Community Chat

[wagirl]

I lived on the 2nd floor at my former apt--and dealt with horrilbe neighbors for the 5 years I lived there---people above --I SWEAR---- were a herd of elephants  that stomped and actually made the pictures  on my wall go crooked----the people next door--smoked pot in ther place and it seeped into my apt --prob 3-4x a week for the last 2 years. The people below had a "Cujo" dog that barked like he was going to rip you to pieces and then the pot  people slammed the doors at least 20-30 times each day at a certain time of the afernoon. Yes-- I did alert management  so many times, and NO-- they only sent out nasty notes to the building --nothing more forceful than that. I moved recently and the noise level is more here as the walls  are not sound proofed and I can actually hear others talk--got wild kids above that are wild!! In fact they are taken out to run the long hallways here during the day--- but am locked in for a year. And someone still smokes pot on their balcony that floats up to my window---😵‍💫

[willdob3]

@Goodie2shoes  It is unlikely that your neighbors are being purposely noisy. Depending on insulation, you're usually going to hear your neighbors.

I once had a neighbor threaten to call the landlord because I was being too noisy early in the morning. Turns out she could hear me tap the coffee filter to empty the used grounds.... I had to call the landlord about it because she kept harassing me.

White noise can help. I gave air purifiers that make a white noise sound and it muffles some sounds but not all. 

[lynnie61]

I lived in apartment for many years.  I was on two, and the people above me were courteous, and then it was empty a long time.  But where I lived, almost everyone worked and were gone most days.  I always tried to be courteous of the people below me too.  

[occasionalrain]

 What do you expect the new tenants to do? Tiptoe, not hang their pictures or assemble new furniture?

We have a neighbor who complains about a couple of neighborhood kids shooting hoops, another neighbor's too loud sports car, and every other little thing. I also hear it, but I don't mind, I've just gotten used to it.

To me you have three choices, get used to it, move, or pray that they move.

[haddon9]

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@Goodie2shoes wrote:

@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.  

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@Goodie2shoes That's really not all that long if they are either building something or are putting shelves, etc. together.

I also think getting a white noise machine could help!

[Melania7]

Even though they’ve lived there for over a month, maybe they still aren’t really settled in yet and not done moving things around?  (I’ve realized that a lot of people aren’t motivated and they procrastinate on projects and put things off.)  They could still have a lot of boxed-up belongings up there. The hammering sound could be them putting some cheap furniture together and they don’t get started until after they get home from work and after eating their dinner?  But none of this may be true, maybe they are just up and about until 9pm, moving around and doing things…..which 9pm doesn’t seem too bad now that I think about it, but I agree if someone is retired, I think it’s annoying and kind of too late to be hearing noise like that. If I was retired, I’d want things to be nice and quiet starting at 8pm.

I could see some people being offended about a noise complaint made about them, and then making the noises more and worse; and that’s not right. I mean some of the other posters here said it happened to them. It just depends on what kind of people the new renters are. Maybe they are nice and don’t realize the noise they are making. Or I’m sure they know they are up doing things, but they don’t realize how loud it sounds to any neighbors.

I really don’t know what the right answer is because you probably enjoy being on the first floor for a lot of reasons. The first floor can be nice because you usually have a cement patio and can set flower pots out there, or put some shepherd hooks in the ground and put hanging baskets on them. Then when you get to the second floor and higher up you just have a balcony and no ground space, so it’s not as nice.

I loved reading everyone’s stories about their apartment or condo building.

Lastly, I’m not writing this to get any comments, but I just wanted to add it so that Goodie2shoes has another info./story.  I’ll try to make this quick.  I live in a condo building with 3 floors and I’m on the very top, 3rd floor. So actually for awhile, it was the neighbors below me on the second floor making a ton of noise!  They had always lived there but then had a child.  When the child turned about 6 years old he was so loud! Everything would be fine/quiet until 9pm and that was when the noise would start on most nights. The child stomping, and pounding/banging sounds – this was the sound of their kid playing every night starting at around 9pm until about 11pm almost every night, because apparently he had no set bedtime at 6 years old?  So the girl on the first floor, I texted her and said, “are you noticing any of this too?”  She said oh yes and it’s awful! and we texted back & forth about it for just a little while; certainly the noise was way worse for her being below them. I had thought about putting a note on the corkboard above all our mailboxes, not singling anyone out, but just saying that “there’s been a lot of loud stomping/banging/pounding noises starting each night at 9pm and could everyone please be more aware of what they are doing past 9pm?” but I decided against it for some reason and I never said anything or put a note up.  And I should mention these neighbors were very nice, and I’m sure if someone would have mentioned the noise that they would have tried to get their child to play quietly in the evenings. Anyways, sorry this got long, but guess what? After a number of months, the noise just kind of faded away and stopped altogether!  I think it was because as their child got a bit older, he graduated to just sitting and watching cartoons, or playing video games on a tablet or computer.

[willowbark]

My heartfelt sympathies to all who have a not so great living situation.  

My next door neighbor sold their house over a year ago to a corporation.

They in turn raised the rent so astronomically on the renters who were already there that they had no choice but to move and they were kind and wonderful people.  In their place a young married couple with 2 children moved in also kind and wonderful people but both have to work and both get assistance from their parents. Their kids are very young and so it's so sad that she has to leave the house. 

With all their hard work they won't even get chance to buy that house.  

I had a handbag habit over the last 30 years many of which were never used and I gave her 3 one day to keep, to sell or to gift to someone else.  She doesn't know it yet but she will be getting many more. 

My way of helping. They are fortunate that they don't have to live in an apartment but not everyone has parents who can assist like that.  

[Spurt]

@Goodie2shoes 

I agree, dont complain to them directly....

Maybe you can have your Apartment Managrr send a general email to everyone in the complex with a gentle reminder to be considerate of our neighbors especially from 10 PM to 7 or 8  Am

Thats what my sister did, this guy weighlifted in his apartment at 3 AM in the morning ....even though her complex had a state of the art gym located in a building right next to the Office....he also played video war games in the middle of the night.....

[Klimt]

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@Melania7 wrote:

Even though they’ve lived there for over a month, maybe they still aren’t really settled in yet and not done moving things around?  (I’ve realized that a lot of people aren’t motivated and they procrastinate on projects and put things off.)  They could still have a lot of boxed-up belongings up there. The hammering sound could be them putting some cheap furniture together and they don’t get started until after they get home from work and after eating their dinner?  But none of this may be true, maybe they are just up and about until 9pm, moving around and doing things…..which 9pm doesn’t seem too bad now that I think about it, but I agree if someone is retired, I think it’s annoying and kind of too late to be hearing noise like that. If I was retired, I’d want things to be nice and quiet starting at 8pm.

I could see some people being offended about a noise complaint made about them, and then making the noises more and worse; and that’s not right. I mean some of the other posters here said it happened to them. It just depends on what kind of people the new renters are. Maybe they are nice and don’t realize the noise they are making. Or I’m sure they know they are up doing things, but they don’t realize how loud it sounds to any neighbors.

I really don’t know what the right answer is because you probably enjoy being on the first floor for a lot of reasons. The first floor can be nice because you usually have a cement patio and can set flower pots out there, or put some shepherd hooks in the ground and put hanging baskets on them. Then when you get to the second floor and higher up you just have a balcony and no ground space, so it’s not as nice.

I loved reading everyone’s stories about their apartment or condo building.

Lastly, I’m not writing this to get any comments, but I just wanted to add it so that Goodie2shoes has another info./story.  I’ll try to make this quick.  I live in a condo building with 3 floors and I’m on the very top, 3rd floor. So actually for awhile, it was the neighbors below me on the second floor making a ton of noise!  They had always lived there but then had a child.  When the child turned about 6 years old he was so loud! Everything would be fine/quiet until 9pm and that was when the noise would start on most nights. The child stomping, and pounding/banging sounds – this was the sound of their kid playing every night starting at around 9pm until about 11pm almost every night, because apparently he had no set bedtime at 6 years old?  So the girl on the first floor, I texted her and said, “are you noticing any of this too?”  She said oh yes and it’s awful! and we texted back & forth about it for just a little while; certainly the noise was way worse for her being below them. I had thought about putting a note on the corkboard above all our mailboxes, not singling anyone out, but just saying that “there’s been a lot of loud stomping/banging/pounding noises starting each night at 9pm and could everyone please be more aware of what they are doing past 9pm?” but I decided against it for some reason and I never said anything or put a note up.  And I should mention these neighbors were very nice, and I’m sure if someone would have mentioned the noise that they would have tried to get their child to play quietly in the evenings. Anyways, sorry this got long, but guess what? After a number of months, the noise just kind of faded away and stopped altogether!  I think it was because as their child got a bit older, he graduated to just sitting and watching cartoons, or playing video games on a tablet or computer.

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There are many reasons why a child might be making stomping, banging, or pounding noises at 9 PM, and it does not necessarily mean that the parents have no rules about bedtime and playtime hours. 

[Lisa now in AZ]

I'm sorry - I must be watching too many Crimimnal Minds. In one, the tenant kept hearing loud noises and hammering above her and she went upstairs to complain to the neighbor.  The noise was coming from a victim who was tied up and was banging to get attention. It did NOT end well for the tenant who complained.

I lived in an apartment and the tenants below kept complaining that our music was too loud. The manager kept telling us to turn it down. One day, the manager came over to yell at us, but the music was playing so softly that we could hardly hear it in our own apartment, but since the manager heard how loud (or soft) the volume was, she told the neighbors upstairs that we were not doing anything wrong.