I am sure they'll love to hear about someone banging on their property. More Matters: What to do about aging parents making a mess of their home. I have recently been bemused by the fact that whoever is directly above my bedroom seems to be stomping around at 3 AM. Sometimes, the outside noise you hear in your apartment can be just as irritating as noise from your neighbors. You can even layer rugs for a chic, bohemian look that will help protect your neighbor from hearing your feet every day. Samuel J. Tamkin is a Chicago-based real estate attorney. Yes, you can have area rugs that cover 80 percent of your unit, but if the area rugs don’t cover the pathways in which you walk, we can see how your walking might cause an issue for the unit owner below. I've lived in an apartment complex before and had a downstairs neighbor. Occasional noise is unavoidable in apartment living, and your neighbor hopefully understands that. Above all, attorneys in this discussion will cost everybody money, where that money could otherwise be put in place to resolve the sound issue. I have asked for them to look and fix the problem, after the third time they get back to me and say to me I just have to live with it, There is a noise like a very loud industrial frigerater! We have an area rug in our hard wood floor living … Yes, the neighbors can hear you upstairs and beside you also, sounds travel upwards also especially voices up and besides, so if I were you I would speak lightly about important subjects, social security numbers, and other important topics. The letter from their attorney stated that some of the rugs were too thin and there were areas that weren’t covered! See if you can resolve this situation amicably. Before I installed my floors, my contractor spoke with a board member. Is there a real estate board with whom you can file a complaint? ... My downstairs neighbor knows I’m on to him and he has a hatred for me . My downstairs neighbor banged on the floor (his ceiling) so loudly that my poor cat and dog were scared and shaking for about 10 minutes. My apartment at the time was on the bottom floor and luckily, my upstairs neighbors … We would hope that the two of you could sit down and address your issues and try to come up with an agreeable solution. I've read about asking neighbors to be more quiet but none of the answers help my situation.. Check your hearing. Keep your clompy shoes near the door. If your area rugs are thin, you might consider putting some padding under them. In buildings that have instituted strict guidelines relating to hardwood flooring, including the materials used, the manner of installation and other requirements that create a sound buffer between the floors similar to carpeting, homeowners tend to have fewer problems relating to noise. My downstairs neighbors constantly complain about noise from my unit. there is an old couple that livea above me that i swear are running a circus by night, they have a tele they leave on that i can hear and they wake up at like 430am and do god knows what! Reply Link. If that’s the case, even if you carpet your entire unit, the downstairs neighbors will still be upset at you. Hi, my neighbor has been complaining about my dog running around my upstairs apartment. 2. I basically have to tip toe if I don't want to make noise when walking and that can get annoying. Try to catch him in the act if possible. The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. If you have a better understanding of the noise issue, you might be able to make some inexpensive fixes to solve the problem. God, how some days I wish I could sleep like that again. Dear Alice, My boyfriend and I have been living in a small, lovely apartment for a year or so now. I live on the second floor. The walls in this apartment are so thin that you can hear everything. However, the past month-and-a-half has been challenging, as my neighbor to the right in unit #192 is incessantly blasting his video game audio from his computer. If noise from downstairs neighbors is coming through your floors, your first step should be to add carpeting to help dull the sounds. Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see. A few months ago new neighbors moved in below us and we can hear them talking- not every word, but the murmurs of their conversations. It's safer (obviously) and healthier for them. Now that the downstairs neighbor has hired an attorney, that neighbor, of course, wants the association to pay for the attorney’s fees.