Loud and obnoxious neighbor below me.

Economan_2

Hi,I live in an apartment building that creaks and cracks. I have to walk on egg shells and tip toe to avoid making noises (creaking, etc.). Knowing that the building is old, I do my best to treat my neighbors as I would want to be treated, so I walk like a ninja to avoid any conflict with my neighbor below me. Well...whenever I walk across a section of the floor which creaks, bump the wall in accident, close cabinets, fridge, bathroom door, put down objects, etc, etc, etc., the person who lives in the apartment below me bangs the walls and slams things. I confronted him twice about this and he lies to me saying that he doesn't do it on purpose. I don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that he does since it happens immediately after I walk across a section of the floor which creaks, bump the wall in accident, close cabinets, fridge, bathroom door, put down objects, etc, etc, etc. He then told me that he will try to keep it down of put some cushion between the cabinet doors to lower the noise level (he's trying to get me to do it which is why he said it, but he's using reverse psychology). This morning I tiptoed as I got dressed, washed up, tried to make breakfast as I stealthly closed the cabinet and fridge doors, and as I put on my shoes and shut the door behind me to leave to work...he slams (BAM!!!) the stairwell door below me. He does this a lot and tries to lie to me by saying it's other people that are doing it. I have lived there for 6 years and know the people who live on his floor and he's just moved in there, so I know he's lying through his teeth. I'm stressed out every day about this, and the other day until 2 in the morning he slams (BAM, BAM) his bedroom door (the apartments are identical) below me twice. He also slams the bathroom door a lot when he lives by himself and has no friends. I don't know what to do and the landlord never does anything about complaints. Any suggestions or advice? also, am I alone on this situation or has anyone else experienced this?Sincerely,Daniel

PasturesNew

Maybe he's a door slammer and doesn't even realise it. Maybe he can't actually hear you and he just assumes that as he can't hear anything the whole building is really noise-tight.

Maybe it's just coincidence.

Oh - and living by yourself and having no friends isn't a crime yet.

Smits

I dont think theres much you can do if the landlord couldnt care less. I mean you could report him for causing a disturbance but whats to say he wont try and turn it on you,. Not to mention the police or council probably wouldnt do much anyway.

I guess youve got to try and talk to the landlord and the person involved. If nothing works just forget about being a ninja and block his banging out and keep yours up.

Also, if i was you id want to try a day in his flat, and get somebody you trust to move around in yours. That way you see what its like for him.

And as said, he might actually not be meaning any of it.

Economan_2

PasturesNew wrote: »

Maybe he's a door slammer and doesn't even realise it. Maybe he can't actually hear you and he just assumes that as he can't hear anything the whole building is really noise-tight.

Maybe it's just coincidence.

Oh - and living by yourself and having no friends isn't a crime yet.

100 out of 100 times when the floor creaks and he slams the walls is a mighty big coincidence, don't you think? also, I never said that living by oneself and having no friends is a crime. I said that because it's odd how that someone who has nobody over his apartment (no friends, living by oneself) that he would need to close the bathroom door.Sincerely,Daniel

PasturesNew

Economan wrote: »

it's odd how that someone who has nobody over his apartment (no friends, living by oneself) that he would need to close the bathroom door.Sincerely,Daniel

I live alone, I always close the door when I am in the bathroom, whatever I am doing in there. Maybe also, his door sticks and it takes 2 goes to get it shut.

Smits

PasturesNew wrote: »

I live alone, I always close the door when I am in the bathroom, whatever I am doing in there. Maybe also, his door sticks and it takes 2 goes to get it shut.

Theres only one way to resolve this. Ask him about his doors!!! should be an interesting conversation!

pinkshoes

Move?

Some people are clueless about how much noise they make. My OH gets up early for work sometimes, then puts his work shoes on, and proceeds to clomp around the flat for 20 mins. The neighbours can't hear, as it's purpose built with good sound insulation, but it drives me nuts!

I would stop tip toeing around, live normally, and accept that banging and noise is likely in your building.

jenny74

Economan wrote: »

it's odd how that someone who has nobody over his apartment (no friends, living by oneself) that he would need to close the bathroom door.Sincerely,Daniel

It's perfectly reasonable for him to want to shut his bathroom door, 1) He might be trying to prevent smells spreading round his flat and 2) He may be trying to contain steam from the shower in the bathroom, otherwise he could get a mildew or mould problem.

aliasojo

Economan wrote: »

I said that because it's odd how that someone who has nobody over his apartment (no friends, living by oneself) that he would need to close the bathroom door.

I have sympathy for you but you're being ridiculous about the bathroom door. The vast majority of society will close a bathroom door whether they live alone or not. It's natural instinct and also what most of us are taught to do when growing up.

I suspect both of you are wary and just dont believe each other about the noise issues. Cultivating a better relationship might help as a starting point maybe? If people are friendly to each other they are more inclined to want to help each other.

Monks_habit

Not sure how it works in the USA but in the Uk the local councils deal with noise complaints from a premise not the Police.

banging door is always hard to enforce, how do you tell someone how to close a door!

Is your building a purpose built apartment building or has it been converted into an apartment block?

purpose built apartment building will always have better sound insulation regarding noise transfer from one property to another. In the UK, Councils don't have the power to enforce property owners to install sound insulation, as well as whether a property has floorboards, carpets, tiles laminate flooring etc, its freedom of choice, also councils don't deal with noise in communal areas, doors, stairwells, lifts etc, as they are not owned/leased by the culprit, only noise from his premise.

Walking around your apartment and shuting of doors would be classed as generalised living and not a noise nuisance, if he or you are creating the noise purposely or at silly o'clock in the morning then I would investigate it as a statutory nuisnace. as thats not how the average person would live.

Go down the Council route if you have one, don't bang back it never solves the problem, bear in mind he may believe/see it as he's not creating a nuisnace, you are!

You both have to remember, none of you live in a farm house in the middle of no where, if you both did then you both could expect silence. living in an apartment block there will always be an element of noise transfer.

If the Council/Police approach fails then look at Pinkshoes suggestion, move!

foxy-roxy

Well you obviously can't win, you are trying to be quiet and he is trying to wind you up over slight noise, i would just forget about getting yourself stressed out trying to be quiet, because you will never be quiet enough for some people.

Just go about your daily life as normal, as long as you are not partying with loud music until the early hours then he can't complain.
And vice versa for him.