needed to engage in any activity that would produce such resonant pounding and banging, and even if I did, would feel way too guilty to do it knowing I would be disturbing other people. I don't even practice cello at home because it might annoy people.
Does anyone know what they're doing up there?
I am pleasantly surprised that there is a discussion on this subject. It's a sore subject, but nonetheless, if you've lived in a lower floor of an apartment building, you've been furious with a stomper upstairs neighborhood. We live in a small building, where everyone's relatively cordial. My upstairs neighbors are sensitive to our requests when they moved in, but on Friday and Saturday nights, from 7pm to 3am, it's party time.
This has worked for some time, although I've had to remind them every once in a while. My advice is, NEVER be hostile during your complaint to your neighbor. Say it with a smile, like "I'm sorry to be interrupting, it's kinda late and we are trying to rest/sleep. Would you mind walking lightly or taking off your shoes after 9pm?" They'll be somewhat annoyed (as you would be too when someone tries to tell you what you can or can't do), but they'll take your "niceness" into consideration.
The police reports, as I've read in these replies, is not a good recommendation. That only escalates the situation-- and ANY possible reconciliation is gone. They'll make more noises just to irritate you then. Being nice but firm will work in your favor.
I feel much better having read the above. Found this site by Googling "noisy clomping feet upstairs condo"
It is amazing this tiny woman above us makes as much noise as she does, a nice career girl with no pets, we should be thankful that is all the noise she makes. Back and forth, back and forth non stop with shoes on, heels hitting the floor first. The clomping NEVER STOPS or slows until midnight, then 4:30 a.m. it starts up again til the door slams as she leaves for work.
It would feel so good to grab her one day, give her a few whacks. I get so mad. I wonder how much hostility up there, is rubbing off on me down here. I'm not normally like this. Since we like to consider ourselves too civilized for violence our discussions down here are, "could this intelligent attractive "classy" woman be that ignorant and uncaring?"
What we have seen is, this woman has extremely poor communication skills - pleasant enough on the outside, but as most rude people; really and truly, does not acknowldedge others existing around her. She would never contact others to ask for advice or help like we do. She wouldn't consider inconveniencing herself to wear slippers and step lightly toe/heel.
Help or consideration is not in these peoples vocabulary. Ask one of them how someone could help someone and see what you get.
My advice is, get an air purifier like the people above - it helps us sleep through the night also.
We have not mentioned the noise, though she reminded us strongly the people before us were loud. We figure this woman has issues, social conversations with her end in abruptness. Ugh. Why bother.
She may give herself an aneurism. She can finally sit in one place for a while.
Well, it sounds like it sorta sucks to live up north, esp. in a NYC. Either that, or people just love to complain.
Try moving somewhere in the Southwest, where new, affordable apartments are still actually being built- and almost all of them come with carpet, standard!
The other clue: don't live in a building that allows pets, at all. Cats and dogs are for people with a house, at least a rental house. Apartments are like shoeboxes- we may have to live in them, but why put a pet through that torture?
I came to the conclusion that I live in an honest-to-goodness ghetto. I really hate moving, however, and legally breaking the lease will be a chore. Every time things get really loud, and I swear I will move, the problem suddenly goes away... for a day... then the noise resumes (even louder than before); my upstairs neighbors, aside from liking sports that involve flinging furniture at odd hours, also bought an electric guitar last week. To make matters worse, they haven't learned to tune it properly. A group of wannabe rappers moved into the basement apartment underneath me at the beginning of the year, making their "crib" the nucleus of their drug network which sells to nearby college students. To avoid being overheard while making shady deals, these bad boys turn up their rap music so loud that it vibrates the floor and shakes things off tables. The other weekend eight police officers raided their apartment and fifty some-odd college kids poured out of every possible exit (including windows) to get away from the "fuzz." Not wanting the police to find anything on them, this mass exodus of doped-up flesh emptied their pockets of all drug paraphernalia outside the building and in the hallway; I'm still finding needles on the ground near the entrance. Although the basement "boyz" now play their rap music less-frequently, I still have to worry about stray bullets and standoffs at 4:00am.
My next-door neighbors, however, are saints--actually, they're a group of six sorority sisters. The guys who like to party live down the hall, along with a bunch of college kids who live it up all night long and leave their used condemns on the sides of the mailboxes. (At least they use protection.) The guys above me, as you know, make me think about suggesting the addition of a new rank to the Boy Scouts of America--Thunderfoot. Then, there is the crack whore. No joke. She moved in a few weeks ago. I don't know how many people live with her, but she keeps a steady stream of guys flocking to her bed every night. She's got some messed-up friends who make the off-color remarks one of my autistic buddies says suitable for use in children's picture books!
Because of the incessant, late-night stomping I invested in an army cot so I can sleep in my bathroom--so far the quietest place here! Even in the bathroom, however, massive ear protection is a must if I want to fall asleep and stay asleep. Before the new year I came down with a painful case of shingles because my body was so exhausted from months of interrupted, dreamless sleep. (Not having adequate rest impairs one's immune system.) In short--and my doctor agrees--this place is terrible for my health. I paid to live in an apartment, not a dormitory or drug haven. Believe it or not this building is "supposedly" in a good section of town. It certainly "looks" nice during the daytime. I'm leaving here in the next few weeks to stay with a local priest and his family until I find another apartment; I need the sleep and stability right now.
I have a lawyer who is looking to see how I can break my lease legally. When I find out how to get out of a situation like this I'll repost on this message board. In the meantime, here are a few of Big Matt's do's and dont's for apartment selection:
1. Live on the top floor.
2. Visit the area many times during the night to see if undesirable elements manifest themselves after dark.
3. Don't live anywhere near colleges, especially college dormitories or college-owned apartment buildings!
4. Get to know your landlord personally. If he or she is decent you'll be able to confront him or her about issues and have more say if a less-than ideal situation arises.
5. Don't move into a building if the current tenants scare you; trust your gut feelings.
6. Make sure the area does not turn into a weigh station for big trucks after dark.
7. Ask current tenants in the building (not just those living in the apartment you plan to rent) about the place.
8. If you have to live underneath someone else, make sure their floor is carpeted. If it is not, save yourself the aggravation an find another apartment.
Happy hunting!
What can I do about a neighbor of mine in an adjacent apartment that keeps her television turned up to what seems like "a rock concert level" at just about all hours of the day and night, disturbing what I want to do, (especially me being able to get any sleep at night, which is wreaking havoc with my epileptic seizure control, among other things), but I would like to get this stopped!! I've tried talking to the apartment manager, to the caregiver of this person, and also to our local Police Department, and she is still doing this stuff!! What can I have done so that I don't end up moving away from my apartment that I've lived in for nearly three years??
Cut the power to her apartment. Usually you can find breakers in the main basement. When it's late and she's rockin' out to TV Land, cut it. Even if it controls part of your apartment, you won't be needing it while you're sleeping anyway, right? If she finds out how to turn it back on, turn it off again. This should send a clear message. It's your health over her inconsiderate nature. Also, most cities have noise ordinances. Use them to your advantage. KEEP calling the police over and over again. They'll eventually get sick of responding and (hopefully) put pressure on her to knock it off. If you know anyone in a hefty government position, have them send a letter on your behalf to your landlord. When times are desperate pull out the big guns. (That's a figure of speech.) Good luck.
We live in the lower unit of a nice old building in Los Angeles. That is, it used to be nice until the landlady pulled out the carpet ustairs. Since then we have had a stream of thundering clubfeet. The landlady claims she has told the upstairs tenants to put down rugs, and I think they have - alleged rugs. Or maybe they're just towels. They must be made of silk and moth's wings. When I causally asked one of the upstairs caffeinated late-night furniture movers if they had rugs, she said Yes! But, you see, they don't want every square inch covered, they LIKE hardwood floors. Isn't there a law?!!! I know in NYC you have to have floor coverings on hardwood floors - what about LA? Mr. Writer, or rather, Kangaroo Jackrabbit, has installed his "office" above our bedroom. He must be on east-coast time because he likes to start dropping lots of writer-related objects on our ceiling bright and early. Life sure would be better if Kafka up there had some padding.
I am a night shift worker and I love it. The trouble I have is that I had neighbors (one across the hall and next door) that played their t.v.'s or radioes tooooo loud at all times of the day, roughly mornings. I have called the police on several occasions and had made a complaint to my landlord, and she told me to call the police. Now Sunday morning 3/26/06, I knocked on my next door neighbor's door to ask him if could turn his televison down and he got pissed off at me for asking him to. Not only that, he knows I sleep in the daytime, because I asked him once before and he did ok for several months and then started back again Sunday morning 3/26/06. What other step could I take, because I don't any problems with my neighbor or any body else. Please help !!!
A women moved in above me. She's having her friends over again. They are behaving like idiots, running around the apartment and I think they are either really fat because I can hear their every step or wearing cheap platform heels. She also has a treadmill that she uses at midnight on a regular basis. I've tried talking to her.. her response is that she is just walking and it's just the treadmill noise. Let me just say, I have never seen my whole apartment tremble that much before... even the pens on my desk were moving. Earplugs don't help when your whole apartment is shaking. I only have a few months on my lease left, so the next apt I rent will be on the top floor.
My problem isn't neighbors ABOVE me...it is the ones next door. I work night shifts and usually sleep early in the day if I can but sometimes I have to sleep in the evening after these people get home from work. (sometimes they are there so often I wonder if they work at all.) There is a basement under our apartments that connects and allows all the slamming to conduct through the floor literally vibrating my apartment. The walls are not very thick and one of the beer swilling idiots likes to use the phrases "Git-R-Done!!!" and "WHOOOOOO!!!" for everything from "I won the lottery" to "I got a burrito" so I hear that at least three times a day. I have spoken to the landlord and he tries to help. I have called the police on them when they were slamming things around and yelling at 2am because I thought they were fighting but the cops arrived and nothing happened. I have personally confronted them at thier door and returned to my house to hear them (through the wall) threatening to kick my tail...(I almost wished they had tried at that point.) ASAP I am hoping to not only move out of this apartment but to another state just to get away from these idiots. I feel for you all and hope things get better.
As a sleep deprived new resident of Cold Spring NY in Putnam County I can sympathise. I moved into an area I thought was Quiet and it is. The issue is my stomping upstairs neighbor between 3am-6am 7 days a week. Like some of the above posters she starts and stops and since I complained to the board actually denies to them after admitting to us she is a stomper. There are Laws guys and small claims court/civil court but it takes time to build up your ammunition. You need to build a log of the daily disturbances, Tape the offending noise. Of course get a hitman/lawyer to go after them. They will not stop until you make them legally and even then it might take the stomper a night in jail before it ultimately ends. Write the various powers that be -state attorney general, department of environmental protection- (noise pollution),HUman Rights Division- to prove to the court(s) you have attempted to deal with the issue. PLease do write and make them aware that noisy -air polluting, health hazardous neighbors are a NY, NY STATE issue.
What a waste of time to knock on someone's door and ask them to tone down their stereo because it's vibrating into your apt. I work as a doctor and doing my intern....so I work different shifts and I brought my first condo not knowing who my neighbors were only to find that the next door neighbor blasted her stereo and surround sound into my condo causing the wall we share to vibrate disturbing my life and sleep! I knocked on her door many times without any luck of reducing the volume. I finally went to management to report her and got knowwhere with the management company or board. In fact, the board told me to hire a real estate lawyer that deals with harassment cases. Can you imagine paying all that assessment every month and get an answer like that. Well, I did hire a lawyer and the stereo harassment went on for months,causing me great stress and enjoyment of my condo. Well, I finally decided to sell.....guess what happend to the young doctor? Since I spend thousands of dollars re-doing an 60's condo it sold in two days. But wait, there is more. The new owner sued me for not disclosing stereo,surround sound harassement from the neighbor and I had to sue the hostile neighbor. It was a nightmare!I now rent, and if this happened t me again, I would call the owner and explain the problem to him. If he didn't do anything about it I would move-out and break the lease. Forget about knocking on the neighbor's door. They know it's loud, they are just selfish!!!
I live in a 4-plex appartment complex, downstairs, however, the upstairs neighbors - very young adults ( 18-21) with two children - a terrrible two year old - star runner - and an infant. I can put up with the children but when the adults stomp round - like the two year old - then there are issues. Several times I have asked him in passing in the hallway - to be a little more quiter in the late night hours, and while we were discussing the noise, he actually could hear his daughter running - and said " geeze, I didn't realize it was that loud. Thought it would stop after hearing it himself.....guess again... it has only gotten worse. After the bars close they bring several folks home with them - and the noise pollution - is much worse. He does, come to my door - awakens me - and tells me - am having a party - insert your ear-plugs. In short of wanting to punch him....his girlfriend yells down to him - from up stairs - just tell her to get f--ked, and the partying continues, after me telling him - show some respect for your neighbors during the wee hours of the morning, or face having to deal with the police tonite.
My upstair neighbors really suck!!! Young punks - cant seem to pay their rent. Stomp constantly, slam cupboard doors, drink excessively - sit out on the upper balcony - throwing their cigarette butts over the railing - down on the lawn in front of my appartment. They dont walk into this complex - they run and run up the steps. Our walls in here are paper thin - so I hear every word they say. And guess what - he got fired....imagine that - dont show up for work - because of getting drunk night after night...his girlfriend doesn't work has a couple of kids - that run and stomp constantly. Now, the loosers just had some of their friends move in too with them - to help out with the rent.....hmmmmm - stomping is really bad - sounds like pro-wrestling up there. I can only hope they cant pay the rent for next month - or the month after.....ahhhhhhhhhh the good life is nearing. Just let'em party one more time.....yep, will definatly call super/police. and it's back to jail for him. ( ha! ha! )
I am the only female in a 6 unit complex. I have only one neighbor who is a selfish, spoiled and vindictive person. I asked him to turn his head-banger music down, and of course he did not. So, I called the landlady, and she drove thru and caught him with the music blasting. Now he is vowing revenge. First, he tied a chair to his side of the porch, so I cannot get my bicycle thru. Then, then, last night, while I was gone, someone (him no doubt), locked my screen door from the OUTSIDE, so I could not open it. Now, I am tempted to do it to him, or something equally as stupid, but it would only escalate. I don't want to keep calling the landlady. I'm thinking I could get some limburger cheese and throw it thru his bedroom window, under the bed.
Seriously, I want to send a message, but not be a bitch...This is a challenge, any ideas out there?
I have lived in my apartment for a little over a year, after I moved in a single guy moved in next door, he would blare his music at all hours, last summer I complained and management said they would
talk to him, thru out the winter I could hear doors slamming, people outside talking, music playing. . this being around 1-2am, I work second shift so I dont get home until 12mn, this last Sunday morning at 3:53 am he turned on his loud music, I went to the living room and could still hear it there, I have again called management, they again said they will call him. I know he is due to renew his lease and pray he does not, we have alot of senior citizens here in these apts.
Ive been thru this before when I had little children, neighbors were drug addicts, yelling, coming over and asking me to call the cops, breaking windows. . I begged management to move me or evict them, when I finally broke my lease as I could not take it anymore, they put that on my credit report and the people were still there
when I moved out. In these apt leases it states that loud noises are not to be going on. .is that
something they just put there to fill up space or what? Believe me if you complain. . you are the bad guy for doing so. What legal recourse do we have? Does anyone know?
Well,it's me again. This time,I have pair of stompers living above me; the other stomper (Stompzilla) moved out. The new neighbors are the Stomps. Their favorite things to do: stomp back & forth,drop heavy things and move furniture around....all of them on a daily basis. Such nice assholes they are.
ok. it's clear. we all have "fat","lead-feet", "inconsiderate" assholes living above, under and/or next to us - oh, and- with or without "overstimulated" rugrats who are doom to carry on their parent's
When I first read all these comments, I felt better knowing I wasn't alone in my frustration. But after a few chuckles later, I am back to feeling very indignant. What really gets me is that hardworking people who pays their rent or buys their place gets treated like SHIT and the lazy, blood-sucking, ones get protected with laws/ and rights. I have the same problems, which I am sick of complaining about. With new developments popping up all over NYC, this problem is only going to escalate. There must be something we can do.
From what I've read, these are my suggestions.
For those of us who have "nice" but ignorant neighbors, I agree just talking does not good - even the nicest person will be slightly offended. I do think bringing them down to your apartment so they can truly hear what you are force to live with, will only help. I've lived above others in my college years and it was only until I lived on the first floor under varies types of neighbors (good and bad) that realize how walking around with shoes or tapping your feet to music could sound like stompping, or moving a chair back to sit can sound like dragging furniture, and even while you may be having quiet, private sex, your bed is loudly broadcasting to your neighbors. Some guys can go on and on and on - jackhammering away:) Just thinking back makes me sorry for my ignorance.
For those of us living with bad renter(s), I have a question. If they are as much of a problem for the landlord as they are for you, why would the landlord renew their lease? Can you help the landlord find someone else? Surely they prefer you that them!
For those of us who own our place and therefore, moving is not an easy option, what is our options? 1.)I am going to take one of the writer's advise and write to our government and district leaders. This problem is not going away - I want to know exactly what laws/rights we have. (i.e carpeting, it that city, state or just individual condo rules?) 2.) I need a good lawyer. I hired one previous but he was as passive as I am - who needs to pay money for that?! I can sit around and do nothing on my own! I need a real shark. Any recommendations?
that's a load off my chest. thanks!
oops, sorry, lots of typos and incomplete thoughts..but you guys get the jest of it.
i have had the same problem with stompers and didn't realize that there were so many other people out there that have been suffering. I have been living in a studio apt in the valley area of l.a. for a few years. the first 3 people above me (all single males) were quiet and i had no problems.
Then enters leadfoot "stefan". He was overweight and was loud all hours of the night. I don't know what he was doing but i heard him up there all hours of the night with loud "thumps". I ended up sleeping in my walk-in closet many nights on the floor to get some sleep. I complained to the landlord several times and sometimes he would be more quiet but overall it was pure hell and it never got better.
Well he finally moved out but i didn't get anything better. i heard loud banging noises one day shortly after he was gone and i saw that a family had moved in upstairs (IN A STUDIO!!!) and was putting together futons or something. I was really upset and complained to my landlord about her allowing a mother/toddler son (and who knows who else!) in above me. She said it was just her and her son but there was a guy there helping her put stuff together so i doubt that it was just gonna be her. The building only allows 2 people in a studio so if i see more than that living there i guess i will report it.
so far it's been a little better at night in terms of sleeping but during the day and weekend they are almost more "stompier" and louder than Mr. Leadfoot was. It really is frustrating and the management in my bldg will not let me move to an upstairs apt unless i'm upgrading to a one bedroom, etc...which i can't afford.
I too cope by putting loud bass-induced music on when they are loud. I have the works: earplugs on, headphones on, a sound machine, my air-conditioner on all the time and i can STILL hear them! It really sucks. I also use my pool stick on occasion and hit the ceiling to let them know they are being loud. Nothing really works though and in my experience nothing much does work period. The best is do be loud yourself (with loud music) and if they complain just say to them well if YOU want it quiet then freakin be quiet yourself! ugh... i so want a house of my own...
Hi. I just read Danneka's stomp report. Stompers will not stop or change their stomping ways. I guess it's a power trip for them to hear themselves. My stomper,Jimmy Stomps,gets a kick of stomping and making noise; when I do the same in response, he becomes upset and harasses me. He's a bastard. I did complain to management. They did nothing. I posted a note in the building asking all tenants to be considerate of one another and to use common sense when going about their business. I hope that'll work, though I doubt it will.
I, too, am sooo happy to read this string of complaints. We are not alone! ;) My upstairs neighbours--well, it's funny. I never tell anyone about them, I wait until they come over and are seated happily in my living room. Inevitably it'll happen, WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP! Someone's walking from the bedroom to the kitchen upstairs, and it sounds like we're all gonna die. EVERY single visitor to date has jumped off the couch, they were so freaked out.
I've christened the dude upstairs Stampy. It gets better, Stampy is an "industrial metal" musician. He likes to write "music" on his keyboard. Good f**king lord... I've taken to singing to his obvious chord progressions at the top of my lungs. It makes me feel better, ahh that smug sense of superiority.
Stampy and his group of elephantine friends seem to be partying tonight, they must be watching hockey. Everytime there's something good (or bad?) happening, they drum their feet. Excellent.
The fine folks that used to live up there, well, I could write a nice novella about them. The one time I went up to complain (1 am, he had been bouncing a basketball for 2 hours), Orest came to the door completely naked and told me that "I don't know vat is you are talking about. Ve have cat. Maybe is cat." o-o-o-kee.
In the last month he lived there, he took to pacing. He would walk circles around the living room pounding the walls as if he was looking for studs FOR THREE HOURS AT A TIME. I only wish I was joking.
I suppose the only solution for me is to sell this place (hopefully it shows when Stampy's on holidays or something) and find me an ivory tower somewhere, or at least a top floor unit of a newer building.
I've taken a lot of heart from reading all of your trials and tribulations. I wish I could move into a building with all of you--we could tiptoe and close our cupboards gently and turn down our stereos and not invite our string quartets over to rehearse... and we'd know that the effort was being appreciated. ;)
Yes,Anna,that would be great if we could all live in the same building. No stompers. Mr. Stomps is predictable like Stampy. When he stomps and bangs his way around,I mock him. The guy is pathetic. I put a nice note up in the building asking that all tenants be considerate of each other. Stomps prefers to be inconsiderate. I do my best to be thoughtful,even towards Stomps. I use headphones when cranking music and watching movies. I still hear the stomping and banging when using headphones. There's no avoiding it. Oh ,Mr. Stomps, you do suck.
found this page while googling "upstairs neighbors making noise." oh anna, i wish we could do just that. your post made me smile. in fact, just about all of them made me smile (except for the one that mentioned something about kids not knowing who their daddies were...so not necessary). however, i live in tx (and i really think it's true, everything's bigger in tx - esp. my upstairs neighbor). i'm a military person who works swings (afternoon to after midnight) but right now i'm home on convalescent leave. i swear, the people above me... i'm about ready to scream, i'm so frustrated. it's a two bedroom apt, but there must be about 6 people living upstairs (the parents and 4 kids). constantly, they pace across the floor...but i don't know where they could possibly be going, the place is not that big. they drag their kitchen chairs across the floor at all hours (you'd think they'd be fat, since they're always eating, but nooo.....they can't be since they're walking marathons in the apt).
i'm at my wits end, because the noise is constant. i'm trying to recover from surgery, not to mention take online courses for my master's degree, and i have this to contend with. the last time my mom was in town, she went upstairs to ask them nicely to be a little more considerate, and that lasted all of a day. like someone else mentioned, i'm scared to say anything, because they might blow my head off (we've already had one killing in the complex).
it sounds like there really isn't much to do: the vote seems split on confronting them nicely, and going to the apt manager. i've gotten so mad that i've screamed at the top of my lungs for them to shut up, and i've banged my kitchen cabinets and pounded on walls, but they must think i'm trying to join in the fun. unfortunately, this is the second time i've moved (i - stupidly - moved from a 2nd story 1 bed to a 1st story 2 bed, due to lack of room and another surgery), and it seems so unfair to have to move again. but it looks like that's what i'll have to do (my mom is out now, checking out a newly-built place). i know for sure, next time, i'm going to ask what the stupid building is made of, who the hell is living above me - IF i get an apt not on the top level, and all sorts of other questions. i know when i was upstairs, i was scared as heck about making noise and i always tiptoed around. i even would keep my workouts at a less intensity so as not to bounce on the floor (unless the people below me had their tv/stereo up, then i'd jumping-jack away).
why do people have to be so inconsiderate? i mean, jeesh, don't you think your kids jumping off the bed makes some sort of noise? or the chair being dragged across the floor causes a ruckus?
thanks for letting me vent. it just seems to be a shame that i have to give up the convenience of where i live for a little peace and quiet.
Dear Apartment Therapy,
I can echo everyone of the complaints above, and after two months of appealing to my landlord/owner of the building to have the upstairs neighbor carpet their apt, I still have no resolution.
I am continuing to contact the landlord to bring this to resolution since the tenant agreed to carpet six weeks but has not yet.
Regardless, how can I step this up without taking on the expense of a laywer?
Are there any tenants' right's associations in NYC (Manhattan) that can give me advice?
Are Community Boards of any use in situations like these? I called the NYC Rent Guidelines Board and they sent me my Community Board who sent me to 311.
In the end, I am doing much of what the individuals above have done (certified letters, etc.), however I need to step this up.
Your advice is very much needed & appreciated. Thank you.
Wow, I feel so much better reading all this, but Imagine my problem............. I own a condo very close to the beach in NJ. Pay almost a half mill for our piece of heaven, sacrifycing a lot to get this for our family........... above me is an owner and her husband, nicest guy, dies suddenly............ The surving owner, " the wife" rents her place out 24/7 to summer shoobies who want to party all week long, I do not blame them ..... work all year long for a week at the shore BUT are they loud! Doing wash at 2 in the morning, running vacumn at midnight and letting their kids start running at 6am........... What am I suppose to do ? I sit and cry about my investment..... My life dream cannot take shape because of the noise.............. I tried approaching renters but it is always the same thing, louder and threatening ! Help? I actually started to play tennis on the walls and ceiling around 12 am to get even. Sortof helps but I am feeling really bad. Any ideas??????????????
Stompers!! We used to have a great upstairs neighbor. Even when she came home late, we'd only know because her car was in the driveway in the morning. It started off badly with the new neighbors (a couple in there early 20's) The first night they moved in, they were moving and sliding the stuff all over the hard wood floors untill 2:00 in the morning. You'd think they'ed like to make a nice first impression. Since then it's been almost nightly stomping around and moving stuff around after 10:00. Every night he gets home between 9:45 and 10:15 and slams the door. Is it wrong for me to want quiet after 10:00? It makes me feel like I'm weird for wanting some quiet time at night. Sometimes he'll hammer stuff in his kitchen, or clean out his closet and drop the heaviest stuff on the floor. Like alot of stopmers,the stomping goes on for 15 minutes and stops. Just when you think thet might have actually gone to bed, BANG!! And it starts all over. At least these stompers aren't total night birds. They finally stop stomping around 11:30-12. Feel bad for people who have stompers going ubtill 2 or 3, but I wake up early, so I like to be sleeping by 10:30 or 1100. I've done all the fans, humidfiers, etc to drown out the noise, but after 3 months I want out of here.
Finally tonight at 10:30 pm, he decided to take out all his disposable water jugs (about 10 of them) and leave them for pickup. He dropped, slid, scraped them across the entire upstairs, then dropped them all down the stairs then dropped them agai on the deck outside. When he was done, I rang his doorball and asked if he could please stop the noise. It's been quiet since, and I'll let you know how it goes in the future. I didn't want to resort to calling the cops or the landlord. I feel I should have confronted this a long time ago. We'll see.The only thing good about this ordeal is that it has motivated me to strictly budget myself, so I can save up for a down payment on a house. I thought I'd want a condo, but now I'm scared of neighbors!!!
Reading everyone else's experience makes me feel silly for complaining, but I have a case of downstairs doorslammers. It is the most jarring and anxiety-producing thing when they slam the door because it comes out of nowhere and my entire apartment shakes. I have never heard so much noise from a downstairs neighbor (he is a big guy and when he walks it rumbles our unit; I can't imagine what it sounds like to the people below him!) I am worried to complain about the door-slamming because I fear it will open the door to them complaining about our noise because we are above them. Even though I don't think we are unreasonable, I have no idea of knowing what my noise sounds like downstairs....
I moved into my apartment in July 2006 so i've lived here happily for about 6 months. During the first 2 months, things were pretty quiet around here. After that, the lady upstairs that I have come to call "Rosie the Riviter" started staying home more often than not. This lady is totally anti-social, we never see her outside to speak with her, she never comes around to talk to anyone else but she lives over us in the apartment upstairs. I must add that the other 3 tenants who live in this building dont make a peep and no one complains about them. Everyone including my husband and I are very considerate. Rosie, on the other hand, has these rolling table chairs that it would seem that she likes to ride across her apartment day and night. She is often awake all night and asleep for the later part of the day. During the time she's awake, she wears freggin combat boots and thumps our ceiling to the point that the paint cracks off and our vents fall out. Ok, well, having put up with this for about 4 months, I decided the other night that if she kept banging on my ceiling with her hammer that I was going to go up there and knock on her door. I felt that she was doing it intentionally....well, my husband and i asked her VERY nicely if she could lay off the thumping. I believe our exact words were something like "Im sorry to bother you, but whatever you're doing up here is causing our paint to chip off the ceiling downstairs and we dont want to have to pay for that" She was pretty nice about it and was actually quiet for the rest of the night for the first time in a long time. I might add here that when she leaves for a week or a few days that we dont hear any type of noise at all. I have asked our next door neighbor if she hears the man who lives atop her apartment and she doesnt so the place is insulated pretty well...this lady is just loud...ok, well last night, she leaves her TV BLARING so loud that it keeps us awake and on top of that she stays awake all night tromping around up there. I think she's doing it because we asked her nicely to not thump. Sometimes her thumping is in all seriousness comparable to dropping a bowling ball. Oh, and she also spins her wheels on her truck for no good reason and throws chunks of asphalt up from the ditch onto my vehicle if I park on the road beside the apartment where the designated parking places are. I normally have to park in a church lot across the street in order to avoid this. I never said anything to her about that or even let her know that I was pissed off about it. I suspect that she even attempted to take our kitten once. Her door is above our bedroom window and I heard the door close and saw our kitten walk down the stairs one day while I was folding clothes on our bed. I think she had her inside the apartment or something.
Anyway, I'd like a few ideas on what to do. Obviously my next step is complaining to the landlord or at least documenting the paint cracking off the ceiling as a direct result of this lady's behavior....but I doubt that he will take any sort of action about it because he's about 80 years old and he doesnt care about anything unless he gets his rent.
This has been very informative & thanks everyone for your posts . Currently I am having trouble with a upstairs neighbor who is deliberately stomping & throwing HEAVY things on the floor .
She is deliberatley trying to start a confrontation/fight with me . Yes I could easily kick her ass but I'm a peaceful man who respects the law . My solution is to record her sessions of childish behavior & sned a copy to the local police/DA & also see about litigation.
If I can sue her in court & get a judgement ,when she notices her paychecks being garnished until the legal jusgement is fulfilled & the damage done to her credit rating (legal judgements are bad on credit) this should have a profound change in her behavior .
Wondering how much a lawyer is going to cost me & I wonder if I can sue the Owners/Landlord for not dealing with this problem ?
Hitting people in the paycheck does wonders for adjusting attitudes I've found .
My advice is to consult an attorney & see who can be found legally accountable to sue for your suffering .
I do understand what all of you are going through. I live in washington, dc and i have a very immature neighbor that lives in the apartment next to me. I am not exaggerating when I say he plays his music very loud from 7pm to 2/3am and sometimes extending until 6am, 7 days a week. The walls are very thin in these apartments and I can hear everything. His girlfriend(s) and his boys come over every night and party. The music is so loud that the vibrations come through the walls and I can hear this even when I am sitting in the livingroom watching tv. I have knocked on his door a few times and have asked him politely to turn the volume down, he will do that for a while and then turn the volume back up. I have gone to the landlord several times about him, and the landlord has spoken to him. After that, he would play his music at a decent volume, then a few days later the volume would return. I have called the police and they have spoken to him, afterwards he turned the volume down for a few days, but lo and behold the volume would be turned up again. This inconsiderate tenant causes me to loose sleep and wake up with headaches. There have been times when I have nodded off at work, because of this lack of sleep. I get up at 5am and get ready to go to work, but since he moved in (6 mos ago), I have been getting very little sleep, when I do fall asleep it's usually between 2am and 3am. I have been using earplugs and running a fan/heater so I don't hear this, but it does not help. My landlord has given him a noise disturbance notice (in which he will be evicted if he continues to do this), but he still have not taken heed to this, so I see that I will have to continue to call the police. I have tried to be nice and respectful towards him, but that is not working either. I have lived here for a number of years and have not experienced this until the "neightbor from hell" moved in.
You think you have it bad. Try this one on for size. I live below an obsesive-compulsive wacko.
I have to be up at 5am during the work week. The problem is that the bathroom waterpipes run through my bedroom. This nuts wife gets into the shower at 10pm and finishes a half hour later. The wacko husband then takes his shower which lasts for 3 hours! EVERY NIGHT! I kid you not. He also flushes the toilet three times every time he uses it! I can't get to sleep until 3am sometimes cause it sounds like I'm living under niagra falls...HELP WHAT CAN I DO?
Man, it's crazy how many people have rude, obnoxious people living above them. I actually asked my loud neighbor to keep it down a few months ago, and things were alright for 2 months, but it seems things are back to normal. Actually now they are worse. It turns out that the landlord found a cat in there apartment. This apartment doesn't allow pets, so I guess the landlord is asking them to leave at the end of the month. This happened on the first, so now it's gonna be a month of crap. I'm pretty sure that they think that I called the landlord about the cat, because some of the noise sounds like it's done on purpose. Being extra loud when getting home and slamming doors extra hard. I only have about 2 more weeks of this so I'll deal with it. It really bothers me though, that 6 months of my life were effected by loud inconsiderate people. Hopefully the new tenant will be more like the previous 2. People who have common courtesy. If not, I now know that you have to deal with the problem as soon as it starts. Last time a waited 2 months before I talked to them, building up a lot of anger, and like I said, to an extent, it helped. I'm only 32 years old, but I do feel like the more you look around at society, you really see a lot more inconsiderate, obnoxious, selfish and rude people around. Now I'm just venting. Anyways, good luck to all in dealing with the infamous upstairs neighbor from hell....
Hello again. It's been a while since my last stomp complaint. I live in another apartment, but Stompzilla is still roaming above me. Boom! Boom! Bang! Bang! Those are the soothing,refreshing sounds I get to hear each day and night. My landlord doesn't think I could possibly hear such noise from above, because there's supposedly 8" of solid concrete between each floor. Next, he'll tell me of some lovely swamp land I should buy. Stompers don't care about the tenants beneath them; they are too self-centered to care. It's highly unlikely they will change. They like how they are. They especially like the sounds their heavy feet make. Oh so soothing......
Well, I moved into my first apartment in a building after having lived in private houses all of my 41 years of life. It's a co-op building. Very clean, mostly quiet and full of working people. I've been there going on two weeks now and I noticed that I seem to have an 800lb person living above me. They stomp around the floor above my bedroom usually between 6am to 7:30am. I don't hear this stomping anywhere else except my bedroom. They like to get up on Saturdays and Sundays and play a small clock radio at 6am. I can hear this radio as if it's in the same room with me. This co-op has a 80% floor covering rule and it doesn't seem as if this person put any carpet on the bedroom floor. Being that I'm new, I don't want to have to get ugly with anybody, at least not so soon because I can really get mean when I need to. When I walk around my place, I'm usually in bare feet and I have plush area rugs all over the place. I don't tip toe around my place, but I also don't make a lot of noise, as I consider the people who live beneath me. This morning, however, as I was just walking normally around, I hear three quick taps on either my floor from below or my ceiling above, I wasn't sure. Now, here I was, just walking normally and not stomping. After tapping back and talking very LOUDLY about not appreciating the taps, it dawned on me maybe the 800lb person above me isn't really stomping at all, it just sounds that way. I'll use ear plugs in the early morning and that should resolve the only problem I have with the noise. This is the first apartment in a building I've lived in and will certainly be the last. I plan on buying a home within the next two years.
I have a great suggestion; and nope, I don't work for the company I am going to tell you about. I just feel for people with noisy neighbors and want to help. I have very noisy neighbors downstairs and I purchased heavy duty sound machines - called Sonet QT Voice Privacy. They are expensive, but to me they were worth every penny. They are excellent in blocking out voices, screaming, dogs barking, babies crying, TV's and music. I would have had to move if not for these machines. Now I go to bed and simply say "aaahhh" and fall asleep. The machines sound like air conditioning and nobody even noticed it when they walked in my apartment; they simply thought the A/C was on. It also comes with a knob to adjust the volume. The only thing they do not block is stomping noises; because you're dealing with vibrations with footfall; however it does help to drown it out a bit but not completely.
I think the quality of construction really, really matters. I live in a newer building in the Northwest and even when the upstairs neighbors are vacuuming the sound is very muted. I know I could get more space for less money elsewhere, but living in a quiet studio is worth more to me than living in a noisy 1-Bedroom. Of course the apartments all have wall to wall carpeting, and while I sometimes wish for hardwood floors for aesthetic reasons, I know it makes a difference. The only problem I've had is with the people next door, and then it's not cause the sound comes through the walls, but because their patio is at a 90 degree angle to mine and the sliding doors aren't insulated like the walls. Drapes mostly solved that problem.
Here are some facts and research about noise and health. I hope it helps some of you in your quest for relief.
I know this thread is from awhile ago, but I am surprised that so many people think that the person above them is stomping around to antagonize them.
People should be upset at their landlords for not insulating and soundproofing the building, not at the tenants who are just trying to live their lives.
I just moved into a new place yesterday and my downstairs neighbor knocked on our door, I thought to say hello and introduce herself, but actually to ask us to turn down our music (at 6 p.m.). We apologized and were upset that we had bothered her and turned the music super low right away. Later that evening (around 10 p.m.) we were bringing the final little things over from the old place and as we're walking up the non-carpeted stairs this woman screams from her apartment for us to "stop walking up and down the f-ing stairs".
Maybe try to see things from the other person's perspective before you become infuriated with them because the acoustics in their place are different than yours.
I must be passive-aggressive in a mild but very devious sort of way. I don't want to bother my neighbors and want them to tell me if I am bothering them so I can stop whatever it is. However, I figure if I treat them nice and they respond by being rude,well then that's what they want, rudeness. I'd rather not bother the police with something I can probably quietly take care of myself. My thoughts are to train them like you'd train a dog. Don't say anything, just do it back to them but do it in such a way that they will subconsciously understand. Then if they complain, be genuinely apologetic and act innocent about it. But when they need a little dose, give it back to them. Most likely they won't say anything, especially if you do it just subtly enough to get the message across. It's kind of like conditioning them by reinforcing to them that their bad behaviors are going to cause them the same loss of sleep or annoyance that it's causing you. If they are keeping you up all night with drinking and being loud, then you know they'll be sleeping when you're up and about. Soooo, why not do like my brother suggested to me.
After reading some of the posts here, I feel fortunate that my neighbors aren't generally obnoxious on a daily basis. Mostly it's the neighbors below me, but it used to be the neighbor above me. She's evidently a barmaid/bar-fly who comes in at around 3:00 A.M. and then runs all over her apartment some nights for hours. It's not even that loud, but it's constant and she sometimes likes to open and close her dresser drawers off and on plus random slamming doors or dropped items which, even though I sleep with a fan running, sometimes disrupts my sleep. She woke me at 3:15 the other morning and kept me up until 6:00 A.M. at which time I finally went back to sleep for a short time before I had to get ready for work. This aggravates me. The noise isn't extremely loud, but she's heavy footed on the floor and I think it's feeling the vibration almost as much as the faint sound of it. She's not been too bad lately, but the neighbors below me are sometimes horrible and have parties almost every Sunday night. They like to repeatedly slam and I mean SLAM the apartment door so that it vibrates the walls and floor and they SLAM the heck out of the cabinet doors just the same. Then there's the screeching of the woman who lives there that is almost like fingernails on a chalkboard. She's gotten quieter, for the most part, except when people are over. I think they all take a dump when their friends come over too, because I always get a heavy butt beef smell in my apartment on those nights. Lovely, eh? They were doing this stuff so much,with such force and so loudly a few weeks ago that I decided they were going to get a dose of inconsideration right back the following morning. As my brother suggested, I placed my two phones (1 in the bedroom and 1 near the kitchen) in my one bedroom apartment on the floor. Turned up the ringers to high and then covered them with boxes which were then covered with pillows and blankets. I didn't want to bother the woman above me. Not this time, at least. Then I took my computer speakers, which are in my bedroom and placed them on the floor and covered them the same way. I was going to make them listen to death metal all day while I was at work as they would be trying to sleep off their drunk from the party. Then I remembered my Uncle's homemade cd of religious bluegrass music and decided that for their listening pleasure they were going to be treated to something much more nerve-grating.
The next morning I set the CD to play over and over and over again. It probably played over 8 or 9 times while I was gone. I turned it up to what I guessed would be just loud enough to disrupt their sleep, but that was only a guess. I don't really know how loud the volume was for them cause it was muffled by the box and pillows? Then I went to work with a big evil smile on my face. Throughout the day I dialed my home number and let the phones ring and ring and ring. I did this at random intervals sometimes two or three times in a row to make sure that it would disrupt their sleeping patterns. Aren't I evil? You would definitely scream "YES" if you were unfortunate enough to hear the "priceless" aforementioned cd from my Uncle. My other Aunt laughed like crazy when I told her what I made them listen to and she said that I was "very evil" for subjecting them to that music over and over again like I did
It's funny, when I came home, I came in very quietly and listened. I felt really guilty doing that to them as I know it was really mean, but just as a child learns that one of their actions causes unpleasant results, so would my neighbors. I could hear "Free Bird" playing at a pretty loud volume and couldn't exactly tell if it was from above me or below (my target audience). Anyway, I left it play for a short time and then turned it off. Funny thing is, shortly after I turned off the lovely bluegrass cd, the other music stopped. Somehow, I don't think they cared for their treat. What a shame! Not!
Anyhow, they had their usual Sunday party the following week, but they refrained from the over-excessive slamming of everything. Lately, I've hardly heard them at all. Ah, what goes around comes around especially when you help it come around. Big Grin! I hope this will help some of you to at least give a little dose back without having to be confrontational. Remember to always be very sincere if they approach you, or just deny it if you can. Some of you could also leave your alarm clocks going off or set them to go off when you know the ingrates are trying to sleep and then act innocent about it and apologetic. I, personally like the phone idea. You could prop a box close to the ceiling for upstairs neighbors fun-time while you're at work.
My other idea is to make a cd of random noises. Screeching tires, sirens, glass breaking, fingernails on a chalkboard, explosions, screaming, baby crying, howling dogs or whatever you can think of and make a cd that spaces the sounds at 20 or 30 minutes or just random intervals and then set that to play throughout the day. make the sounds just long enough to wake them up, but not long enough that they will know what it is. So that just when they might be getting comfy again and falling back asleep they get woke up again. After all, isn't that what they're doing to you? This would be good for all night partying neighbors. After all, who wants to continue drinking when they feel like crap the whole next day cause they couldn't get any peaceful rest? Yea, that's what I'm talking about!
You could also have them listening to constant crying baby or howling wolves at a just low enough volume that they can barely hear it but can't tell where in the world it's coming from. I'm not sure how you would guess the volume, but it's just a thought. Maybe set something like that in the closet for added concern on their part?
Okay -
It's not that it is so severe as other stories I've heard, here and elsewhere, but, like others - I have a youngish woman above me who is a "hard walker" wearing heavy shoes or high-heels, but even noisy without them. She will return home and right away, begin a routine of clomping back and forth for hours like she is speeding around, maybe "caffeinated" The only time it is quiet is if she is gone or sleeping, since she doesn't seem to sit for long, scraping chairs across the linoleum, as it screeches. (Yeah, the management should have installed carpeting in the dining, but I think they have begun using more linoleum - which was a mistake). It is a main "walk thru", also.
I waited a bit until she was settled and then decided I wanted to "nip things in the bud" - going to speak with her in Sept. '08. I asked if she might put those little pads under her dining chairs as to prevent screeching.. she seemed open and friendly and I felt good about the conversation.
In December, when I had been aware that she had not made any alterations and was driving me nuts with her hyperactivity (she vacuums every two days, not that people shouldn't clean.. just making a point that she seems "obsessive"), I got up my courage to speak to her again. This time, she couldn't open the door, speaking through it. I politely said I needed to speak to her about the noise. She said "What noise"? I explained about the screeching of chairs, loud banging and hard walking. She defended herself by saying.."I'm not having people over..or playing music". I replied that "THAT was appreciated".. but, there is this constant flurry of racket.. she said .."Well... I'll try AGAINNN".. (I thought to myself.. "again"?) Anyway, I thanked her and later, saw it was a bit quieter, but she was gone a lot at that time. January I ran into her and she said "I've been trying to be quieter.." I said "Yes.. thank you.. I've noticed.." and were both friendly.
Of course, it started up again, never resolved the chair thing and I felt she just doesn't give a ____ . Also, since she has had a boyfriend, when he arrives, they just have to use the couch (apparently) to ____ on, making my wall shake and my window rattle. One night, I was compelled to press on my window in such a way that they would know.. or something. I was just frustrated since it happens a lot - and living in "Quake Country" in Los Angeles, I don't want to hear a quake being replicated.
I have previously had quiet neighbors up there, except for one and he was asked to leave. Also, she was living in another unit here above someone else, prior and THAT downstairs neighbor had the same complaints - speaking to her, also. You'd think she would "get it", but I think at the root, some people are just inconsiderate.
It appears I am stuck, since I have attempted to speak with her and I know it would be unhelpful to speak to the managers and could make it worse. it's not like there is loud music.. and she does have a "schedule". I just don't appreciate the "tension" I feel she generates that I have to put up with while quietly trying to enjoy my own space.
I am so relieved to have found this thread, I could almost cry. 2 1/2 years ago my husband and I moved from Brooklyn to Berlin, Germany. We moved into a beautiful apartment that I absolutely loved. That is until our horrible stomping neighbors got started. The stomping was relentless and out of control and all hours of the day and night. Their dogs barked for up to 4 hours at a time. TV blasting all day and night. Occasional stereo, etc. They started a renovation project that was still going on almost a year later when we finally moved. Of all the disturbances, the stomping was by far the worst. So my husband and I made sure that we moved into a top floor apartment. We told both the previous tenant here and the new landlord why we were seeking a top floor apartment. Well, the day came that it was time to come clean up our new place once it was empty so we could move in (another horror story but it's too long to go into). As I was cleaning I heard it. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!! What was that?!?! Then there it was again. There was no mistaking it. It was the echoing boom of a Stomper. But we're on the top floor!?!??! How is this happening??? You guys, I kid you not. We have lived in this apartment now for 1 year and 12 days. The stomping has been just as horrible and loud here as it was when we lived underneath someone. We learned not to try to deal with it face to face in the last apartment as it only made things worse. Both landlords here are/were worthless and no help. A few months ago, I started really stomping back HARD and flew into total rages, screaming and all, whenever she started her stomping. Today, the Stomper is moving out. I am holding back my joy because until the next person moves in, I am too scared to hope for better. For anyone who has never lived with this problem, they would not possibly understand. It feels like being put inside a cardboard box and someone just beating on it, it's like being trapped and I can't even enjoy the few moments when she's not doing it because I know it's going to start again... - and I agree, their patterns are all the same. What ARE they doing in these limited spaces? It is mind boggling. It has nearly destroyed my life as my nerves are shattered and my sleep disrupted. It has also caused so much stress that my husband and I are on edge and end up fighting. I would never have believed that this could happen to us living on the top floor. But it sure did. There are 5 units in this building and a total of 9 people living here and it was this ONE PERSON and no one else doing it (you can see into the other apartments in the windows of the building reflecting across the driveway). One person. Out of 9. God please let the next tenant be NORMAL!
By the way. Carpeting does not work. It's not magic carpet. And these people who slam their feet through the floor with every step they take can not be stopped by any carpet.
It is very interesting reading all of the comments. I live on the top floor of my apartment building. I recently received a note from my neighbor who lives in the apartment below mine. She was angry about all of the noise that I make, especially in the morning. I was not aware the I was disturbing her. I always walk around in my bare feet. Since then, I have tried to be quieter. I can't use carpeting because I have allergies. That was one of the reasons that I moved into this apartment, there are hardwood floors. I honestly don't know what to do to correct this problem. I also have a disability and always walk with heavy footsteps. I'm open to any and all suggestions about this problem.
Wear thick slippers.
Finding this site is like finding a support group. Even as I write, my stomper and her running, jumping grandchildren are wrapping up the second day of making my holidays a living hell. We live in codominiums that were converted from apartments, meaning they are poorly constructed and impact noise travels as if there was nothing between me and them. Her everyday noise is difficult enough to tolerate, but I do tolerate it. But when she brings her grandchildren over to spend several days it is beyond description. Apparently telling them that they can't run, jump or scream at the top of their lungs is not an option, so I am left to pound on the ceiling with a broom handle, like some kind of character from a sitcom.
I have talked to her several times about this and she always gives me some kind of lame excuse about why they are loud (their cousins are visiting from Florida and they're so excited to see them, etc.), but nothing ever changes. She closes the door, goes back upstairs and the same level of horrendous pounding continues.
She lives on the top floor and it is her world. I live on the first floor and I am held hostage. The condo association does not get involved in owner-to-owner problems, so I have no recourse. If I do any of the wonderfully imaginative things that have been suggested on this site as retaliation, I am afraid I will start a war and we all know who will win--the guy on top!
I had a contractor try a soundproofing experiment to see if that would help--it didn't. It seems there is no getting rid of impact noise -- stomping--it is like some evil cloud we are stuck under.
In my situation, again, her everyday noises are disturbing, but I can grit my teeth and tolerate those. If she would only be considerate -- and a responsible adult -- and tell those kids they are not allowed to run and jump and screech, this insanity I go through would be unnecessary.
I love where I live and there really are no other options for condos in my price range--even if the market wasn't in the garbage can. It seems crazy that I have to move from a place I love because she is so inconsiderate.
When I bought the place it was so quiet up there that the Realtor and I thought no one lived there. I bought it because it didn't have stairs and I wanted to be on the first floor. What a stupid move.
Next time, I either will tough it out with stairs, or will camp out at various times throughout the evening and weekend so I can know what it really is like when the upstairs owner is home.
Who knew there were so many inconsiderate morons in the world--and that they all live on the second floor??
I read all of the comments and see that this problem exists far and wide! I would NOT go knocking on doors in my neighborhood. I might write a note but I'm not sure even that would do any good (although it's less confrontational). I have also lived in new construction that had zero insulation between floors and between townhouses so you could hear not only the person next door, but those several doors down if music was turned up too loud.
For now, I have two little dogs and found an apartment on the ground floor (with the building basement below - no one to bother) because I know my two 15 pound dogs sound like a herd of elephants from below. On the other hand, people come and go at all hours of the day and night, slamming doors, talking (sometimes shouting) like it's the middle of the day, etc. - where I jolt out of my sleep from the noise. And, maybe they are wondering why my dogs bark at them!?
I live in a New York City neighborhood where people who live above or near restaurants and night clubs cannot get the police to have the restaurants turn down their music (one place is open 24 hours and has kareoke!). Another place just got its liquor license renewed even though there were numerous complaints about the place.
The bottom line is that if you don't complain, nothing will happen to improve matters. I have started to attend community board meetings and am not afraid to call 311 (the NYC help line) if there is a noise complaint AND to follow up to be sure the complaint doesn't "disappear" from the records. We FINALLY have security cameras so it is not left up to individuals to report problems to management.
I think that the older I get, the less I want to put up with the nonsense of apartment living because there's always something to deal with when there are a lot of people crammed together.
Bad neighbors don't give a sh*t. And when they move, worse ones can move in.
Better yet, do yourself a favor and buy a home. FHA only requires a 3 1/2% downpayment, and ok credit rating. I withdrew from my 401k and 2 months later I moved out of a thin-walled, thin-floored expensive apt. My monthly mortgage is about 25% more than my rent -- well worth it for my sanity.
Sooo many great bargains out there. Forclosures can take months to buy, and tend to be in bad shape. But so many other homes to choose from. Be sure no yappy dogs live next door, or loud teenagers with music.
Do yourself a favor and talk to a real estate agent. You don't pay them anything ... the seller does. They'll start taking you to look at homes you can afford. Lendingtree.com or similar is a good place to start looking for a lender. In the end, they don't offer rates any cheaper than anyone else, but the mortgage reps tend to have lots of help for newbies.
Do it! Or at least check it out. Nothing to lose. You don't sign anything until you close on the home. Although your mortgage lender will charge you a fee of about $300 and FHA inspection of the home costs about $450. You get your 401k withdrawal about 2 weeks before closing if thats where you get your downpayment. So until then, you've got to find some cash for these upfront costs. They won't let you use a credit card though.
I live in the midwest where home prices are average.
There is a lot of stompers aren't there?
I have live in this apartment for 7 1/2 yrs., there is only 2 apartments next to each other above a garage. I'm on my 4th neighbor. Have had no prob with any of the others. Till now! She moved in 2 yrs ago. and its the stereo blaring at all hours of the night, she fat ass stomping around, her 2 yr old up screaming running through the apartment, banging things, her screaming and fighting with whom ever. This goes on and on anywhere from 10pm till 6am.
I have a 13 1/2 yr old Asperger son who must get up for school in the morning. But we are kept up at all hours of the night.
But here in the borough I live in they have an ordinance that states: after 3 citations for disturbance the landlord must evict the tenet. If you own your home you just get fined. Well, I have had the police here so many, many times, 3 times in one weekend. But get this: she only got one notice. I just received my 2nd--I'm going to fight. She lied and said that my son was banging on the conecting wall since 5 am. HA HA HA......I didn't get up till 6am and he was still sleeping, he got up at 7am. I know he was still sleeping because he has been sleeping in my room with me because of all the noise so he could get some sleep. Believe me the floor is not comfortable.
I have spoke with the landlord so many times and all he says is you two need to work it out, maybe you'll become friends. I tell him I have tried 2 yrs ago on several occasions but all she does is yell and scream, I refuse to speak to someone when they are doing that. Now back to the police issue: I gave up on calling them because I swear she must be giving them one heck of a BJ because that is the only thing I can think of how she is getting away with this after all this time. And I was also accused by the police of being a nuisance for calling so much and I could be sighted. I must have called them over 100 times in 2 years and she only called them twice. So you tell me what is going on.
Oh that first notice what because the cop pushed his way in to speak with my son and got pissed off because my son did not look him in the eye when he spoke to him and his said that his Autism was a crock. I can easily prove his diagnosis form many doctors, and I can prove what time our alarms go off in the morning. They have been set for 7 1/2 yrs and never changed.
I have been trying to come up with the money to move, but its not easy when you are on SSI, you do not have many spare funds to put away. But I do know that I need to get out of here. But I am also worried that this will affect me in renting anther place.
I live in PA, if you were wondering.
Oh one more thing.......I go to bed at night and I worry that my TV is up too loud, and try to keep my son quiet. I make him settle down at 7pm. Especially when she first moved in because her son was just 2mths old now I regret every doing that.
The solution to the stomper? Discover your inner Guido. Veiled threats are an art form.
Well it's amazing. These Stompers fit into a very unique profile. Thumper lives upstairs from me. Maybe she weighs 350 lbs. Ten, yes ten years, I have had to listen to her do whatever she does until 4 a.m. I am a nurse. I lost two jobs because I could not get up to go to work. I have a tablelamp in my kitchen because everytime I put in ceiling lights - poof!
One of the clodhoppers hits my ceiling and it's over. Same for the bathroom. She stomps back and forth back and forth. Tonight, after all these years, I totally lost it. I went out on my deck at 3 a.m. and because screaming as loud as I could. I wanted the president of the HOA to hear it and I wanted all the neighbors to know what I go through. I made up my mind tonight, everytime she stays up all night and keeps me up with her equipment, I'm going out on the deck and disturb everyone else and they will get sick of hearing me. So what does she do tonight? She calls the police on herself. Yes, you read right. They came to see me and I told them the whole story and they said they told her she had to quiet it down. As far as I'm concerned she's a pig. After reading all these horror stories it's clear, she fits perfectly into the selfish, childish, inconsiderate profile that comes with the behavior. You have to fight fire with fire. Yes, it's the bowling ball sound, the exercise machine sound, plus I she has such a huge body that I have to listen to her pass wind and snore all night. The HOA, as all of you have said, doesn't care. But trust me, my next step is to the courts because I am now completely finished with this slut.
Irritated, I just found your post. You did the right thing. You cannot be nice to these people. As I said above, you have to fight fire with fire. I can assure you, after tonight, everytime she starts to keep me up at night, I'm going to scream as loud as I can and keep up the whole neighborhood. I have holes in my ceiling - pounding is worthless. Just make as much noise as you can and let other people know what they are doing to your life. I'm going to post these letters on my car windows in the parking lot tomorrow. My motto henceforth is "If I don't sleep, nobody sleeps" and I mean it. I have often wondered what kind of a family she came from that she is so totally involved in herself. When I told her it's like elephants and a bowling ball she took offense. My walls vibrate too and the contractor told me he could try to fix it for $6000 but he doesn't think that's the answer. In my wildest dream I never thought I'd be trapped in my home, no place to run, and have a totally absorbed dim witted idiot living above me. To all of you suffering - FIGHT - just fight fire with fire. Press on.
I'm glad I found this forum. I moved into a one-bedroom apartment about 2 months ago because I liked the layout, and the price was right. Huge mistake. The neighbors on the other side of our common wall play video games on a sound system that would rival George Lucas. Explosions, swelling music, and more explosions coming through my walls shaking my apartment. Of course, I've spoken to them about this, but their excuse to me was "The walls are just very thin". I've complained to the apt. manager, and she has spoken to them but it's done no good. Unfortunately, I still have another ten months on my lease (and then I'm outta here!), so I can't move. But I've got to find a solution to the inconsiderateness of the neighbors, especially when they play their video games at midnight. I'm going to find out what the noise ordinances are in my city and write a letter.
Ive been living in a 4th floor condo in a 5 floor building for about a year and a half now. There is an older couple (50-65) living above me, the man is a fulltime teacher at the local college of which i attend, and the woman is a fulltime floor-stomper. I spend most of my time at home studying and have had much time to become familiar with the patterns of stomping. When i first confronted the couple about the lady's stomping via phone call, she had no idea that she was making noise at all and promptly arranged for her to come into my condo and me to go up into hers while on the phone so i could stomp around and show her what i deal with from anywhere from 6AM-2AM. So i went up there and stomped like there was no tommorow, asking 'do you hear that?' along the way. She claimed she couldnt hear a thing. I later spoke to the husband who informed me that his wife was not all there in the head, not so say shes disabled or anything, she is just extremely quirky. I asked why live on the top floor if u know this happens, and he said,'we always live on the top floors'.
That was about a year ago, and since then there has never been a day free from my floor shaking and my mistaking her stomping for thunder outside. I have given up my diplomatic approach and have resorted to the broom to the ceiling routine. Since starting the brooming, i have begun to receive hand written letters under the door. up to 5 pages of chicken scratch, mostly incoherant rambling about excuses of why she'll be making noise this particular week. I'm beginning to lose my patience with this situation and i am leaning towards taking the next step. i know my downstairs neighbors and they say if they didnt know me personally, theyd never have known anyone lives above them, so i dont see why i have to suffer with the nutcase upstairs. the property management knows about it and tell me to call security when this happens, but i refuse to waste his time.
@scottsh, you're full time stomper comment was hilarious! I have upstairs neighbors who will be up at all hours of the night stomping around like its the thing to do. They also have a child who runs around till about three in the morning. The noise is happening right now! I have called courtesy patrol to tell the people upstairs to keep it down. I mean, how can they NOT KNOW how loud they are? I can deal with the floors creaking, but the stomping is driving me bonkers. I realize that some people just have heavy footsteps, and I am not bothered by it during the day time, but at all hours of the night??? This is just getting ridiculous. I thought about telling the neighbors to keep it down myself, but then I think "what if they retaliate with violence or vandalism to my vehicle." They don't seem like very nice people either. How many times do I have to complain to have something done?! Since these people live on the top floor, they have no clue how irritating it is to live with the constant running and stomping around. I also have a sixteen month old child and because of my upstairs neigbors, he doesn't stay alseep from being startled by all the noise. He wakes up at least three times a night and I'm sick of it!! What am I supposed to do now? Should I keep filing complaints until they are evicted? Leave a note? Call the cops? Confront them myself? Also, I'm am up a lot at night anyway, but at least I have the decency to make sure I don't stomp. I walk lightly anyway though. I also teach my children that it is not polite to horse around when there are people living under us. Common sense right?
WE should have an apartment building just for stompers!
I've lived in my apt for several years now, it's an old, 3 story house built in the 1900s - divided into 4 apts. Now I expect a little more noise than the average apt because it's a house however....
The loudest, rudest, creepiest guy moved in upstairs on the 3rd floor. Not only is he home all the time stomping around but he plays his guitars - electric and acoustic, stomps down and up the stairs to go smoke every 20 minutes and the last straw, loud wailing sex.
I kid you not, the last time the loud sex happened - 3am no less, I was so irritated I got up, dressed and went for a long walk because I was so angry. But when I got back, his door was wide open and they were going at it again. He OPENED HIS DOOR, to be sure everyone heard it. I was hesitant to talk to the landlord because he is a friend of hers but after that I didn't give a rip.
He also listens at my and my neighbors doors, follows me down when I take my garbage out just to ask what I'm doing. Creepy Mc Creeperson. I recent found out that my landlord is ready for him to go because all the tenants are having the same problems - seems he thinks since he's friends with the landlord he runs the joint. Pfft. He can't move soon enough for me.
I feel for all of you posters here!!
well, it seems i'm in the same boat as everyone here. Two years ago, i had this problem, I moved out at the first opportunity and had 2 years of bliss until the tenant above me moved out and a family with a young kid moved in. That kid runs, hops, skips, jumps and screams like nobody's business. The thing of it is that I thought I had found apartment nirvana because I live above a doctor's office and he had said that he preferred a tenant without kids because of the noise factor. So color me surprised when all of a sudden I kept hearing the pitter patter of little feet and the vibrations overhead out of the blue. I had no idea the other tenant had moved or when and I certainly had never seen anyone new in the building but then again I hardly ever see anyone. I've already spoken to them at least three times when I felt my sanity quickly fading during his marathon running sessions....They are quite understanding, blah blah blah when i approach them but I really don't see the point in talking to them again as they've done absolutely nothing to reign in this kid. I guess eventually my only recourse to to move again. It's a shame though because I really liked it here while the quiet lasted. I'm considerate of my neighbors but today I couldn't take it anymore so I just blasted my stereo for about 2 hrs since I couldn't accomplish anything anyways I'd rather not have to sit and endure the stomping and the vibrations. I was hoping someone would complain because I'd have just refer them to the upstairs neighbors (cause & effect, right?). Thanks for the vent!
It's funny that all the comments are mostly from people on middle and ground floors. Well, here's one. I've been living in my place for almost 5 years. Everything was great... Until THEY moved in! They are the neighbors under me. I never thought it was possible to feel the floor shake from someone walking. But you can. The guy who has to be about 250 pounds I think he believes he's a kangaroo. He will literally take 4 or 5 stomping steps and then jump! I've seen him do it through a window whilst taking out my trash. I hate this guy with a passion and have fantasized about punching his face in numerous times. There are so many times I just want to take a bat to his knees so he'd have to use a wheelchair and I could get some peace.
This guy does this from 8 until he leaves, and it doesn't stop when he leaves. He's got two annoying retarded dogs who do nothing but bark the entire time he's gone. I've told animal control, I've told the building, and his response... "They don't bark when I'm here." I believe this guy is 1/2 retarded or something.
I picked a top floor apartment because of stompers... So, what happens when the stomper under you can literally shake the ground? I would be so grateful to find a place away from this moron. But I have to wait out the lease... It's sad, because this used to be a nice apartment.
i have deaf neighbors above me that disturb me all day and all night with banging , stomping and what sounds like moving furniture all night!!! I've called the police 5 times and they told me as long as they are in their apt they cant do anything about it and maybe i should move....I tell my landlord about it and when i told him the police told me to file a civil suit against the neighbor his reply was "not and live here"....to me this is a threat but the county attorney says he can do anything he wants sooooooo i'm going to contact some lawyers today and see if i have a case against the neighbor and my landlord and see where that gets me...anyone have anymore suggestions let me know....thanks disturbed
Nothing seems to work , I have a guy living over me ,with a big boxer dog who runs back and forward and bark sometimes up until 4:30am no one sleeps not even the baby , the guy uses a saw , and hammer all the time, I have called the police they have done nothing ,the landlord wont return calls and his tenant continues, I own my unit he is a renter and i dont feel that i should have to move , i lived there since 1999, he just moved in months ago what can be done about this situation that the landlord wont handle?
Join Date: Apr 2012
1 posts
Reputation: 10
i live above a woman who likes to blast her music from 8pm to 5-6am every night. i wouldnt even care really if it was something worth listening to but its some crappy rap music and she has the bass turned way up and has huge subwoofers. so when i lay in bed each night, the bass is pounding so hard that my bed vibrates like crazy.the g/f and i call the cops each time, two hours later the cops get there and by then the music is always off. she owns a scanner so she turns it off as soon as she hears that the cops are on their way. so today the landlord came along pounding on my door, i open it up. she hands ME a envelope. i was like um....whats this for? she said since we complain and the cops come here and nothing is going on, we will be evicted if we complain even one more time to the cops about that thing downstairs. i have had problems with her ever since she moved in about 6 months ago. when she moved in the apartment downstairs, she was smoking so much pot that it was seeping into my bathroom and my 3yr old daughter and 9 year old daughter would come out of the bathroom from going potty and they would smell like straight marijuana.{a few times i thought my 3 yr old was stoned from that renter doing that downstairs. so we called the cops. the cops said that drug possesion is not considered a real crime so nothing legally they could do. ok so a few days go by and she comes upstairs and says if we dont quiet our kids down, she is comin up here with her gun and she will shut them up permanently forever.{terroristic threats i thought right?}nope...they saaid they cant do anything about a threat until the lady actuall comes up here and then kills one of my kids.{which would never happen because if she ever did come up here to harm my family, the only thing that will end would be her.}so now she can legally smoke pot whenever she wants, she can legally make terroristic threats whenever she wants, and she can blast her music crap whenever she wants. and if i complain one time, my family and i are living on the street. if anyone has any info for me on what I can legally do besides move, please let me know. my personal email is [email]firstname.lastname@example.com[/email]. thanks yall for listening to my story.
I have an interesting problem. One night I feel asleep with the TV on, and I suppose it was loud enough to bother two of my neighbors (never has before?), because the next day I got a call from the apt management telling me to keep it down AND a rude, borderline threatening note under my door - presumably from one/both neighbors - telling me to shut up. Now, I've lived with some nightmare neighbors, trust me; if I'd had any idea I was causing anybody discomfort, I would have adjusted my lifestyle... not that there'd be much to adjust, since this happened once and that only by accident.
Now I hear constant thumping at night, as if from music, and I get the distinct impression this is being done as "revenge" specifically against me. I'm afraid I can't call management because I don't know which unit it's coming from. If I did, I wouldn't talk to the tenant because their letter made it semi clear what they'd like to do to me. It's 3:36AM and I have to be on the road at 6. I'd hate to move out, because up until now, this has been a great, quiet complex.
What can I do?
Too freaking tired to spell.
I'm afraid there's no real solution to many of these problems. I myself found this conversation by venting my frustration through googling "slamming doors." What I found here put my situation into perspective. I have lived in many apartments, usually on the top floor or in side by side single story duplexes (because I well know that being beneath a noise-maker can be unbearable). I have lived next to, above, or below guitar players, floor stompers, home bowling aficionados, nearly deaf T.V. watchers, owners of barking dogs left alone all day long, etc. I have also had a next door neighbor collude with other neighbors to complain to management about the fact they could hear me swearing while I was talking on the phone. I have always preferred to live in a detached house, if possible. When that wasn't possible, I've used earplugs and some white-noise generating device such as a fan. I've also found using high quality closed headphones works well (and keeps me from bothering others). If floor stompers bother you (as they do me), you should really try to live on the top floor. It can also help to get the largest apartment you can afford, as it will be more likely you can find a "quiet room" further away from the neighbor who is making noise. For obvious reasons, you want to find a place with as few shared walls as possible, too. Be aware that you may be frustrated by your neighbors noise, but they might be also frustrated by yours, of which you are unaware. Also, a loud stereo is very different than someone just walking around above you. Walking around is a normal activity that the walker may not realize disturbs you, and it varies in its loudness based on many factors. However, only a real asshole who just doesn't care thinks himself entitled to blast music in an apartment. Aggressive door slamming is never necessary and is clearly asshole behavior, but there are some doors that require great attentiveness if they aren't going to make a loud noise even when not slammed. In short, you're not entitled to act like an asshole making noise just because you can, but you should also realize it's fruitless to try to bully the world into conforming to your own standards of quiet.
I live in an apartment. Just renewed my lease BEcause..............................after I blew up in their faces about their damn noises they informed me that they are moving out this JULY :) I'm exhausted with the constant STOMPING, RUNNING, JUMPING and DROPPING HEAVY OBJECTS ON THE FLOOR from six in the evening to six in the effin morning! It's not just the child - it's ALL the ADULTS who live in that apartment. I have called the police SO many times and complained to the apartment office. The major issue is that there isn't a law to help those of us who suffer. The only other way to handle a situation like this is to take them to small claims court. I don't have time for that $#!+! Why can't the police issue a citation? If the Police were called to the same address FOR the same reason MORE than once- Charge $100 for every one in the household- whether or not they contributed to the noise! That way the Police don't get annoyed and we WHO suffer can enjoy our peace paid for by the "NOISY EFFIN NEIGHBOR", < title for citation :)
i live in an apartment and they keep on jumping on somthing banging and throwin or dropping things on the floor and it keeps on waking up my kid and then he wont go back to sleep i am effin sick and tired of it an di cant call the police because i am not that sort of person.
one day i went on holiday and we moved in on the 5th floor and there were stompers and they came in about 2 o'clock in the mornimg and they dont care that there are people a floor down and he moves his couches up and down and side to side the one day we went out to the pool at 8:00 in the morning and we saw him so i said plz can you keep it down in a sweet voice and them he said yes and then 6 weeks later he came with a woman and they must of been doing it on the flood because all we heard was boom boom like they were having sex so we moved above them and made lodes of sound to see how they liked it and they were shouting "stop making all that effing raket" so then my boyfriend said are you going to stop making lodes of noise and then then they didnt make any noise after that so if you have that problem do what i did and move above them and do that and they will stop what they are doing if you give them a good telling off.
Wow Fern, what great revenge! I wish moving above the stomper was something we could all do, but not many get that chance :) Actually my stompers are outdoor stair stompers! They managet to bound up and down the staircase and make it sound (not kidding) like a fire escape. The stairs are cement, so before moving in I thought there would be no way anyone could be too noisy on them. I was so wrong. At least, they re the only couple in the place that is this inconsiderate. She wears noisy shoes all the time and bounds up and down the stairs with something in her hand like a suitcase that bangs against the metal railing at the same time. Her hubby makes almost as much noise which you would think would be impossible because guys shoes tent to have quieter soles. -- The very same couple (once they have gone up and down the stairs a few times, take their dog outside and instead of walking the doggie, stand on the tiny rectangle of scraggly grass in front of my apt. and play with her (the dog). They also used this tiny area (right in front of both my bedroom and living/sining area windows) to train the dog to fetch and sit. I keep thinking this will end once the dog is trained and when the poor animal decides it wants to go for a walk rather than just standing or playing in front of the bldg. Then neighbors always stop to admire the dog ( she is a cute dog) and no one does this quietly of course. I think this couple love the attention they get from "airing" their dog. Maybe they need company or maybe their apt is unpleasant so they feel they must be outside, but walking is too much trouble?? They are relatively young so I don't know why they won't walk the dog. I guess I'm luck all the neighbors don't so the same. They all actually walk their dogs and go in different directions all the time. If they all hung in front like this it would be crazy. I actually thought this couple lived right above me - I thought this is why they thought the tiny bit of lawn was theirs. It turns out they live in a middle unit upstairs. They never take the doggie down the back stairs for variety or anywhere else, except in from of my place. I can hear them beginning at 5 am saying "good GIRL" over and over to the doggie. I guess I should hope it would increase my self esteem hearing good girl all the time. If I was a guy I might be rather confused by that. I can hear all their conversations and I know they can hear me - so they should realize "oh, maybe we should move along." But no. I know the landlady would say "it is a common area so they can stay there if they want." But I bet they would not like it if I paced back and forth in front of their windows constantly! I haven't said anything to them because I feel bad in a way asking them to take their dog elsewhere. That is not what I mean but it would be taken that way. I only want them to vary their "dog walking" so that iis maybe only in front of my place once a day. Give me a break you know! But they know it bothers me because I have to walk across "their" lawn to go to and from my car in the drive. So now they are encouraging the other tenants to stop and chat with them right there as well. I wish they could practice alittle empathy instead of going right to vindictiveness. I only hope the landlady will be in my apt. sometime when they do it. Then I could casually mention "yeah they are out there 4 or 5 times a day for a half hour or more each time, staring at 5 am." I doubt the landlady would get involved (esp. since my least has 8 mos. to go) but I'm hoping the other tenants start avoiding the couple so they don't have to stop and chat every time they are on their way somewhere or coming home from work, etc. I would not even hang out there constantly myself, and I am the one closest to the lawn. If they don't want to walk the dog, they should get a bigger apt (not a middle/single unit like they have now) and get something with a lawn in front. I pay more to live in front but I feel like they are my roommates not neighbors. At least, they don't live directly above me. And luckily the girl they do ove above is never home. Thanks for the chance to vent!
Where do I start? I live in North Hollywood,CA. It's not a nice, rich area but is certainly not a ghetto. Not that that's an excuse for neighbors disrespecting each other! There are 35 units and approx. 45 kids! The kids play in the common area (courtyard) from sunup until late night. They scream (literally scream) and run up and down the stairs and use skateboards for hours. The parents never say anything and I sometimes wonder if their parents are even home. I've even caught small children in the pool by themselves! The noise is driving me insane! I have a loud window air conditioner and have it on year round to drown out SOME of the noise but it's been cold in L.A. lately and just isn't an option to have it on with a heater. Besides my electric bill is sky high and it just isn't fair! There are other problems too. Dogs barking at all hours i.e. 5am, shopping carts all over the complex and in front of the driveway so that I have to get out of my car and move them just to pull in. The kids play in the laundry room and have broken the washers and dryers and now there is a "store" down the hallway in #29 where the elderly couple sell chips and candy and sodas at all hours of the day. I found out about the store because one night about 10pm there was a line of kids yelling outside my window and I went out to ask what they were doing and a couple of them said they were waiting to buy candy at this "store"! I was shocked! When I moved in 4 years ago there were kids but they seemed a lot more tame and well mannered. Also we used to have a stricter on site manager who combed the complex daily. She even yelled at me once for having a plastic water bottle filled with water inside the pool area. God I miss her! I have yelled at the kids for 2 years now and have even gotten into arguments with the parents. I have talked to the on site manager numerous times and while he agrees he can't stand the noise either he is too nice and wants to get along with ALL of the tenants and really doesn't say much. So last week I sent a letter to the head of the management company listing all of my complaints. There is supposed to be a new list of rules coming out tomorrow with all of the new rules so we will see if anything actually changes. But this evening I heard 3 little girls screaming and running and stomping outside my door. I let it go on for 2 1/2 hours then my boyfriend went outside and told them to play by there own apartment. He was very nice. Then they kept it up and I went out and nicely told them again. THEN we heard what sounded like an army stomping past our door with very loud talking and we opened the door to find those 3 girls along with 2 other little boys, and a man and a woman carrying a baby. I said hey you guys have to keep it down! (I wasn't nice at this point) The woman started yelling at me telling me that the kids have every right to play where ever they want and can be as loud as they want and it's a public area. I said it's disrespectful and if we had kids we would never let them play in front of your apartment out of disrespect. She basically kept telling me that her kids will continue to do whatever they want! Then the manager came up after they had all left the building asking my boyfriend and I what happened. We explained and guess what the manager said... those people don't live here and they were just visiting! But he still did not go down and talk to them! So I guess what I'm asking is there anything legally I can do if the problems don't stop? I don't want to move for many reasons and feel that I shouldn't have to be the one that moves. But what can I do? Also to be clear there are a list of rules stating curfew for the kids is 9pm, kids under 14 aren't allowed in the pool without adult supervision, no skateboards or bikes in courtyard AND there was a no pet policy when I moved in.
i am also in the same boat with my neighbor upstairs from me. And i've taked to the landlord who also happens to be her father. it starts from the moment they come home arpound 4-5 pm. the pull into the parking area whipping their car all over and not paying attention to my kids that r playing outside. then they go upstairs where they left their 2 dogs out on the porch all day and the porch is right above the roof to my enterance. so now the snow is melting and there is feces and urine dripping down infront of my door. they bring the dogs in and the running around starts with them and the 4 yr old child thats up there... it sounds like a herd of elephants r running wild up there. i can hear it from the 1st floor of my 2 floor apt with the tv on and my kids playing. then comes my sons bed time at 8 pm because he has school in the morning and being that he is adhd he needs to stay on a schedule. he gets kept up for a good 30min to a hour. next its my daughters and mine bed time. so we lay down and the banging and running start all over. this kid is up most nights until 3 am. the father drinks everyday, has friends over and the fathers gf is underage drinking too... ive called the local cops they came out talked to them and as soon as the cops left the noise got louder. one cop even told me that there was nothing he could do about it. i talked to my landlord. and he told me he woud take care of it. and nothing has changed. i have been told that she just doesnt want to listen to daddys rules anymore. i need to kno if there is anything i can do besides movei love my house and i dont want to have try to find a place all over again.. any ideas? anything i can do legally? like take her to court?
Hi Michele, it is So Simple... Just put your ear plug on and get back to sleep.. WHy bother about how he walk and so. Unless he is doing it on purpose to wake you up.. just be tolerant gal.... there is no such thing as cant get back to sleep.. Quickly put the thoughts away and you will sure get back to sleep..
We though we discovered the Sasquatch family; no kidding. From the first week we moved in our new place, the stomping started. We heard it during the day (all day long as she is a stay at home mother), late at night (after 11pm as we were going to bed), in the middle of the night (3am ish) and in the early morning. We couldn't find a single moment of calm to rest and enjoy our life in the new place. The most UNBEILABLE thing is that we have a new (less than 10 years old) building made of CONCRETE!!!! So we made sure it was the up stairs and took our courage to go and have a chat. We introduced each other as the new down stairs neighbors. As we knock on the door we heard the LOUDEST stomping walking to the door and were scare for our life. We both imagined that it was going to be a strong builded man. A average size (5"8') family guy (a little chubby) answered soon followed by a similar built woman. We told them that we could hear noise coming from upstairs that were disturbing our sleep and our hanging around the apartment. This said they denied being responsible for the noise trying to past the blame to the unit below us our the side. We played their game but made sure they knew the amplitude of the issue (night and early morning, limiting our sleeping time). We left it like that at the time. When we went back to the unit, we notice right away a major different; but still we could hear them. Maybe a week after, the problem came back as loud at 1am. We went outside, looked to see who was up.... it was them. The next day, we went to see them again. They not only play innocent again, but after returning to our unit, the lady came down stairs and played the "I'm very concern you think this of me... and, even though I'm not the one making the noise, I'm would like to know it next time you hear something and call me." Gave us her number. During March break, her kid had a friend over on a BEAUTIFUL day (and I have to say, we have tons and tons of playground and green park around, one being right in front of our building facing our windows), I'm not kidding the kids were playing a match of soccer over my head for over an hour. So I called and told her that not only I could hear the kids at the moment but I knew, only by the stomping, that her family went on a trip the week before... and that if this was true (that they weren't home last week) it was without a dough them that we could hear. I think that cut it for them. Since them, we can only hear some lighter stomping at certain time during the evening and random stomping here and there. - I know the issue will never be resolve as long as they are upstairs and they should consider moving in a garden suite for the good of everyone, but we decided to move. Moving is our only way of keeping our sanity. The good thing for them is that we might have save their back... by changing the way they stomp.
Dear Big Matt,
While I absolutely agree with your line of thinking and it has been a whopping EIGHT YEARS since you posted this…………I am replying with the hope that someone will see this and perhaps be saved from living under, and at the mercy of SOME of the retaliatory conditions, harassment, entrapment, and ABUSE that we now are the victims of - just because we wanted a fairly safe and peaceful dwelling in exchange for one thousand dollars CASH per month - (and ALWAYS paid on time)! Hey - so sorry 'bout that last long/run on sentence………..and fair warning: there will probably be a few more like that.
I will try to be as brief as possible - though our story is VERY LONG, VERY PAINFUL, and it has many facets that are actually ALL RELEVANT - that I will not be able to describe or even get into on this message board. First though, I have got to point out that as justified as you would be to go and cut the power…………..this is actually illegal and if there is even a suspicion that YOU (whoever YOU are) have anything to do with knowingly cutting ANYONE's utilities off, and if there is a stitch of evidence…………you will be arrested. So - I just want to make sure that my fellow victims of rental harassment and intimidation, DO NOT wind up harming themselves further!
Secondly, I believe someone mentioned in the very first comment or perhaps the second…………..contacting the offending tenant directly - whether through a note or in person, and with a sweet attitude, a firm attitude, or a downright "at your limit and fed TF up" attitude……….in many states gives the offending tenant the opportunity to legally claim harassment. We have lived in many apartments, in many cities, and in all kinds of neighborhoods - and WE NEVER have been tortured to the degree and with the consistency and relentlessness that has been perpetrated against us in our current dwelling - we are absolutely mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually ANNIHILATED by all of this!!!!! We followed the proper - suggested and LEGAL steps that people in this position are supposed to……and allowed - to take: FIRST - contact the landlord. SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH - TENTH…..contact the landlord. ELEVENTH - contact the landlord and inform them that since they have not done anything to take care of this (it is their legal responsibility to enforce the lease equally on ALL tenants-including the "peaceful enjoyment" clause, & the"nuisance" clause)even though they said they WOULD a few times,and if they still DO NOT do anything to make your apartmentthatyoupayforwithyourhardearnedmoney - LIVEABLE……….. you will have no choice but to contact the proper authorities because you can't live this way and you need to contact someone who can remedy the situation. This way the landlord knows what your intentions are and they have the opportunity to object and perhaps FINALLY do something. In this case the "proper authorities" could mean the Fair Rent Commission, The Housing Authority, The Housing Court, or….. The Police. Since our particular city had recently gone through a HUGE housing scandal……….there was NO Fair Rent Officer, The Housing Authority was only for people on Section 8, The Housing Court was actually in a neighboring town, was open merely TWO days a week for filing purposes only and had absolutely no ONE person or officer to speak with or take accountability for our case…………we only had one choice of authority to go to with this - The Police.
So we did this all in the proper order and in the legal and organized way.
This started nearly 10 months ago when the offending tenant moved in above us in a 2 family,150 yr old, Victorian Home - after we had already been living here a year with no previous issues…….never had called police or asked the landlords for even ONE thing. TODAY??? We are afraid and trapped. The landlord and co. (professional cons with multiple aliases and no legitimate phone numbers or addresses and limited English - involved in several frauds in order to receive several forms of public assistance - both local and federal) , the new tenant (single white mother of two children under the age of 8,prescription drug dealer, on Section 8 and also involved in the same type of frauds as the owners) the city police refused to press charges, issue citations, or help us in any way…… many stating that THEY Had children and therefore they did not feel comfortable pressing charges or writing tickets to the offending tenant (single mother who has her children pounding on floors above our heads with baseball bats in order to harass and bully us), and the area building inspectors and health inspectors - ALL FOUR PARTIES have pulled together to claim that we are guilty of false accusations and the police are now practicing "abuse of power" and forced me by ambulance to hospital for PSYCH eval - considered False Arrest……..hospital released me after 5 minutes which proves that this was false. Got best attorney for civil/human rights violations (don't know if we can afford him yet) - thought he would think I was crazy and paranoid to claim that 4 parties are corrupt and against us. He said that this actually happens ALL THE TIME and especially in this city! We now BOTH have full blown Complex PTSD from all of this stress as well as worsening and increasing physical health issues - an sleep deprivation is a permanent condition of our lives now.
We will pursue this legally and may very well win…………but in the interim we will not leave our apartment unattended and we live looking over our shoulders, watching our backs, and sleeping with both eyes open……….in total fear, stress, and lack of personal freedom to escape or do routine tasks and activities that most everyone gets to do and takes for granted. The only advice I have? Be rich! Be very, very rich and buy yourself a home with a few acres between YOU and any contact with other people. Plan B? Pretend to be very poor (poorer than you are)………….get on as many forms of assistance as possible and be eligible for free legal aid and the support of charitable organizations who will stand up for you and your rights…….for free!!!
Dear Cody,
I would like to address a few things that you have mentioned in your above post - but I want to make sure that that is still your valid email. I can relate very well to a couple of things you have brought up - BECAUSE…………………..they HAVE - and still ARE happening to me! If you see this post - or if you have it set up so that Apartment Therapy sends email notifications to you, of any replies you receive on here……….please just reply to me briefly ON HERE (you have to have your cursor inside the box of your post, for the words "Flag" & "REPLY" to appear on the bottom right corner - across from your name and when you posted) - and let me know that It is still OK to write back to you at that email address to discuss this with you further. I will do my best to share with you - all that I know that may help you to deal with these hideous bullies - with at least a bit more knowledge and confidence, so that you will be in a position to shoot down some of their more baseless threats - MID SPEW ……as they are attempting to make them!
Well gee guys... Guess we know to say FCK going for a ground floor next time. I thought I would save some $$$ you know living in Florida and all the🌞🌞🌞🌞 just beating the heeeeelllllll out of my apartment. Because of hurricanes and lack of money I couldn't rent a twenty story high rise even if I wanted. Thought it would be easier to move in and out every day, and once I actually moved out for good as well. My problems like yours. A year is lonnng with noisy upstairs sons of butt fluffers. But after the first year I decided it would be easier to just stay. First thing first. We moved in under a younger couple with two young boys and a baby on the way. They had no one below them for at least a month. Grandma babysat and said she would tell the youngsters to quiet down AGAIN now that we moved in below. I was offered an upstairs apartment should have took it. The same week that we moved in I should have gone up there, not in the heat of the moment, to explain the WTF to them politely. She was pregers and bursting so I figured with a new born a natural schedule and scene of tranquility must be coming. Yah and I'm still stupid. Should have gotten a better job and moved out weeks ago. Oh well that coupe did move out last year. However my awesome landlady decided to move in, little than two months later, another young couple with young children. She really is NOT on my side, or theirs I guess, she is just $$$. Oh yeah, plus I guess children should be able to run all over the hundreds of square feet of apartment in mere seconds any time they please. Come on where else will the poor children be able to play the 55mph/ 20K Barbie GI Joe race if not on my roof. It's only fair to the poor children. Soooo, when couple number two moves in I decide to go out and help them with the mattress and couch and any thing else to get the chance to... what be nice? Heck no the new girl upstairs is telling me just a mere day later I know I know the running of children you can't stand it,it's too loud, the floor/ceiling is to thin, and the tile on my floor and paint on your ceiling are not adequate noise reducing insulation. SHE promised it will be cool it WILL be cool... I'm so stupid, STILL. Here it has been a couple of months later and I'm asking myself, why, why neighborhoodmike didn't you save money to leave. Most people can put themselves through horrible torment but when it comes to someone else pulling the strings it's never going to be right. I could try loving them and breaking bread, or I could beg bargain plead or rationalize. IN THE END... I've just decided to knock on the ceiling straight up to there level. I'm smart enough to know not to do it if its two grown adults about to kill one another fighting up there. However I'm smart enough to understand ... Save money, scout out knew pace to live and take my time doing it. The best thing perhaps I've thought of is to snoop around speaking to prospective tenants about the tenant landlord relationship of other places to live. While I'm there checking out a new place in the afternoon believe me I will be back checking out the neighbors later that night, perhaps several times. Hopefully they don't think I am the Feds or something snooping around when really I'm just checking out my possible new neighbors actions. I just imply ... So really this guy joe said management really sucks and never fixes leaky pipes and what not. Just wanted to be SURE. As for my new neighbors well yelling at the top of lungs only helps temporarily. I'm sure to do it only with accompanying knocks and slaps to the ceiling. That way they understand shit he's yelling at us and slapping and knocking on the floor/ ceiling. It realy does work both ways, just be carefully not to get any asbestos popcorn ceiling in your face. Not cool. This method seems to work and will but only temporarily. In the mean time while waiting for them to move out I need to save money to do the same. And remember to be cool with the yell slapping. If it was you up there you would be the noisiest SOB. Probably twice as bad as them, and you would be ticked off once they beat on your floor. Make sure they know what your beating for and always try talking a bit first. After that its all bets off. Beat and yell and tell them to stfu. You have rights. But be a little reserved and wait until the most drastic displays of vulgarity to jump on there crap and get loud. Just remember. Get loud not mad. They have rights to.
Peace out piffies
As far as confronting your neighbor, assess the situation. Does the neighbor seem like a reasonable, civilized, mature individual? Or does your neighbor seem like the kind of person that may be violent? If you think you can approach him, do so in a mature manner and don't attack him or his actions. Simply point out how his actions have been keeping you up and ask if he can stop with the noise so your sleep is not disturbed. If this doesn't work or you don't think you can approach him, talk to you manager or owner of the property so something can be done. Contacting your city code enforcement officers, police officers, and/or council members can also help you. Keep a record of every noise disturbance and attempt at resolution in case you talk to someone who wants some kind of proof of how long this has been going on. Record the incident as well. If you have a video or voice recorder on in your room and the loud noise can be heard, it makes your complaints valid and you have indisputable proof which always helps.
Hi guys. I live in a ground floor flat in a converted house, is one flat above me.
The lady above me moved in around 3 years ago. When she moved in she introduced herself to me and seemed freindly enough. But the the first 12 months or so she was here she was incredibly noisy. During that time my sister was staying with me also as she was homeless, my sister slept in the livign room and me in my bedroom, in my opinion the noise was worse in the living room. Basically the noise was as follows.
1 - Constant sawing and hammering noises, could have been DIY but this went on for at least a year, thats a lot of DIY and these flats arent that big. This would be all day from about 8am to about 10pm
2 - Above my bedroom I could hear sliding noises, like a slide door been opened and shut, but after thinking about it and especially how close it sounded I actually think she was sliding up floorboards. This typically happened between 7am and 9am in the morning
3 - Random heavy objects been dropped on the floor, usually about 5-10 times a day, when they dropped they sounded like heavy jugs or something.
4 - Lots of walking around heavily.
After my sister moved out things calmed down, the last 18 months or so the DIY noises are pretty much stopped completely, she still walks around a LOT but thankfully not above my bedroom IF I goto the kitchen, hallway, living room the chances are I will hear her doing stuff, as she seems to be always on her feet. She is frequently in her bathroom handling heavy objects. These heavy objects she still occasionally drops on the floor but is never above my bedroom, my bedroom luckily is pretty silent now, so I tolerate the rest. I think part of the problem is these buildings have no sound proofing, the police told me in a conversation they get tons of complaints and they have found time and time again sound proofing is non existant in rented properties of this nature. I do live on a main road which in the day has traffic noise which as others have touched up on helps, also I keep my pc on when I go bed thats more ambient noise. Ambient noise drowns out "sudden" noises and sudden noises are the sort of thing that prevents sleep and wakes people up. My newest problem is the guy who moved in the other flat behind me has a motorbike, and he also closes the gate whenever he goes in and out, this gate is rought next to my bedroom window. He is in and out 4-5 times a day and usually comes back from his latest outing at 11pm-1am. During this summer he has started using a pushbike tho and is been quieter ( I get on quite well with him), plus I think my body is adjusting to the noise so it doesnt wake me up so much.
My parents have their own story, they own their flat on a middle floor of 3 floors. The people above them rented out their flat last year and the new tenants are noisy and have a dog to boot. So my parents rented another place with plans to rent out their own flat. But they fell out with the landlord in the new place extremely quickly and the reason I am mentioning thi sis they had elderly pensioners as neighbours (what many would consider the perfect neighbours) but the downside of these neighbours is they super fussy, my parents smoke and the neighbours complained, also my mother couldnt keep her scooter anywhere in the hallway or in the back entrance area as neighbours complained again, so they moved back to their noisy flat. The nme stompers is fitting in my view, I dont understand how people can walk around so much in a home, I think the eprson above me with all the heavy stuff shifting around is actually doing some kind of work activity up there but since isnt above my bedroom now I live with it.
I live in a beautiful apartment I love in Dallas Texas. It is within walking distance of my work (I am an Interventional Cardiac Technician), which is idea because I take call 20-24 night's a month, and can get to the Hospital to treat people dying from heart attack's super fast. Yes I have no life after my son passed away. I moved from a large 4 bedroom home to a small 1 bedroom apartment as the big house just made me lonely. The people above me are THE loudest stomper's and I swear they are running a Gold's Gym out of there apartment. It get's so loud at time's, you can actually see the accoustic falling from the ceiling!! Well last weekend a good friend of mine lost her life at way to young of an age. We had worked together for 7 year's, and was not in the mood for the "Elephant Walk" upstair's, which ofcourse promptly started when they arrived home. I'd had it. I banged on my ceiling with a broom handle and stuck my head out the door to yell "Shut the f up!!" slammed my door and that was it. About 30 minute's later, 3 cop's showed up at my door and asked if I was having a party. Well, no! I was despondent and invited them in. They looked in my door and said there was no reason and left. The next morning I left a stick-it note on thier door explaining that I was not in my usual frame of mind after my friend had died, and I apologized for banging on the roof. They took the note and thier own verble side of it and suddenly I was a crazed person!! I never have seen these people, more or less confront them, in any manner. However, trudging home tonight after another late call-back, I found in my mail box a "Notice to Vacate"! An Eviction notice for one complaint about me in 5 year's!!! Can the Manager do that!!?? I'm hiring an attorney and taking them to Court (the property owner's and Management, not my upstair's noise maker's) for Harassment. I got a Notice to Vacate once for paying on the 8th of a month, I got a Notice to Vacate after missing my $7.50 water bill, which the Manager had not posted at the time I paid rent, and I got a Notice to Vacate when my Inspection Sticker on my car expired!! Is this not Harassment!? My nieghbor's say they are trying to force me out so they can charge a higher rent for my apartment! I'm starting to believe them! I was given no notice, no speaking to, no "let's bring the two parties together and see if we can resolve this", just a letter saying I have 19 day's to Vacate. Would you sue? Sure it's gonna cost me a couple buck's but it's gonna cost them a whole helluva lot more!!
Wow. This site is like, therapy for my poor head.
I have lived in my flat for 2 and a half years. Its nothing special but it's a roof over my head.
But around a year ago (maybe longer) a guy moved in downstairs, yes, downstairs. He is.. The neighbour from hell.
He plays loud music ALL night, like, midnight to possibly 6am or later. (He once played it from 10pm to 10am)
Also has horrific rows with his partner, note, I have phoned the police because I heard him physically assaulting her before now.
Well.. I did the right thing, told my landlord. They told me they would create a case against him. Hurrah! I had to log all noise, arguments etc.
BUT, they wanted me to phone the local wardens / police EVERY TIME it happened? Now.. That's just impossible, also by the time they arrived half the time he would have stopped.
Anyway, this went on for about 4/5 months. Then they had enough evidence to take him to court, he ended up with a court order and the landlord decided 'case closed' and to be fair, for a while, it all went quiet (around a month or so) and I was very happy with the outcome.
Now comes the fun part. He's started again, louder.
What can I do? He obviously doesn't care about the court order or anything. He is a big drinker and I suspect he sells drugs (people calling all the time and being there literally 5 minutes before leaving)
I should also note I get migraines and have a mental health issue and its making both worse. I've tried doing it the right way. Now I'm lost, and my head hurts.
Wow. This site is like, therapy for my poor head.
I have lived in my flat for 2 and a half years. Its nothing special but it's a roof over my head.
But around a year ago (maybe longer) a guy moved in downstairs, yes, downstairs. He is.. The neighbour from hell.
He plays loud music ALL night, like, midnight to possibly 6am or later. (He once played it from 10pm to 10am)
Also has horrific rows with his partner, note, I have phoned the police because I heard him physically assaulting her before now.
Well.. I did the right thing, told my landlord. They told me they would create a case against him. Hurrah! I had to log all noise, arguments etc.
BUT, they wanted me to phone the local wardens / police EVERY TIME it happened? Now.. That's just impossible, also by the time they arrived half the time he would have stopped.
Anyway, this went on for about 4/5 months. Then they had enough evidence to take him to court, he ended up with a court order and the landlord decided 'case closed' and to be fair, for a while, it all went quiet (around a month or so) and I was very happy with the outcome.
Now comes the fun part. He's started again, louder.
What can I do? He obviously doesn't care about the court order or anything. He is a big drinker and I suspect he sells drugs (people calling all the time and being there literally 5 minutes before leaving)
I should also note I get migraines and have a mental health issue and its making both worse. I've tried doing it the right way. Now I'm lost, and my head hurts.
So glad to read all this. It made me realize how lucky I actually am. For one, I'm not in NYC or anywhere like it. Although I love big cities, I lived in northern MN my whole life.
My upstairs neighbors moved in a few months ago and really aren't that bad after reading all these comments :-/ They still, however, wake me up and annoy the hell out of me. It is just enraging to listen to people who don't care you are there/have forgotten you are there.
It's weird having just a one sided conversation… you can only hear them.
I delivered a well worded note recently. No anger in it, just a simple, specific request, that they be quieter between 7-9am.
I felt better having done that, even if they don't change their behavior, I have asked for what I need : )
If it comes to it, I am not above strapping a boom box to the ceiling : )
The lady who lives above me is a low level schizophrenic. Not violent. That means she believes weird stuff like space aliens are trying to steal her brain and people make drugs in her kitchen. It really doesn't matter to me what her problem is. She is obviously suffering a lot. The problem is schizophrenics don't sleep well. I suspect she isn't taking he meds. Nobody can make her do that. So she is up several times a night. She is very large, about 300 lbs. She walks around and the ceiling cracks, crashes and creaks under her weight. She gets up about five times a night. She has build shelves with hammers and nails in the middle of the night. Vacuumed, and done something on her bed I can't figure out. Maybe she is shaking it to get imaginary space aliens out, but it's loud and it even makes the lady's apartment above me shake.
The problem is with all the rights afforded disabled people - which I don't protest at all - there is no way she has to move to a downstairs apartment. Which she needs to do. Her daughter isn't helpful and opposes her moving somewhere else.
Management is tired of the complaints. But if I don't complain she forgets and starts stomping at night. I am sick from sleep deprivation! They will relocate to another apartment, and are encouraging me to do it, but I also have a health problem. I am ultra sensitive to perfumes, fabric softeners, chemicals in carpeting, etc. And those things embed into wood, vinyl, carpeting, etc. They are VOC's. Volitile Organic Compounds. In such small amounts others wouldn't notice. But my doctors know this is real and I am diagnosed as allergic by university physicians who study this syndrome. The apartment I am in has virtually no embedded VOC's in it that bother me.
So, I am totally frustrated. Ear plugs aren't going to help with her. She is very noisy. I don't want to move, but they would like me to because they don't want to keep reminding her. Who can blame them? This area is gray. Nobody can make her do anything, yet she is out of her head. Which also makes me look like a villain in the eyes of some people here. But let them sleep a week in my apartment. They would change pretty fast.
Compensating for another person's mental illness is very, very stressful. Her daughter ought to get her into managed care. But she doesn't seem to care about this. The woman is so delusional she thinks she is going to move herself out and drive a truck across country. She can't even drive. You would think that a person that mixed up and helpless would be by law sent to managed care. Apparently not.
Wow, I just noticed how strung out a few of my sentences are. Sleep deprivation.... It will do that to you.
They don't want to keep reminding her to be quiet, and who can blame them? Nobody can make her do anything. But she is out of her head and makes a lot of noise and really needs to move into managed care or move to the bottom floor. - That is what I was trying to say. Thanks...
The noisy neighbor I have doesn't even live in my building. But she does pay for one of the covered parking spots situated along my side of my building. Hers is under my window and I live upstairs. The covered parking is just sheet metal and the exterior of the apartment units are brick. Up to 3 times of leaving & coming back an evening - there could be loud security system/remote ignition car honks, really -hard- door slams (can feel them not just hear them), and loud bass stereo music. She has woken me up between 1am and 4am 4 times in the last 12 months. The woman doesn't seem like someone anyone would want to approach. So what do I do? Live with it, continue being frustrated and occasionally startled? I have white noise machines, earplugs, and headphones.
I moved into a wonderful apartment complex 6 months ago, and 1 month later a couple and their 3 year old daughter moved in. I had a problem before with a man living over me and intentionally dropping heavy objects and stomping over my head, he wanted me to move so that his foreign relatives could move in. Eventually, I moved and said never again would I have anyone over my head. Now it is happening all over again, but with a little twist. Instead of having someone over me, we share common wood floors.
It goes like this, the mother stomps and jumps and drop heavy objects during the day and when the father comes in around 4:30pm it is non-stop heavy running and jumping and stomping. He continuously pounds the floor with a large plastic water bottle or drops other heavy objects on the floor. The daughter is usually not involved with the mother in the morning harassment. But, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours after the father comes home he encourages the daughter to run, jump, and stomp as hard as she can and to scream at the top of her lungs. She will usually do this on and off for a period of 2 hours with him. But, he is non-stop in his harassment that has now lead to stalking. He runs and jumps and stomps and hard as he can. He never says a word, but moves from room to room to detect where I am so that he can either run, jump, stomp, or drop the plastic bottle or heavy object. The vibration, of course, is felt under my feet.
How do I know that it is the father doing this and not the child. Well, you can not be in two places at the same time. He will run and jump and stomp continuously on the stairs, and yes, you can feel the vibration and hear the noise. He runs upstairs and does the same on his landing and in his bedroom that can be felt and heard in my upstairs rooms. Of course, I don't get much sleep.
I am on a mission now to find a piece of apparatus that will detect this heavy running and jumping and stomping and bashing of heavy objects on the floor.
I am looking forward to reading through these posts. The situation I am in is that I have hostile, violent emotionally immature neighbors who enjoy slamming things; stomping around their apartment and slamming their door and stomping up and down the stairs we share. All hours and all days. I spoke to them nicely with no luck and have reported to management (apparently they've been reported before). Now they are up to every day with this behavior. My patience and tolerance and sense of humor are dwindling. They obviously know how to close a door, walk up and down the stairs safely, and use their "inside" voices, act civilly, and not take their frustrations out on objects in their apartment. There is a "right to quiet enjoyment" law. (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Right+to+quiet+enjoyment) I really don't want to escalate. IMO their emotional immaturity is abusive and unpredictable so to avoid any consequences, I am looking for strategies I can do without going to management again and without escalating it legally (police or court).
Any ideas?
Wow the comments in here are kind of crazy. I have lived in both situations where I am the upstairs neighbor and the downtstairs neighbor. Once you have been in both situations you realize that if you aren't being super loud on purpose, and aren't playing loud music, and aren't partying then everyone should mind their own business. Everyone on the 1st floor does whatever they want in terms of walking around, dogs running, kids running. The same should go for any apt. Just because you got put in the upstairs apt. doesn't mean you have to be a mouse...just live your life people! You can walk around your apt. and have normal volume tv watching whenever you want. There is enough to worry about in life already. Everybody just be patient we all are well on our way to permanent sleep anyways.