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I understand that noise can be irritating. But tenants come here and ask what they can do about it, and the answer is always going to be "nothing". Unless the noise is outrageous and after quiet hours, then you can call the police every time. Other than that, you can put up with it, wear earplugs, use white noise, or move out. Those are the options. Asking again and again doesn't produce more options.
Report it to your landlord if you want to, but there is nothing that the landlord can do about it unless the noise is outrageous and involves police reports.h
We live in a world where the majority of people are very self-centered. They aren't going to care if it annoys you that they live at high volume. The best option for noise sensitive people is to not live in apartment buildings. Apartment buildings have too many people crammed into too small a place, and some of those people are going to be inconsiderate. That's all part of living in an apartment.
I might add that complaining endlessly about it doesn't really do anything to fix the issue, either.
For some to endlessly list unrealistic "solutions", does not resolve anything either. It is part of the problem, suggesting the affected ones "put up with it". People are not asking, they would like there to ultimately be a resolve, rather than sweeping it under the rug. Why should one tenant, already being respectful, need to go to extremes to make up for what the irresponsibly irritating person is projecting? Why does one need to wear earplugs while trying to (and should be able to) enjoy their own space - watching TV or listening to music at an appropriate level, while doing housework? Why should one move, when in any building, it is possible to be met with disrespectful types? The answer should not be that "nothing can be done". It is not "just part of living in apartments" and not everyone behaves selfishly and recklessly. It is also not about ones just being "noise sensitive". :rolleyes:
So, it is to be accepted by all that the majority of people are self-centered? That many have been raised without learning to behave and without conscience? So, "all hell has broken loose" and everyone can look forward to enduring the negative actions of others. Living in apartments for many years, the percentage of negative neighbor experiences for me has been few. Being older, I will be on my way out, but others will have to continue struggling with this problem, if not corrected. It does appear to be a younger generation having become this way, but likely not everyone. It needs to be realized that it is not acceptable to make unnecessary racket (other than actual, low level living noise) based in thoughtlessness. I realize, it is difficult to ascertain what level or type of noise bothers one over another, as the hard-stomping alone is regularly reported. (It is not construction, since different tenants in same units are able to not do this).
The bottom line is, it is entirely unfair to just allow this to take over, saying "Oh, well... that's how people are". It's like saying "Oh, well...people are going to drive under the influence". There should be something put in place that would fine those who prove they cannot peacefully cohabitate, or not be allowed to rent. What message is is sending that is okay to flat out annoy others? I know it is thought to all be in the minds of some, and is a mental health issue, but the considerate ones are not the ones witht the problem. (They care if someone has enough income and good credit, but so what, if they end up being troublesome lunatics?)
Last edited by In2itive_1; 10-16-2015 at 11:09 PM..
For some to endlessly list unrealistic "solutions", does not resolve anything either. It is part of the problem, suggesting the affected ones "put up with it". People are not asking, they would like there to ultimately be a resolve, rather than sweeping it under the rug. Why should one tenant, already being respectful, need to go to extremes to make up for what the irresponsibly irritating person is projecting? Why does one need to wear earplugs while trying to (and should be able to) enjoy their own space - watching TV or listening to music at an appropriate level, while doing housework? Why should one move, when in any building, it is possible to be met with disrespectful types? The answer should not be that "nothing can be done". It is not "just part of living in apartments" and not everyone behaves selfishly and recklessly. It is also not about ones just being "noise sensitive".
So, it is to be accepted by all that the majority of people are self-centered? That many have been raised without learning to behave and without conscience? So, "all hell has broken loose" and everyone can look forward to enduring the negative actions of others. Living in apartments for many years, the percentage of negative neighbor experiences for me has been few. Being older, I will be on my way out, but others will have to continue struggling with this problem, if not corrected. It does appear to be a younger generation having become this way, but likely not everyone. It needs to be realized that it is not acceptable to make unnecessary racket (other than actual, low level living noise) based in thoughtlessness. I realize, it is difficult to ascertain what level or type of noise bothers one over another, as the hard-stomping alone is regularly reported. (It is not construction, since different tenants in same units are able to not do this).
The bottom line is, it is entirely unfair to just allow this to take over, saying "Oh, well... that's how people are". It's like saying "Oh, well...people are going to drive under the influence". There should be something put in place that would fine those who prove they cannot peacefully cohabitate, or not be allowed to rent. What message is is sending that is okay to flat out annoy others? I know it is thought to all be in the minds of some, and is a mental health issue, but the considerate ones are not the ones witht the problem. (They care if someone has enough income and good credit, but so what, if they end up being troublesome lunatics?)
Well put, and I keep reminding people that noise is akin to a smell you can't unstink. Asking neighbors to wear earplugs is as smug as asking them to wear gas-masks. I've never personally been asked to wear earplugs but if it happened I would probably ask to evict the asker(s). Nobody should ever ask others to stultify their relaxation and sleep time. I only wear earplugs when outside noise like construction or yard work is futile to protest. When it's just some low-life entertaining themselves it's extremely irritating.
People need to realize that apartments and condos are designed to maximize profit per acre, not quality of life. True adults living in such confines have a moral obligation to respect The Golden Rule, even if they're not religious. The term "silence is golden" may have derived from that, also.
If there is a noise thread that has a legitimate noise (and none of the noise in this thread is legitimate) I've always said they should contact the landlord and or police and possibly the neighbor if they are comfortable with it. But we aren't talking about those threads, we are talking about this thread and the unreasonable expectations in it.
"...none of the noise in this thread is legitimate..."
So, you get to decide what's a valid noise nuisance and what isn't, having never actually lived in the situations others experience? A soundless forum like this is a poor place to make such judgments, but noise is a consistent top complaint in apartments and condos. Why are you so bent on downplaying it? I'm choosing my words carefully in this moderated forum but I wouldn't put up with your smugness as an actual neighbor.
I'll ask you again: what gave you this attitude? Someone must have complained about you at some point, else you'd not have a chip on your shoulder.
It is completely unreasonable for anyone who lives in shared wall community to expect total silence. It's not going to happen.
Again, you are making up terms like "total silence" when you know full well that's not the issue. Get honest.
I'll take a guess that you're of the conservative political persuasion, i.e. people who see things in black & white and accept no middle ground, thus extreme noise (and who defines that word?) is the only noise that could actually bother someone, not the patterns, timing and willful intent of lesser noises. The world just doesn't work that way.
An example I experienced was a neighbor's faulty toilet flapper that kept cycling water every minute or so. Some smug noise-denier would just claim "it's not that loud" (a dB meter wouldn't have picked up much) or "wear earplugs." But the repetitive pattern was seriously disruptive, and knowing that the neighbor didn't care added to it. This all comes down to self-absorbed people who think they can do whatever they want inside shared walls.
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 10-23-2015 at 08:06 PM..
"...none of the noise in this thread is legitimate..."
So, you get to decide what's a valid noise nuisance and what isn't, having never actually lived in the situations others experience? A soundless forum like this is a poor place to make such judgments, but noise is a consistent top complaint in apartments and condos. Why are you so bent on downplaying it? I'm choosing my words carefully in this moderated forum but I wouldn't put up with your smugness as an actual neighbor.
I'll ask you again: what gave you this attitude? Someone must have complained about you at some point, else you'd not have a chip on your shoulder.
Nope. No complaints about me...sorry to disappoint you.
And my 'chip' comes from those who think it's ok to make formal complaints to their landlords about flushing toilets and coughing neighbors. It behooves me to think that you can't understand that if you can actually hear your neighbor coughing the issue isn't with your neighbor but YOUR choice of a unit. How did you expect your neighbor to stop coughing? Why in the world would you even think about complaining to your landlord about that?
Again, you are making up terms like "total silence" when you know full well that's not the issue. Get honest.
I'll take a guess that you're of the conservative political persuasion, i.e. people who see things in black & white and accept no middle ground, thus extreme noise (and who defines that word?) is the only noise that could actually bother someone, not the patterns, timing and willful intent of lesser noises. The world just doesn't work that way.
An example I experienced was a neighbor's faulty toilet flapper that kept cycling water every minute or so. Some smug noise-denier would just claim "it's not that loud" (a dB meter wouldn't have picked up much) or "wear earplugs." But the repetitive pattern was seriously disruptive, and knowing that the neighbor didn't care added to it. This all comes down to self-absorbed people who think they can do whatever they want inside shared walls.
You said that you expect total silence when you sleep and that's never, ever going to happen.
Again, if you can hear your neighbor's toilet cycle water, your issue is with the thin walls and lack of insulation, not a 'rude' neighbor.
So I'm self absorbed because I get the fact that running water, coughing, sneezing, alarms going off, doors opening and closing are all common 'noises' you will hear in a multi family building? Especially one that's so cheaply made you can hear these noises.
If you can still hear these noises, you need to move because to expect your landlord to address these with your neighbor, you're the self absorbed one who is expecting everyone else to bow to your demands. Not gonna happen... If you have mental/medical issues that make you sensitive to noise don't live in a building with shared walls. Simple solution to a simple problem, but you can't do that because you want to be 'right' you want to be in 'control' you want to be catered to.
Now, if your neighbor decides that all night parties are their thing or they have nightly fist fights with their spouse or boom their bass half the night, I'll be the first one standing up for you saying " Don't put up with this...call the police and the landlord" Why?? Because this is noise that can be controlled by the landlord (rules in the lease) or police (laws on the books)
Noise is a problem as everyone has a different tolerance level and expectations.
The best apartment building I ever managed was new concrete construction... it made a huge difference.
The second best way to minimize sound transmission is to go with premium wall to wall carpet over a commercial pad and floor to ceiling drapes...
I have done tests and in one property we went in with all new hardwood floors and mini woven wood blinds... looked stunning with the new granite kitchens...
Horrible mistake... the sound level was exacerbated and we ended up carpeting everything...
As to plumbing... hard to beat old Cast Iron sewer pipe and galvanized water pipe for limiting noise... the reality is neither is likely to found in modern construction...
As hard as it is to believe... I get complaints from residents at single family rentals... a neighbor would have all his family over every nice weekend and play music, BBQ and the noise of kids...
Politely told my tenant there is nothing I can do about the neighbors unless they want to sell... suggested calling the police if it was that unbearable and was told they did and police said it was not a nuisance...
At least renting you do have the option of moving...
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Noise-denial continues
