Upstairs neighbor "stomping" (manager, property, room, terms)

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Jillaceae

This always makes me sad for humanity, and I really don't get it either. When I'm an upstairs neighbor, I put slippers on when I get home to try to muffle my steps. It is easy to do, so why not do it?

I understand that some people don't realize how much noise they are making (even if I think someone who doesn't realize I can hear them, say, running, is a total moron), but to be a butt about to your neighbors . . . why? We had big problems with our last neighbors (a variety of sound issues), but their 2nd night there, I had a big midterm the next day and they were blaring their music. At 11:45pm I went upstairs, introduced myself, told them I had a big scary test the next day, and asked them to please please turn down their music. First they argued with me and told me it wasn't that loud (it was shaking my walls), then they said they would turn it down but didn't. And then they got mad when we complained about them to management. Because apparently I was supposed to just live with it? And of course, they got their panties in a bunch if they heard us so much as flush the toilet. (How rude of us!)

I just don't get it. If someone came to my door like that and asked me to turn my music down . . . I would. They acted like I was somehow making it up. Because I have nothing better to do than make random noise complaints about people I don't know? That just makes no sense. I get that people want to feel at home in their space, and some people like being loud, but if feeling at home means playing Dance Dance Revolution and fetch with your dogs, be a big boy or girl and find an appropriate living space for yourself. When I'm a downstairs neighbor, I obviously expect some noise, but some people are just ridiculous. And the mentality that "I'm going to do what I want when I want and to hell with you," is, frankly, disgusting. I just want to look at these people and ask them what is wrong with them. I probably should. Our current society is way too forgiving of expletive-holes. Thank you political correctness.

Excellent post ; I've had this experience before, and had the conversations with neighbors, etc. There are some really socially-inept clods out there..

Make your concerns known to all, and next time, just make sure that you're on the top floor--anything else is a deal-breaker..

[Dwellington]

The summation of this thread is that renting a unit (apartment, condo) in a multiple-person dwelling sucks. No way around it, it just does. Even more so, if the walls/floors are thin ("garden style"). The bottom line is that human nature is inherently selfish, and people feel the right do do whatever they want—regardless of how it affects others. Sure, there are some considerate people, but most aren't—and the very nature of what is considered "considerate" is itself debatable. You can try being the top-floor resident (maybe that can reduce some unpleasantness), but if you annoy the neighbor below (or the sides of you), they can retaliate just the same as if you were on a different floor. There is no solution to these problems, other than grin and bear it until you can save up and buy your own place, or find another multiple-person dwelling with concrete or other sound-proofing options.

Confronting a neighbor about noise (in-person, knocking on door, letter, stomping, being noisy back, calling police, passive/aggressive behavior, etc.) rarely results in anything positive, and likely will just create even worse problems. Some neighbors can be really evil in their dealings with you (search the Internet for some real horror stories) if you confront them about some inconsiderate behavior they're committing. You can contact your landlord, but there's ultimately very little they will do. Most likely, if encounters escalate too far, you may find both yourself and the troublesome neighbor being evicted.

Yep, no doubt about it, renting—a necessary evil for a time—truly sucks.

[Katie1]

Someone that walks Heavy is Different than someone Stomping! My neighbor walks quiet! Unless hes mad then he Stomps & Jumps up & Down! Slams doors etc! LL Does NOTHING! This goes on for hours sometimes all nite!

[nan5623]

I live on the top floor. I walk on the balls of my feet in my place to be courteous ~~ just something I learned over the 10 years living in the same place. I don't even notice I'm doing it now. LOL
Even that sometimes doesn't please the "grumpy Granny" that lives on the 2nd floor.

[rbkruspe]

Originally Posted by MassVt

I learned very early on that, if you value your sanity and your sleep, ALWAYS live on the top floor. If you're not sensitive to noise, then it doesn't matter ( and you're very lucky). But for the rest of us.....

Unless you live on the top floor apartment and just so happen to place your bed right above where a bass player practices his music! Being thumped and vibrated out of your bed and having to vacate the room for peace can suck a LOT. I sleep in the day mostly so I get to deal with this often. I don't really care too much overall. At the time I will grump and grouch but usually I am about to get up anyway. He has a right to his music during waking hours, and since I have chosen to sleep in the afternoons, I can expect to be awakened by daytime noises. Though, the guy COULD tone it down a bit..bass waves travel!

[MyLittlePrincessK]

We are having the same noise issues. We moved last year to a college town basically (although DH got a good job here so no complaints). We love the city......but we have been living in an apartment for the last year surrounded by college kids. We are desparate to buy or rent another house here and hope to be able too this summer. But because we could not sell our home where we moved from we had to wait, get a property manager, get a renter for that house, etc. Major PITA. So as I type I am listening to the thump thump thump of the subwoofer. We cannot hear the actual music just the constant vibration of the subwoofer. Last night we called the "security officer" for our complex at 1 am (she was asleep) and then proceeded to call the non emergency number for the police at 2 am because they just didn't feel the need to shut the subwoofer off. Finally I guess the police showed up around 2:30 am because we heard the door slam downstairs (we live in the middle of 3 floors) and they toned it down quite a bit.

I don't begrudge the kids their music but I really would prefer they frequent the many clubs/bars in town that will cater to it and there are plenty. And really it isn't the music -- it is the subwoofer. 90% of the college kids who live here are either financed by Mom and Dad or are on scholarship that covers everything so they aren't the poor struggling ones trying to make it on their own necessiarly. I have talked to enough of them to know. The majority of them are very nice or they keep to themselves and their friends. But the guys below us (it is all guys with girlfriends) like their music and unfortunately with an elementary school aged kid (we are deifnitely not the "demographic" for this complex) it gets difficult tolerate after about 9 pm.

I hate being "that" neighbor but then I also feel like that at 2 am (even on a Saturday/Sunday) they are forcing me to be that neighbor.....I dream of the day we can live in a house again, rented or not.

[I'm With The Band]

Update: 2 letters were sent by the strata manager regarding the incessant stomping and running. Her reply? That I'm basically a liar, they do not make the noise and that they're always in bed by 9.30. Yeah, I'm lying you muppet. Thanks so much for waking me up last Thursday night too. Your stomping, door slamming and high heels were a treat to listen to from 11.45pm to 12.05am. So was the running at 8am on Saturday morning, along with the object you banged 5 times in a row on the floor above my bedroom.

It's just SO much fun to be this stressed and to hate being in my own home, you muppet. Not.

So tomorrow, I'm meeting with my landlord and terminating the lease early. It was meant to expire in Feb 2012, but given I don't know how long they'll be living above me, I simply cannot live like this anymore. As long as they're residing there, the noise will not stop. I want out. ASAP.

With any luck, the next tenant will lodge a complaint too.

[Kim in FL]

I live on the third floor and I've never received a noise complaint.

I don't take care to walk lightly, or walk on the balls of my feet, or fret everytime I drop a book or something.

I pay rent to live here just like everyone else and by god I will live in my home. I won't walk on eggshells for anyone. If the building is so cheaply built that you can hear someone walking above you, then that's a management issue, not a tenant issue.

I've been in an apartment where I could hear the guy above peeing in his toilet. Was that his fault? No. I could hear his phone ring and I could hear every step he made. Again, his fault. No.

This building was woodframe ( though it looks concrete) and the upper floors were all wood as well with very little insulation in them. I complained to the manager about the building, not the tenant, and was able to break my lease without penalty because I made them come to my home at 0200 so they could hear what we heard all night long. My dhs job was being effected. My kids schooling was being effected. Our whole life was being effected because we literally couldn't sleep.

This family worked in the service industry and would come home at midnight and they would be up until 0400..I had no right to dictate what they could or couldn't do in their home beyond playing loud music or fighting or have a party ( things laid out in the lease). These ppl were doing normal eveyday living noises....things I see ppl complain about all the time on here..there is a difference.

[DowntownHarrisburg]

Originally Posted by Kim in FL

I pay rent to live here just like everyone else and by god I will live in my home. I won't walk on eggshells for anyone. If the building is so cheaply built that you can hear someone walking above you, then that's a management issue, not a tenant issue.

These ppl were doing normal eveyday living noises....things I see ppl complain about all the time on here..there is a difference.

This is an attitude more people need to have, or at least understand. The difference between "getting home from your second-shift job and enjoying your apartment at 2am" and "throwing a party at 2am" is monumental. Upstairs noise is also a fact of life in garden-style two- or three-story apartment buildings. It's going to happen; you simply will never have silent living in these conditions.

This is one of many reasons why I choose to live in a concrete-and-steel hirise. I don't have these problems. Being on the top floor also probably helps.

I do fret about using my conical coffee grinder, though. Sounds like a jet engine spooling up.

[User24]

This is one of many reasons why I choose to live in a concrete-and-steel hirise. I don't have these problems. Being on the top floor also probably helps

Although in a concrete and steel hirise, there may be not as much impact noise... I've heard that in the city, the noise from the streets/cars/people yelling gets amplified from bouncing around the tall buildings. The end result is trading footfall/impact noise for exterior noise. Is that true in your experience?

The burr grinder is loud but only for a few moments.... then espresso or french press... but I live in a wood frame symetricaly opposite from surrounding units and therefore there's kitchen cabinets slamming behind my backsplash....