Apartment in a house "basement" and noise. (apartments, construction, rental)

[GratedWasabi]

Hello.

So, having only lived in actual apartment buildings I'm now considering moving to a basement apartment in a House. I'm curious if this sort of apartment is more likely to be noisy, both being able to hear them and their being able to hear me.

I tend to be rather quiet and enjoy quiet, but I do have strange hours that leave me up and about late at night sometimes and I wouldn't want it to be a problem to the people living above me.

Thanks for any input.

[CarlitosBala]

It will all really depend on how the house is constructed.

The two main things to worry about in a basement dwelling, in my opinion, would be footsteps from upstairs and utility devices (heater, AC, ect).

Also, basements could potentially be a bit more humid and have poorer air circulation.

[DowntownHarrisburg]

I don't know if there's any inherent difference in noise transmission compared to other apartments, but you will probably hear your neighbors and they will probably hear you. I agree with CarlitosBala in that it all depends on the construction. I've always avoided basement apartments simply because they feel dark and cramped. It might be better if you have a walkout patio or something.

[pureistheword]

I lived in one without any real issue. It wasn't too far below grade and got decent light.
I could hear some footsteps here and there, none more than you could in any apt building.

[STT Resident]

I lived for a while in the basement of a big old brownstone apartment building in New England many years ago and loved it. It was wonderfully cool in the summer, very cozy in the winter, was never damp or humid and the noise was minimal. There again the construction was solid and, as has been said, there's no answer to your question as so much depends on that.

[ncishomenow]

you will hear noise, steps, running and so on if the basement ceiling/area has not been constructed with sound proofing. If you do rent a basment apartment, make sure it's a legal apartment with proper entrances/exits, fire rated windows, etc. Good Luck.

[Lauriedeee]

always check to see where the main sewer line is located if you're thinking of moving into a basement apartment. If the upstairs lines back up, all that smelly stuff is gonna end up all in your bathtub or on your floor.

[mmyk72]

Depends on if it was well constructed, not just some homeowner who cheaply slab some drywalls up to make a rental space for easy income. If there is no soundproofing or insulation on the basement ceiling, you'll for sure hear every footstep from LL's living space.

I looked at 3 basement rentals and despite how 'nice' the prospective LL claim they are, I couldn't pull the trigger. Lack of natural light for one, low ceilings (cramp feeling like someone said), and the dampness. I live in an inlaw apt now that used to be a garage. So it's same grade as the grounds. Normally there's no dampness, but we've had lots of rain lately (in NE here) and I can smell a weird damp smell now.... So lesson to myself is because apt looks and feels 'dry', doesn't mean it'll be that way all the time. Also you'd probably need to run a dehumidifer a lot - kind of has an annoying noise to it if it bothers you.