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The girl living above me has a dead battery in her smoke alarm and hasn't replaced it in nearly 2 months. Since the ceilings here are wicked thin and I can hear every little thing, I can hear "beep!" every 30 seconds and it's annoying.
I couldn't take it anymore, so I sent the following e-mail to management:
Hello,
I believe the tenant who lives above me (I think it’s Apt 16 but not sure) has not replaced her smoke alarm battery for a few months now. It beeps like every 30 seconds and I can hear it in my apartment loud and clear, because the floors in this building are ridiculously thin. It’s so annoying and I don’t understand how she can live and sleep like that, with that continuous beeping all the time. Not to mention, the safety implications.
By any chance, could you please communicate this matter to this particular tenant (or all tenants) so that the noise goes away once and for all?
Thanks
So, then, the property manager responded with this:
Knock on her door or leave a note to let her know. Much more effective for you to approach her as a fellow resident than from us.
Then, I responded with this:
But I do not feel comfortable doing that and would prefer not to interact with her. And I do not consider myself to be a fellow resident with respect to her. Can you or someone else please attempt to communicate the matter to her?
Thanks
Then, the property manager said:
You can do it. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results.
At this point, I was fumigated, and responded with the following:
I have lived in several other apartment complexes and have had similar issues regarding neighbors. In those complexes, management has been very helpful, effective and willing to communicate directly to the tenants on the behalf of other tenants. I do not feel comfortable interacting with my neighbors regarding matters such as this one, because I do not want to generate any potential conflicts between myself and other tenants, and would prefer to approach it anonymously. I would prefer to keep any interactions with my neighbors limited to positive things, only.
Since management already has a professional relationship with the tenant, I think it’s reasonable for me to ask management to handle the situation accordingly. Plus, I am paying $1,750 per month here, always on time, and follow the rules. I understand it’s Friday night and don’t expect the matter to be resolved immediately, but if you could please communicate this to her anonymously, I would greatly appreciate it.
To save you time and effort, I have drafted the following message (below). If you could please send this to her via e-mail, I would be grateful. Or if you feel comfortable using your own words, I trust you to do so.
Hello,
It has been brought to our attention that one or more tenants currently residing within your building has been hearing a beeping sound for several weeks; presumably a smoke alarm that needs battery replacement. If this situation applies to your apartment unit, we recommend replacing the battery as soon as you are able to do so.
Please contact us if you have any questions, and have a happy new year!
How funny would it be if they just hit forward & send, and sent to her the whole email string, including the email you drafted for their convenience. LOL!
I think you are right. I have a horrible next door neighbor; some years ago she was bringing 2 or 3 kids (relatives of hers) here and sending them to play outside my door. I heard her telling them to bounce a ball off my window and door. I filled my tiny patio with chairs, a table and some cactus plants. She then complained to management. I replied, correctly, that I was allowed to have these items on my patio and explained why I had put them there. Management then asked me if I had tried "talking to her"! To this day I still have all the stuff on my patio and she complains once or twice a year.
For crying out loud nep, pretend to be an adult on this.
"Dear neighbor:
Something inside your apartment is beeping and we can hear it in the hallway outside your apartment, and in our apartments. Please make the beeping stop. It's probably a smoke alarm that needs a new battery.
It is incumbent upon the property manager to take care of these things. I don't talk to neighbors. Sorry.
I agree with you.
I would not want to complain to her about her smoke detector....it could open you up to retaliation of some sort....you never know how people will take things.
And, I would think management would be especially concerned about a smoke detector that is not working.....after all, it is insurance against the building burning down.
In the time it took to answer your e-mails, management could have contacted the woman and made sure the smoke detector was working.....it is in their best interest to protect their property and the lives of their tenants.
The property manager sounds like an idiot.
It is his job, not yours, to make sure that the smoke detectors in each apartment are in working order.
If you leave a note, she may just remove the battery all together instead of replacing it. Management should make sure the battery is replaced and the smoke detector is in working order.
Call the local fire department and inform them that the management in your building is refusing to address smoke detectors that are not in working order.
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