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Bottom line is...in most cases, living with people attached to you stinks. That's all there is to it. I grew up in a single family detached house...so apartment/condo living has been an awful adjustment for me, I really hate it.
If footfall noise is a problem for you (as it is for me), then try for a top floor, but that doesn't guarantee quiet...you could always have other issues like music/bass to contend with. Even though footfall noise is daily living noise, it really can get under your skin if the building is constructed poorly and you hear every step the people above you take.
You will not avoid all noise especially if you live in an apartment or any place with shared floors and walls. Even if you are lucky enough to live somewhere quiet with great neighbors, you will have to deal with something. Where I live now it is very quiet here. I suspect that alot of that has to do with the building construction. We have concrete floors. All of the neighbors are nice. I know there are kids in the building because I have seen them but I do not hear them at all. I do not hear anything in my apartment even with my tv off. Even though its peaceful its not perfect because you still have to deal with smells from neighboring apartments (cigrarette smoke and cooking (curry) etc... But you have to understand that it is an apartment and people have the right to live and enjoy their home just as much as you do. If living in such close proximity to others bothers you that much then you should consider other options.
When you go to look at a place do your homework, don't be afraid to ask questions. Come back without the landlord and speak to the neighbors.
You will not avoid all noise especially if you live in an apartment or any place with shared floors and walls. Even if you are lucky enough to live somewhere quiet with great neighbors, you will have to deal with something. Where I live now it is very quiet here. I suspect that alot of that has to do with the building construction. We have concrete floors. All of the neighbors are nice. I know there are kids in the building because I have seen them but I do not hear them at all. I do not hear anything in my apartment even with my tv off. Even though its peaceful its not perfect because you still have to deal with smells from neighboring apartments (cigrarette smoke and cooking (curry) etc... But you have to understand that it is an apartment and people have the right to live and enjoy their home just as much as you do. If living in such close proximity to others bothers you that much then you should consider other options.
When you go to look at a place do your homework, don't be afraid to ask questions. Come back without the landlord and speak to the neighbors.
Just curious, how can you come back to look at a place without the landlord present??
Just curious, how can you come back to look at a place without the landlord present??
You can't go inside the unit without the landlord, obviously, but you can certainly walk around and get a general feel for the area at a different time of day. Done it myself several times. And if you want to go back and see/listen inside then you make an appointment with the LL.
You can't go inside the unit without the landlord, obviously, but you can certainly walk around and get a general feel for the area at a different time of day. Done it myself several times. And if you want to go back and see/listen inside then you make an appointment with the LL.
I agree, but to be honest, here in NYC anyway, landlords are not going to waste their time and show you a place several times...they have a line of other people waiting to see/take it. So even though in theory, it's a great idea, I don't think it's a realistic one, especially in big cities....but I agree it's a good idea to get a feel of the neighborhood by visiting it at different times.
I've been in my new 1st-floor apt for 2 1/2 months. The upstairs neighbor stomps around from the time she gets home in the evening, on bathroom trips, and gets up at 5:30 am. I've tried using white noise machine, fan, and (recently) cell phone app with ambient noise to drown her out. But she still pounds around all night and morning - even on the weekends! I've noticed that she walks with a limp when she's going to her car, and it's as if she has trouble walking around, possibly a disability, I don't know. Going up and down the stairs she stomps and bangs so loud as she's takes one step at a time lugging a rolling bag and other stuff.
I'm hesitant in approaching her as 1.) she may have a disability where she is unable to walk softer and 2.) I'm worried she'll get insulted and be louder out of spite.
But I can literally hear her bare feet slapping on the tile floor in the kitchen and dining room areas. The carpet seems kind of thin in my apt so I'm assuming it's the same cheap stuff in hers. I don't hear anything else except sometimes very faint sound of washing machine, dishwasher, or vacuum.
I'm just really upset that I'm stuck here another year as I wish the landlord would have said something about it. But the tenant laws here do state something about how I can break lease if something is preventing me from enjoying my personal space, such as noise from neighbors.
There is another unit that opened up in my complex and might call to see if it's 1st or 2nd floor, and see if LL might let me move to that one or offer it to her. But I really don't want to move all my junk as I injured my shoulder when I moved here! lol
I own my condo but the people above me rent. I am on the second floor, the folks above me moved out a couple months ago. It was 2 girls and 2 guys and they were relatively quiet, they had a dog who I could hear running around sometimes, but its nothing compared to the new renters. It is two older guys, they stomp constantly, I mean every step is a stomp, I even hear loud thuds like they are doing it on purpose or dropping things. It is infuriating, I want to confront them but I know I will end up insulting them or starting an argument. They wake me up everyday. They also sit on the balcony and talk very loudly. I don't know what to do at this point.
I own my condo but the people above me rent. I am on the second floor, the folks above me moved out a couple months ago. It was 2 girls and 2 guys and they were relatively quiet, they had a dog who I could hear running around sometimes, but its nothing compared to the new renters. It is two older guys, they stomp constantly, I mean every step is a stomp, I even hear loud thuds like they are doing it on purpose or dropping things. It is infuriating, I want to confront them but I know I will end up insulting them or starting an argument. They wake me up everyday. They also sit on the balcony and talk very loudly. I don't know what to do at this point.
You own your condo? File a complaint with the condo board who will in turn file a complaint with the landlord if you believe talking to them like an adult is going to end on a sour note.
Just curious, how can you come back to look at a place without the landlord present??
If its an apartment building you can certainly come back and speak to some of the tenants who live there. I have found that in most cases they will be honest with you about what living conditions are like. In fact this is how I avoided making two very bad rental choices. At one apartment building, all of the tenants I spoke to including the on site maintenance guy (who invited me into his apartment) was very forthcoming and honest.
I was even able to witness firsthand with my own ears what the soundproofing was like. In addition, I spoke to a few of the people who lived in the specific building I was going to be moving in and based on what was said I decided it wasn't a good fit for me. If I had gone on the word of the management office alone I would have been miserable for an entire year.
The apartment I live in now I did the same thing with speaking with the tenants. The only difference is I wasn't able to witness the soundproofing. But the landlord did let me lift up the carpet and show me the cement floors. Even with cement floors I still wasn't sure what the soundproofing would be like living there, so I chose the apartment on the highest floor even though it meant I had to wait an extra month for them to get it ready.
Last edited by happyrenter99; 04-25-2014 at 09:28 AM..
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Upstairs lady stomping
