topic Re: Question for Apartment dwellers in Community Chat

Question for Apartment dwellers

Goodie2shoes — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 03:30:57 GMT

What floor do you live on ? How's the noise level if you live on the first floor ?

I have lived on the first floor since 2019 and there were 2 couples who previously lived on the 2nd floor above me each for about 3 yrs who were very nice and respectful of others in the building.

Well things have changed now that a new couple has moved in.

On a daily basis it sounds like someone is stumping down the hallway several times a day into the evening up until nearly 9 pm ! I hear what sounds like hammering off and on at times during the week.

I'm considering reporting it to the complex management because the constant daily noise is getting to be ridiculous but I don't want to cause a problem for the tenants but I also want my peace and quiet time ! I want to continue to enjoy my retirement ! What would you do? Thanks

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Stray — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 03:34:30 GMT

Who manages your building? I live on the 12th floor & have very quiet upstairs neighbors.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Janey2 — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 03:51:12 GMT

Since they are new to their apartment is it possible they are just fixing up their apartment?

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

willowbark — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 03:53:47 GMT

@Goodie2shoes Before I got married I lived on a bottom floor apt and the people upstairs sounded like elephants with nonstop stomping and this was before I complained; afterwards it got worse. Sometimes people just get really uncaring when they feel that their rent gives them the right to do whatever they please. I moved out. Yes, the rents were not cheap but I too was a paying tenant and what did I get for my money? Grief.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Desertdi — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:05:01 GMT

You can get a lot of noise from the people NEXT DOOR, too.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Puppy Galore — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:07:23 GMT

I once complained and it made it worse. Eventually they moved.

Have you introduced yourself to them, just to say welcome? Perhaps take a welcome sweet, pastry?
I wouldn't voice any complaints to them, just welcome them. They may not know they're being inconsiderate.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Goodie2shoes — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:12:32 GMT

@Janey2 wrote; Since they are new to their apartment is it possible they are just fixing up their apartment?

They have been in the apartment for over a month now. I would think they should be pretty settled in by now.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Goodie2shoes — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:26:21 GMT

@Puppy Galore wrote: Have you introduced yourself to them, just to say welcome? Perhaps take a welcome sweet, pastry?
I wouldn't voice any complaints to them, just welcome them. They may not know they're being inconsiderate.

As they were moving in many of us in the building welcomed them. No I have not said anything about the noise to them I understand that the moving in process causes noise of course but it's been over a month now and they should be more settled in

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

ThinkingOutLoud — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:38:27 GMT

Get a white noise machine

Be grateful it's not worse (ie chain smokers where the smell permeates your space, the hallway, etc)

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Goodie2shoes — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:46:36 GMT

@ThinkingOutLoud wrote: Be grateful it's not worse (ie chain smokers where the smell permeates your space, the hallway, etc)

YUCK !! Good point, I don't smoke and I have not smelled any smoke

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

kaydee50 — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:39:39 GMT

@Goodie2shoes wrote:
What floor do you live on ? How's the noise level if you live on the first floor ?
I have lived on the first floor since 2019 and there were 2 couples who previously lived on the 2nd floor above me each for about 3 yrs who were very nice and respectful of others in the building.
Well things have changed now that a new couple has moved in.
On a daily basis it sounds like someone is stumping down the hallway several times a day into the evening up until nearly 9 pm ! I hear what sounds like hammering off and on at times during the week.
I'm considering reporting it to the complex management because the constant daily noise is getting to be ridiculous but I don't want to cause a problem for the tenants but I also want my peace and quiet time ! I want to continue to enjoy my retirement ! What would you do? Thanks

Does your building have rules as to the amount and time of noise? Ours limits "noise" to between 9 am and 8 pm. I think perhaps you were spoiled by the quiet neighbors. I would ask the neighbors if they're doing renovations. Otherwise I don't see a solution. We had a situation similar to yours and decided to move to a more modern building where upstairs noise is not so much an issue.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Neetgal2 — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:52:11 GMT

Over 50 years ago, in my first apartment on the second floor, in the town I grew up in, nice apartment complex, my new husband worked shift work. He had construction clothes on and when he came home, in the middle of the night, took the shoes off, he wasn't aware that it bothered the older lady downstairs. Once she told me, I explained to him and he was more careful. 🥾🥾🥾

I have been in several apartment complexes since visiting my DD and never had a problem. Both on ground floors and upper. Lucky I guess.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Lynnscats — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:10:00 GMT

Does your building have a 'quiet time' rule? Some apartment buildings now have them listed in the lease. I think I would ask them as a neighbor before going to the manager, they may not realize the noise is invading your space.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

Shanus — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:10:13 GMT

@Goodie2shoes We moved to an apartment from a house in June/July. We chose a sound proof bldg. It's good and bad since as we're older and may fall or need help, no one hears us knocking on the wall or calling for help.

We chose it because there are a lot of students and young professionals living here and many own dogs...Molly too. There would be barking and partying on the weekends. We never hear anything going on.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

gardenman — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:15:05 GMT

I'm on the first floor adjacent to the parking lot. Moderate noise from the parking lot. No immediate neighbors on this floor. Limited noise from upstairs. I use a fan at night to drown out traffic sounds, but it's not too bad without it. It's a senior building, so not a lot of raucous partying going on. The building's generator is across the hall, so that gets a bit noisy during power outages, but it's nice to still have power, so I'm not complaining.

When we have resident/staff meetings, the upstairs residents complain a lot about noisy neighbors, but where I am, there are none.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

jellyBEAN — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:17:31 GMT

I feel the op's pain. I am sensitive to noise. I feel as if I can hear a pin drop a mile away.

I lived on the bottom floor of an older home, and when the owner fixed the level above me and tenants moved in at 2am, dragging their stuff up the flight of stairs, I knew I was in for trouble. I eventually had to tell my landlord, the noise coming from upstairs was too much and he allowed me to break my lease.

As for your situation, if you can find out who these people are and see if they look reasonable, you could discuss what you're hearing from their unit. My brother had this issue in his condo. Someone above. There was no sound proofing whatsoever and he was a calm guy and just accepted that from time to time you hear your neighbors. For me it would have been unacceptable.

I am in a condo now, but no one above or below, just on one side. Fortunately they are quiet. You will have to confront these neighbors or if you do have management, file a complaint if the noise continues. Maybe they have children or a large dog which sounds like marching across the floors. Is it carpeted and padded I wonder? Do they have someone above them? Not that carpeting helps that much but its better than nothing.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

PhilaLady1 — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:23:35 GMT

YES to everything already mentioned. Sometimes it's like Herman Munster lives upstairs, stomping around saying "DARN DARN DARN!"

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

pigletsmom2 — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:04:22 GMT

I'm upstairs and try to be quiet walking around and even adjust any exercise I do at home so I'm not jumping if the lady downstairs is home. I even try to vacuum if she's out but she doesn't go out a lot so that's tough. I can actually here her walking around downstairs. One heignbor stomped down there all the time and even carpet didn't quiet it. The apartment down there has just floors now so that's why I hear her more.

We are pet friendly so my neighbor does have to hear my cats when they go on a random tear back and forth. I'm pretty lucky that my end of the building is very quiet. Most annoying thing is in the summer when people have music blasting from a car anywhere in the complex. The sound bounces everywhere.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

CANDLEQUEEN — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:04:49 GMT

@Goodie2shoes I would just be very careful how you approach this.

Many years ago when hubby and I were renting a Duplex, we had neighbors directly next to us and the duplex was older and has virtually no insulation. We could hear their kids pounding up and down the stair way and yelling and screaming.

We decided to ask the landlords if they would speak with them and they did, and after that it just got worse.

We tried speaking to them nicely, but they were already too mad and made our 1 1/2 years a living you what... So just be careful on the approach. Sometimes it doesn't even matter, we were respectful and very nice about it, but it didn't seem to matter.

Sometimes I do believe some people just don't realize how loud they are being, until it is brought up to them as well.

Re: Question for Apartment dwellers

tansy — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:22:33 GMT

Noises in my senior complex are deceptive. My downstairs neighbor thinks I do the laundry at night, which I don't do because that would be inconsiderate.

At night, around 10 pm, there is a muffled banging sometimes that sounds like my 90 yo neighbor is installing shelves in her closet, which she's definitely not doing.

Mostly it's very quiet 🤫