dealing with hard walkers/running on upper level (house, noise, paying)
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Really, what is the option for the people above you? Not walk? Unless they're playing hockey it's just of the negative aspects of living in an apartment. Some people are elephants and calling the police won't help, you can't even file a noise complaint for walking, it's not loud enough.
I truly empathize with the OP. We rented a beautiful condo 18 months ago (a 2 yr lease) - We have a stunning view & the units are very nice & fairly new & we had most of the building to ourselves for a good 15 months. We have a 2 story unit on the end & thought no one was above us....Until the owner of another unit moved his daughter & grandson in and we found out how POORLY these places were built & realized that their (bare floor) kitchen is directly above ours & also connects to our master bedroom! We hear every footstep - it sounds like stomping - I hear every drawer open & slam shut, I hear her grinding her coffee beans & banging it on the counter - sometimes @ 4 am---OMG! I get migraines & there are days I need to be home, in the dark & the quiet - THOSE are the worst days & I just pray she will NOT be home. I hear her kid moving the furniture in the kitchen ( he will work for Atlas moving & storage one day) & I swear he has ride-on toys up there, too. It is disruptive to the entire household, as we can hear them from the furthest corner of our place. When we entertain, our guests are shocked! However, I do not want to confront her. (my choice to suck it up)
On one level, I am sure she has NO idea how LOUD she is. Second, she is a little "special" and when another neighbor asked her a simple question (nothing confrontational, at all!) she burst into tears & fell apart. I cannot take THAT! I am sure she cannot help SOME of the volume of the activities that go on up there.
So, our solutions are several.
We nicknamed them - the "upandstompins" - because if they are up, they are stomping. It breaks the tension & we can laugh a little.
We moved our TV to a less vulnerable area where if we are trying to enjoy a tranquil evening, we at least don't have to keep turning it up as much.
I turn the music on at my place - not really loud, but enough that it takes the suddenness of her stomping out of the air & soothes me with sounds that I enjoy. Sometimes I have to turn it up a little more than at other times. But, not to be obnoxious!
We DO use a broom on the occasions when it is unbearable. She gets it.
I have earplugs for the 4am grinding...because the grinding is JUST the beginning of the routine!
I have actually TOTALLY lost it once. I was home with a migraine & was in my kitchen fixing a bite to eat & I still cannot guess WHAT the **** was going on up there- but I screamed at the ceiling "will you PLEASE be QUIET"! It got VERY quite - for the rest of the day!!!! I felt bad, but, you know.
We will not be re-upping this lease. We love the place, love the landlord, but there is nothing that anyone can do to make it totally tolerable for any longer than absolutely necessary.
You are not alone & there is no 1 easy, quick, simple solution - you have to find it for yourself.
As I write she is up & stompin' so I have music on my computer, it surrounds me & I feel much more mellow.
When I was young I worked as a bartender, as one poster commented, and I was RUDE about people being noisy during the day because I got home at 3am. I'm sure they did not appreciate me much either. Eventually we were evicted, mostly because we were young & loud & partying & really did not respect our neighbors. I am a little more mature now, I think. I have to make a choice & I have chosen to put up for a little longer & then get the **** out!
Best of luck to you.
I truly empathize with the OP. We rented a beautiful condo 18 months ago (a 2 yr lease) - We have a stunning view & the units are very nice & fairly new & we had most of the building to ourselves for a good 15 months. We have a 2 story unit on the end & thought no one was above us....Until the owner of another unit moved his daughter & grandson in and we found out how POORLY these places were built & realized that their (bare floor) kitchen is directly above ours & also connects to our master bedroom!
Well duh of course their kitchen is above yours.
Quote:
We hear every footstep - it sounds like stomping - I hear every drawer open & slam shut, I hear her grinding her coffee beans & banging it on the counter - sometimes @ 4 am---OMG! I get migraines & there are days I need to be home, in the dark & the quiet - THOSE are the worst days & I just pray she will NOT be home. I hear her kid moving the furniture in the kitchen ( he will work for Atlas moving & storage one day) & I swear he has ride-on toys up there, too. It is disruptive to the entire household, as we can hear them from the furthest corner of our place. When we entertain, our guests are shocked! However, I do not want to confront her. (my choice to suck it up)
On one level, I am sure she has NO idea how LOUD she is. Second, she is a little "special" and when another neighbor asked her a simple question (nothing confrontational, at all!) she burst into tears & fell apart. I cannot take THAT! I am sure she cannot help SOME of the volume of the activities that go on up there.
So, our solutions are several. We nicknamed them - the "upandstompins" - because if they are up, they are stomping. It breaks the tension & we can laugh a little.
We moved our TV to a less vulnerable area where if we are trying to enjoy a tranquil evening, we at least don't have to keep turning it up as much.
I turn the music on at my place - not really loud, but enough that it takes the suddenness of her stomping out of the air & soothes me with sounds that I enjoy. Sometimes I have to turn it up a little more than at other times. But, not to be obnoxious!
We DO use a broom on the occasions when it is unbearable. She gets it.
I have earplugs for the 4am grinding...because the grinding is JUST the beginning of the routine!
I have actually TOTALLY lost it once. I was home with a migraine & was in my kitchen fixing a bite to eat & I still cannot guess WHAT the **** was going on up there- but I screamed at the ceiling "will you PLEASE be QUIET"! It got VERY quite - for the rest of the day!!!! I felt bad, but, you know.
We will not be re-upping this lease. We love the place, love the landlord, but there is nothing that anyone can do to make it totally tolerable for any longer than absolutely necessary.
You are not alone & there is no 1 easy, quick, simple solution - you have to find it for yourself.
As I write she is up & stompin' so I have music on my computer, it surrounds me & I feel much more mellow.
When I was young I worked as a bartender, as one poster commented, and I was RUDE about people being noisy during the day because I got home at 3am. I'm sure they did not appreciate me much either. Eventually we were evicted, mostly because we were young & loud & partying & really did not respect our neighbors. I am a little more mature now, I think. I have to make a choice & I have chosen to put up for a little longer & then get the **** out!
Best of luck to you.
I'm sorry to hear that you suffer from migraines, but that's not going to change the building construction or the neighbors being at home or whatever it is you wish to blame for not being in total quiet. It's simply not going to happen in multi-family housing -- get used to it or move. BTW labeling your neighbors "upandstompin" when it's the building construction or your own oversensitivity to noise is immature.
Well duh of course their kitchen is above yours.
I'm sorry to hear that you suffer from migraines, but that's not going to change the building construction or the neighbors being at home or whatever it is you wish to blame for not being in total quiet. It's simply not going to happen in multi-family housing -- get used to it or move. BTW labeling your neighbors "upandstompin" when it's the building construction or your own oversensitivity to noise is immature.
Sounds like you're not having a very good day! "Immature" to attach a private in-house label to irritating neighbors? You'd probably have an apoplectic fit if you knew what I privately label a couple of MY neighbors. Levity is a stress-reliever, lighten up a little!
Sorry about your noise problem. Its the way these apts are constructed, you can literally hear every pin drop.
My dh currently lives in a temp apt while we are preparing to move and buy a home there. His upstairs neighbor problem is simply incredible. Its not the type of noise, its that it literally never stops, I mean, these people never take a breath. It just goes on and on. I realize people walk, move, etc, but they never stop. I timed them once, it stopped 2 times for ~5 seconds each in an hour, that was at 2 am. I feel like the poster who called her neighbors the upandstompings. We call ours the Thumpers. I realize people move about, but don't they ever take a breath?
We've tried talking to them (nicely), they responded nicely, then just keep right on. I don't think they're even aware of how much their activities transmit through the flooring. Be that as it may, most people so settle down sometime. His lease is up for renewal and we've already told the apt we will not renew.
I simply hope that if I ever find myself as the upstairs neighbor at some point, I would be a bit aware of how it could affect the downstairs neighbor, and be mindful of myself.
And in response to STT resident - the overall design & the way that these units LOOK, gives the appearance that the units do not sit atop one another, but next to each other. Deceptive to look at & having been there for so long w/o anyone being in that one, it was a bit of a shock, you see.
And, the "nickname" is NOT intended to be a reflection of Ms Upandstompin- simply a way to blow off steam with a good giggle. Perhaps you could try it sometime. Giggles & even outright belly laughs & of course, the ability to laugh out loud at oneself is VERY good for releasing stress.
PS - total quiet would be a bit unrealistic & was not mentioned in anyone's post that I have noticed.
Sorry about your noise problem. Its the way these apts are constructed, you can literally hear every pin drop.
My dh currently lives in a temp apt while we are preparing to move and buy a home there. His upstairs neighbor problem is simply incredible. Its not the type of noise, its that it literally never stops, I mean, these people never take a breath. It just goes on and on. I realize people walk, move, etc, but they never stop. I timed them once, it stopped 2 times for ~5 seconds each in an hour, that was at 2 am. I feel like the poster who called her neighbors the upandstompings. We call ours the Thumpers. I realize people move about, but don't they ever take a breath?
Why do you care? MYOB
Quote:
We've tried talking to them (nicely), they responded nicely, then just keep right on. I don't think they're even aware of how much their activities transmit through the flooring. Be that as it may, most people so settle down sometime. His lease is up for renewal and we've already told the apt we will not renew.
If you are the downstairs neighbor, how do you justify expecting the upstairs person to modify their lives to suit your demands? In other words, does the upstairs person have an obligation to you? (e.g., is your employee, child, etc.) You can't just roll out the red carpet to your own doorstep and expect people to adhere.
Why do we care? wehn you're wakened at 3 am by someone stomping incessantly, well...........we "care". That's why we prefer not to rent, usually you get trash for neighbors, with attitudes like yours!
I really feel for you as I understand the frustration. I have been dealing with it since last May with my upstairs neighbors and constant noise jolting me out of my sleep. It's really a structural problem and one that simply can't be avoided especially in newer constructions. The only solution is to move or try your best to deal with it. You are never going to change someone's behavior. I have one week left at my current place and I will be back to renting a single home. Thank goodness. It was so funny when I left a few mornings ago and someone from the rental office had gone around and taped a sign saying Quiet hours start at 11 p.m and please be considerate because the floors and walls are very thin lol.
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