A different kind of loud neighbor

Tooter-Fish

So, the apartment above mine has been gone unrented for the whole time I've lived there until about 2 weeks ago. A couple has moved in and we have a problem. They NEVER stop walking, that is not an exaggeration. All day/evening long I hear thump thump thump thump , thump thump thump thump back and forth and it just doesn't stop. I'm about to start pulling my hair out, I feel like a prisoner in my own home, I am going out of my mind from this, I can't concentrate on TV/video games/reading, it has really hurt my quality of life.

Here comes the part where I ask for advice. Now if this was an issue with them playing loud music all the time this would not be an issue. I would talk to them first and if that didn't work I would notify the landlord. But in this situation WTF am I supposed to say? "Excuse me, I'm Blah Blah from the apartment below you, could you please refrain from walking in your own apartment?"

Any advice on how to tackle this one?

thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump ......

Icemopper

When I opened this and saw the thumping.... well... I didn't expect walking, thats for sure.

What you can do without bothering them is maybe have some music on of your own, not overly loud because that will get you in trouble but at least it will help in taking your mind off the footsteps. Also you could try earplugs, doesn't sound fun to have to wear earplugs all the time and especially in your own apartment, but I think it would be so much harder to tell them not to walk anymore.

Tooter-Fish

Unfortunately, those won't do the trick. Even if I have the stereo/TV up pretty loud I can still feel the vibration on each step.

Earplugs, same thing, I tried those a few years ago at another apt. I was in where the neighbor below me was half deaf and would start watching TV very loud at 2AM. You still feel the vibration of every beat.

Edit-
These bad neighbors must be karma biting me in the ass for when I was possibly the worst neighbor in the world during the college years. I had absolutely no respect for those around me at that time.

Wombthrasher Deathmetal

Asking them not to walk anymore is an unreasonable request. When you have the bottom floor, you get the bonus of an easier move, but unfortunately have to deal with the people above you walking. You just have to learn from your mistakes and get the top floor at the next place you move to.

Also be sure to ask if the apartment floors are soundproof next time you go apartment hunting. If they say yes, and assure you that you won't hear thumping, make sure to get it written on your lease and have them sign it.

Szechuanosaurus

It's most likely a result of them not having carpets and you most certainly can complain. Talk to them about it first, explain that it's a continual nuisance and suggest they consider putting down carpets (or swapping their high heels and mountaineering boots for slippers when they are at home). If they aren't cooperative, then you complain to the council/local government. If the noise is above a certain level then they can levy fines and essentially force them to put down carpets. From what I understand, some cities basically forbid anybody in apartments from having bare floorboards for this very reason.

nexuscrawler

some buildings actually have carpetting requirements for exactly this reason. check to see if yours does

EggyToast

Almost all apartments that have hardwood floors have carpeting requirements. Check your lease; I can guarantee that if it's in yours, it's in theirs.

The other thing you can do is ask them to take their shoes off when they're at home. Say that the sound insulation is really bad and you can hear every footstep when they walk. Say "I'm not crazy and I'm not gonna start banging on my ceiling because you're walking, cos, uh, ya gotta walk. but could you take your shoes off?"

If you have a rug thing in the lease, though, that's something you should handle via management unless you're really feeling adventurous. Telling someone to go buy something is usually a hard sell.

nexuscrawler

EggyToast wrote:

Almost all apartments that have hardwood floors have carpeting requirements. Check your lease; I can guarantee that if it's in yours, it's in theirs.

The other thing you can do is ask them to take their shoes off when they're at home. Say that the sound insulation is really bad and you can hear every footstep when they walk. Say "I'm not crazy and I'm not gonna start banging on my ceiling because you're walking, cos, uh, ya gotta walk. but could you take your shoes off?"

If you have a rug thing in the lease, though, that's something you should handle via management unless you're really feeling adventurous. Telling someone to go buy something is usually a hard sell.

It's good neighbor etiquite to try to solve things without management first. To go straight to the super to try to get them to buy carpets is a dick move. Talk to the people first. Chances are they don't even know they're being loud.

Kewop Decam

I had this problem and I just went upstairs and asked t hem to be quite.


I had to do this like a billion times, but now me and the they people upstairs are good friends. I think they would make a lot of noise just to get me to come there.

Hazzelhoff

Is it too soon to recommend revenge in the form of a broom handle to the roof?

Otherwise, I'd just try to live with it for another week or so. You'd be amazed how much something that's NEW bothers you but you don't even recognize its presence when you're used to it

EggyToast

Hazzelhoff wrote:

Is it too soon to recommend revenge in the form of a broom handle to the roof?

Otherwise, I'd just try to live with it for another week or so. You'd be amazed how much something that's NEW bothers you but you don't even recognize its presence when you're used to it

A broom handle only works when it's something unique or out of the ordinary. Otherwise they hear the banging and don't know what it's for. When I lived in an apartment, the last 7 months were filled with new upstairs neighbors who consisted of an uber-bitch mom and two young boys. The mom would only talk to them via yelling, and the boys played, I don't know, basketball in the living room. When they started playing and we were home, we'd end up banging on the ceiling and then we'd hear (yelled, of course), "STOP BOUNCIN' THAT BALL!"

But the routine of her yelling her kids out of bed in the morning? Yeah, we couldn't stop that.

Thanatos

Get someone else to listen to it. Something you should determine is whether the noise really is loud, or you're just overly-sensitive to it.

Definitely look into asking them to get carpeting, and/or walk around without their shoes on if it isn't just you, though.

Tooter-Fish

Thanatos wrote:

Get someone else to listen to it. Something you should determine is whether the noise really is loud, or you're just overly-sensitive to it.

I've wondered that and may still get someone over to test it out. Keep in mind though it's non stop, I can handle someone walking normally (bathroom/kitchen/cleaning/etc..) in their own apartment and have for years, this is just non stop for hours at a time (not an exaggeration I swear). And when I try to sleep they are on a similar schedule and pace around the bedroom for an hour or so before deciding it's time to sleep. I think I'm going to go introduce myself tonight and confront them, because my sanity is about lost on this.

Dak

Just notify the people of the problem, and discuss the options presented in the thread.

"Hello, I'm sorry but there's a problem I have - well, it's embarrassing, but your walking is - well, extremely loud and it's really bothering me (you could play it up a bit and say you can't get to sleep) and I can't do work, I was wondering if you could... I dunno, try walking softly, or lay down a carpet, or wear slippers at home or something?"

And then try and talk things out. If it doesn't work out, then you've done your part, go to management.

Tooter-Fish

Update:

I went up to talk to them last night. I knock on the door, I hear someone come up and just sit there not saying a word (looking through the peephole I assume) so after a few seconds of discomfort I say, "hello, it's you neighbor from down stairs".

She open the door and a huge blast of heat hits me, it was probably a good 90 degrees in there, I introduce myself she's acting kinda crazy, like you see mental patients in movies swinging their heads back and forth (or she could have just been shy). She's also got a thick accent of some sort, Eastern European I believe. Anyway, I explain the situation as best I could but she could not seem to understand that I was not asking her to stop walking altogether, just to take it easy on the pacing back and forth for hours at a time. She claimed to have no idea what I was talking about and that the person that actually paid rent there would be home in an hour and she would leave him a note.

Back down in my apartment, she immediately starts pacing back and forth again. A little later, I get a knock on my door from the guy that lives there as well. I explained to him what the situation was and countered me with a "well, we smell your cigarette smoke and have to get an air purifier because of it". Also, he was not seeming to understand the fact that I was not asking them to stop walking in their apartment altogether, just take it easy on the pacing. I think he got it at the end but I'm not sure. He did ask me though, "Can she pace in the kitchen if she feels the need to?" I say "yeah, that's fine, I don't hear it in there".

Well, at any rate, it appears the pacing was from her (and it did not stop last night) as it was happening when he was not there and I was sure she was there. He says she goes back "home" in 2.5 weeks. I guess I just have to deal for a couple weeks because we didn't seem to reach any kind of resolution.

CephalicCarnage

well at least you know shes not an inconsiderate prick who has no respect for others, she probably just has some sort of problem. i cant stand people who have no respect or common sense to shut the fuck up. im in the military, and i live in the barracks, and whoever lives above me, plays music wt 11 pm, and walks around outside banging on things. like you would think a kid with down syndrome who was bored, would walk around with a stick and like bang on things for long periods of time. but there arent any retards in the airforce, this guy is just insane, no respect, no common sense. some people should just be burnt alive lol. my friends neighbor blasts music at 4am when she takes a shower. and they share a bathroom, so this girl puts her radio in the bathroom with her and blasts music hella loud, i was there twice when she did it, like wtf? i get complaints from alot of my friends about the people who live around them. how is it that there are so many inconsiderate assholes in this world? how are these people raised? its ridiculous. sorry to hijack ur thread, it looked like it was done anyways. lol

stigweard

It doesn't sound like it is worth pressing. The lady most likely has severe anxiety issues of some sort and that is her way of calming herself. Do you have a drop ceiling by any chance? You could put fire retardant noise baffling up in the drop ceiling if you did (or you could go with the more expensive stuff that goes on the underside of the ceiling but has a finished look but it is $$$). It would help out with the noise some.

You will get used to the noise. 2 weeks isn't really long enough, but eventually, should it continue, you will acclimate. When I first moved into the city, it took me about 2 months before I could sleep at night. I don't even notice the street noise and late night drunks anymore.

Szechuanosaurus

If she has a constant and unbearable urge to pace, can't they just get a god damned carpet?

vonPoonBurGer

stigweard wrote:

You will get used to the noise. 2 weeks isn't really long enough, but eventually, should it continue, you will acclimate. When I first moved into the city, it took me about 2 months before I could sleep at night. I don't even notice the street noise and late night drunks anymore.

:^:

For a year, I lived in an apartment that fronted onto a busy city street. At first I couldn't sleep at all, the sound of cars going up and down the street at all hours was very noticeable in my bedroom, and it kept me awake. Within a week or two, I didn't notice the cars at all, and even the ambulances that would scream up the street at 3am barely woke me. So even if the pacing continues, you'll probably be able to stop attending to it soon, it'll just become background noise that your mind filters out.

Munacra

yeah, we used to live close to an airport. but after the first week or two, I didn't even notice the planes landing anymore.

CephalicCarnage

yea, i live on an airforce base, and B-1's are motherfucking loud. But i dont realy notice them anymore.

kingmetal

our neighbors in my last apartment sounded like they were moving goddamn furniture all night at times, but I got used to it. they were nice people and weren't doing it on purpose. really, I think it's pretty unreasonable to confront anyone about their walking habits. if you think you feel like a prisoner in your own house, imagine having to worry every time you walk anywhere because you might be disturbing your neighbors. I think you'll just have to learn to deal with it.