Dealing with Noisy Neighbors
I have been in my new apartment for about 2 weeks now, and while I absolutely love the location, the convenience and the layout, I have to say, I hate my upstairs neighbors. You may have noticed, if you follow me on Twitter, or if you look at my posts on the right rail there.
Since day one, when my friends and I were eating lunch between moving boxes, I have heard music coming from upstairs. I couldn’t, and didn’t want to, believe my ears when I heard drums — DRUMS — coming from above, and when I went into my bedroom to get a better listen, I still couldn’t believe it. I decided to let it go, though I mentioned it to the leasing office later that day, just as a precaution. We continued unpacking and went on with our merry lives.
Until it continued. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6:30PM until 9:30PM, all I heard was violins and guitars. Thinking it was my next door neighbor, I couldn’t hold it in anymore, and I banged on the wall. It didn’t stop. Frustrated, I went to bed. Then Sunday came, and with my boyfriend as witness, the music started again. Loudly. Very loudly. We were painting my bedroom and had the windows open, and even with the T.V. on, yet all we could hear was this mystery neighbor’s music. Realizing we needed more paint, we left the noisy apartment and noticed we didn’t hear anything coming from my next door neighbor… So we walked down to the courtyard that my apartment faces into, and OH. MY. GOD. The entire courtyard was filled with this music.
The neighbor directly across from me, who is normally out on her balcony talking on her phone, called down to me and expressed her concern with the volume as well. Then a neighbor on the first floor apartment (2 floors below the noise and on the other side of the courtyard) came out and explained that it had been going on for awhile. Oh no, I won’t stand for it. I am not paying the amount I pay every month to listen to someone else’s music penetrate my apartment. Though we wanted to finish painting the bedroom, we headed to the leasing office to get someone to the courtyard to listen for themselves, because in the past, they had said that they couldn’t really do anything because it was not happening during the ‘quiet hours’. Excuse my language, but bullshit. If someone is disrupting EVERY. ONE. ELSE. in the vicinity, something has to be done!
After talking to the leasing office, we decided to head upstairs and see if we could pinpoint the apartment it was coming from. A few ears against walls and doors later, we deduced that it was in fact, the apartment directly above mine. We went downstairs to see the staff in the courtyard assessing the situation. After telling them which apartment it was coming from, there wasn’t much else we could do — and we had walls to finish painting, so off to Lowe’s we went!
One would think that after the leasing office heard for themselves, and saw 3-4 people on their balconies expressing their concerns as well, that they would do something more drastic about it. You would think that the noise would have stopped. At least for a few days. Not happenin’.
The following night, last Monday, the noise started up, again. The boyfriend and I were trying to have a relaxing evening, but we couldn’t hear ourselves think over the music. The weather was cool and I wanted to enjoy the fresh air — but how could I enjoy it with the music being louder than the T.V. that was 10 feet away?! We decided to confront the neighbors. While we were extremely upset, we were calm. Upstairs we went. Knock knock. No answer. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. No answer. POUND POUND POUND. No answer, still. But the neighbor across the hall from the noisy one, came out to see what was going on. The noisy one just didn’t want to confront us. Jerks.
At this point, you can imagine that I am very annoyed. I understand, it’s apartment living, but COME. ON. I can’t NOT hear your music. Even with the T.V. going, the dishwasher running and the washer cycling!
But then it stopped. For 4 days, I heard nothing. Until this past Friday.
At 6:30PM.
DRUMS.
Drums so loud that the lamp on my desk was shaking. You remember that scene in Jurasic Park, where they are all sitting in the Jeeps, and they notice the water start to shake? My glass of juice was SHAKING.
I couldn’t take it. I called the leasing office and matter-of-factly told them that if they did not do something about the noise, I would be taking it to the Police. I don’t particularly like to involve ‘our finest’ in matters as trivial as this, but when a woman calls in distress, those guys usually respond. The leasing office proceeded to tell me that since they had sent out a preliminary warning to all surrounding residents, it was now time to contact the apartment directly with a possible breach of contract. Horrah!
It has been a few days since then, and even at 10:30PM last night while lying in bed watching the finale of Design Star, I heard their music. I’m giving it until the end of this week until I proceed any further. It’s extremely frustrating when someone can be so inconsiderate of everyone else and not even have a notion that, “hey, maybe I’m being a bit too loud. After all, I do live right next to and above other people.” But no, it’s not the case.
Have you ever dealt with noisy neighbors? How do you handle it? If you’ve had a situation similar to mine, I would love to know how you went about handling it. I will not be confronting them alone, and while I have written several notes to put on their door, I feel like it’s pointless at this stage to even bother with it.
This link should be helpful in contacting the authorities:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/environment/noise/
As someone who loves to play their guitar but lives in an apartment — your upstairs-neighbors’ attitude is complete BS. You don’t do that to the folks with whom you share space with. Obviously, they’re selfish people. The leasing office had their chance. Now’s the time to involve the law. Time to take out the trash, Laura.
OMG can I feel your pain. I had THE exact same thing happen to me about a year ago. This hippy kid that used to live upstairs from me decided that it would be fun to play the bongos all day and all night. We have hardwood floors and the sound would vibrate down to my celing and walls. It wasn’t so much the sound that bothered me, but the constant vibration…and we have concrete walls for crying out loud.
Like you, I contacted building management and the night manager and tried confronting him myself. I banged on the front door and he refused to answer. Prick.
Long story short…my best advice is to document, document, document. Put your complaints to the leasing office in writing and ask others to do so as well. Call the police…don’t be afraid to report it. It might send a better message coming from the police than from complex management.
Oh, and the apartment I had before was bad too…the couple upstairs were very “active” and lets just say she was a screamer. Gross.
The only relief I got from hippy-bongo-boy was when he was finally evicted. Yippie!
Hang in there…be persistant.
Heather –
Ugh, bongos! They can sound great, given the right time! I just don’t understand why people try to play instruments (especially ones where you can’t CONTROL the volume) in apartment spaces. Or any adjoining spaces, townhouses included! I am hoping that last weeks dealing with the leasing office will seal the deal, I have heard no noise tonight, but knowing my luck, it’ll start at 930PM, just as I’m heading to bed!
Best,
Laura
Oh Laura, I’m so sorry for your situation. I dealt with neighbors below me (below me!) for almost a year. It was a single woman with two teenage sons. She yelled at them and she yelled constantly, whether it was at them or on the phone to someone. I tried dealing with it myself by knocking on the door and talking to her on several occassions. She basically went ballistic! We got the leasing office involved and they wrote her letters, which just made it worse and worse. We avoided each other; it wasn’t pretty! It was very awkward. After some time passed, she was all friendly to me and making jokes when I’d see her in the hallway. Honestly, the noise continued until she finally moved out. It was so awful–not just the noise, but the constant negative energy coming from her. I felt bad for her in a way. I know her father had died, and I’m sure the dad wasn’t in the picture. It was sad, but still no one should have to deal with neighbors like that. Unfortunately, unless you live in a well run community, I’m not sure it will change. I would keep documenting everything. And yes, call the police. After so many run ins, something has to give. Good luck!
I can’t imagine.
I used to have “The Elephant” upstairs from me. Before I met her, I assumed a 300 pound giant lived upstairs. In reality, she was a sweet, young girl who just hadn’t lived in new construction before. She just didn’t know that the way she stomped around was literally shaking the light fixtures in my place.
I was lucky…she moved out.
So…any update? Have you even seen this person? Has anyone ever confronted them? Don’t you hate when you are that person? I moderate my condo complex’s message board and people assume that I’m some sort of board president or something as a result. They think they can complain to me and make me the bad buy. It kind of stinks sometimes. But, I know most of the gossip as a result, too. ;)
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That is SO rude. I had the same issue when I lived in Fairfax and my roommate and I ended up calling the police because our management company wouldn’t deal with it. Luckily, having the cops talk to them, shut down band practice, and they knew we meant business!
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I am dealing with a neighbor upstairs who looks like he is 20 with sideways cap and sagging pants. He stomps up or down the stairs from the 3rd loor when he leaves and when he comes home, which is usually between 8pm-11pm. He then proceeds to stomp around for hours. Have complained in writing twice and am about to write my third letter and start calling the cop who lives on property.
The guy is a selfish a-hole.
Dawn –
I’m sorry to hear! Both my boyfriend and I have upstairs neighbors that we’ve dubbed the ‘elephants’! It’s very frustrating, and I feel like it’s harder to complain to the management about someone who is walking, you know? Best of luck in your situation!
Best,
Laura
Man the sucks. I’d go up to the apartment next to theirs or the one across from it and egg their balcony. He he he.
Be thankful its not the repetitive “doof doof” shit I’m listening to now. Hey I just realised I should egg their house, that or get a gun… kidding… here in Australia we don’t exactly have the “right to bare arms”.
I’m having the same frustrating noise problem as you.I just moved in three weeks ago. The noise started on my move-in date. One of my movers heard it and said, “ooh you have loud neighbors”. There a 3year old jumping and running literally all day long. The mother stays in all day with the child. Noise also includes balls bouncing on floor, moving of furniture, and heavy foot stomping. After 10pm the child stays up to about 1am. I have complained to the security. When they go up to the apartment. The lying noisy neighbor denies any noise. Just today I was told by a lazy security guard, you have to put the complaint in on Monday after the Holiday. I had to leave and go to a relatives house to get a good nights sleep. I’m tired going to work, and I’m going to management on Monday, and pray for helpppp! I’m just praying management isnot just as unresponsive as there staff. I’m sooo miserable, its new years eve and I am depressed for picking the wrong apartment.