How to deal with noisy, rude, disrespectful up stair neighbors (CA) (illegal, noise)

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by katjonjj

Seems perfectly practical to me. On one hand it may mask some of the noise from upstairs and on the other it may show the upstairs neighbors just how much noise THEY make if they can hear his music! I'd give it a try... it's only music and it doesn't have to be blaring loud.

Sure, they can try it. The only result will be them getting a notice from their landlord to cut it out.


The upstairs neighbors might be noisy and annoying, but they aren't breaking any laws or violating the lease. And children are children and they will play, romp and make noise.


The OP has no right to demand their own quiet time...you need quiet time from 7-10pm? Go to the library. Your community already has their own 'quiet time' and as long as that time is being respected, there isn't much you, the landlord or the police will do.


I do agree with you calling the police at 0230 for a someone slamming the door and beating on the wall. What I don't understand is if you were so concerned about his being armed, why did you leave your unit in order to talk to him?? That makes no sense. There was no need to for you to do that...all you had to do was call the police and report what you heard.

[SkyeBright]

I've lived on both the bottom floor and top level. I've felt like the upstairs neighbors were galloping in their apartment and I've been treated as though I'm the galloping upstairs neighbors even when I've taken significant steps to limit my noise as much as humanly possible. People have to walk. People also have to live in their dwellings, and the process of living creates noise. It's just the way it is. Living in apartment buildings can really suck, but you just have to accept that people are generally doing their best to be respectful but the best can't overcome cheap construction and they also can't be expected to not live (meaning walk, play, talk, entertain, clean, etc) in their residence.

In my experience, the best way to deal with neighbors that you are finding rude or noisy is to get to know them. Say hi, stop and talk to them, learn their names or something about them. It's easier to feel sympathetic to a person when you know them. There are also headphones, ear plugs, white noise machines, your own music, tv in the background. Make the environment in your apartment more inviting, whether it's by canceling out all noise or masking it, and outside noises can start to fade away.

[Melodica]

Always and I do mean ALWAYS live on the top floor - preferably an end unit so you have one less neighbor.

Unfortunately there's nothing that can be done about the child. There's laws protecting children and apparently they can be as loud as they want. If the adults are being ridiculously loud, call the police.

People will NOT stop being a-holes and most landlords don't want to deal with trying to make them quiet down. The only good advice here is to move as soon as you can - check your lease for anything about breaking it or leaving early.

[nnd315]

Thank you guys for all helpful advices

I'm not trying to be mean to anyone but according to what I understand about housing rude. You have to be able to control your kids; I'm not forbid them from doing kids thing. But children who run around, jump and stomp incessantly morning, noon and night. It sounds like I am living below a basketball team that is constantly training. They are responsible for the lil boys action. Stomping the floor after 9-10 P.m is unacceptable, according to California housing rude there is something call "Quiet Enjoyment" and depend on the area you live there are quiet hours from 9 p.m - 6 a.m ( I did some research). So by law I think I have the right to ask for my own "Quiet Enjoyment".

I talked to them twice and they think I'm trying to fight them; the lady raise her voice and she told me I cant knock the ceiling because im scaring her kids. Now she allows her kids to play with drum at night time. The landlord said she cant do anything about lil kids, they can only deal with adult. I cant break the lease if I dont want to pay 2 months rent.

[SkyeBright]

I don't think quiet enjoyment means what you think it means, OP.

[darkeconomist]

Originally Posted by marcopolo666

Why does this have to be politicized? The OP clearly has an issue and what do you do? Offer advice? Nope, you use this opportunity to politicize the thing. "People living in apartments make noise" is a valid statement. I really don't see how THAT is politicizing things. Saying that such a statement is politicizing things, is ... politicizing things. (Not to mention the whole 'Kowloon' comment. Oops, I just did.)

I'm not sure what your offense is about. "People living in apartments make noise" is not what Bigdumbgod said when I quoted him. He wrote about "apartment behavior" as a result of "stacking" people on top of each other. That's classic anti-density rhetoric. Other people are offering legitimate advice, but there was nothing of the sort in his post, just a that's apartments for you, all dirty and loud and negative kind of outlook.

[rego00123]

Originally Posted by DMenscha

Get over it. You will find much worse in your lifetime.

As someone who has lived through the same situation as the OP in a converted home their is not much that is worse than being uncomfortable in your own living space due to noise and vibration. It affects the way you live and how you do things within it.

Toddlers are the worst in apartments that carry vibrations easily, It's literally like having someone pound on your walls from within everyday with their footsteps.

psychologically it does a number on you to have to live in an environment like this, It's no different than being subjected to any other form of noise torture. The second it starts back up regardless of how you "want to feel" you can't help but feel the tone of dread fall over the whole apartment. It's "not just sound" it's a host of other problems that come from being uncomfortable and unhappy trying to drown out and ignore what is almost impossible to do so with.

The second you find comfort the next is the opposite.

All you can do is move if the people above you don't want to consider their neighbors OP...the child fall under a protected class yadda yadda.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by nnd315

...... there is something call "Quiet Enjoyment" and depend on the area you live there are quiet hours from 9 p.m - 6 a.m .......

Sorry, OP, but quiet enjoyment doesn't mean you get to live in a silent world. It means that as long as you, yourself, are quiet and not breaking any rules or laws, that you will be left alone to enjoy your life to the best of your ability.

I've never heard of any town that starts quiet hours at 9 PM. Usually quiet hours start at 11 PM. Quiet hours or not, the police will do nothing about children running and playing inside their own house. Police aren't going to do anything about any noise unless it is extreme, like a drunken party with a loud band that doesn't stop at 11 PM. Or a screaming physical domestic fight, and I don't think they are stopping those because of the noise. They do domestic violence calls because of the violence. They aren't going to ask your neighbor to turn the TV down or to drug their kids to sleep.

You got noisy kids over your head, bad luck for you. Nothing that anyone can do about it.

[Mr_Geek]

Move, that'll show 'em!

[nnd315]

If you live in my apartment you will know how it feels like having 1 NBA player constantly practise and cry from 7 am - > 9 pm; and a rock band drummer who play the same beat 4 hours a day every afternoon.

Every weekend is a nightmare; I cant stay in my apartment without them stomping upstair. The vibration and stress get into your nerves; I always angry when im say in my apartment. You pay top money ~$2.9k+ to hear toddlers stomping your ceiling. The best part is, the kids behave that way after I talk to their mom. She looks angry and yell at me for no reason. She allows her kid jumping, running and stomping at 7-9p.m, the only time of the day I ask her to keep the kids quiet. The point im trying to say is the mother use her kids to **** me off because she knows that I can't evict her kids from making noises. That next level of childishness. Now I'm have to pay double rent to cancel the lease; I'm dying every single day until my lease over so I can move out ASAP.