DL, I need advice: do I have any recourse against loud neighbors?

Is this a rental, OP? My co-op management went after someone who had turned his apt into a gym and threatened him with legal action, same with a some party all the time boys. That's because they were bothering multiple people. Otherwise I WOULD have taken the asshole to court after a threat.

Aren't straight guys wonderful?

Yes, r1. It's a large complex.

Why are you banging on the wall if he lives below you?

I don't understand, OP. If he's your downstairs neighbor, why are the two of you banging on walls? Don't you mean ceiling and floor?

If the apartment complex management office isn't helping you, I'm not sure you have any legal recourse. I would advise against illegal or gray-area recourse because these things have a way of escalating. You could find out what the noise regulations are in your city and see if he's violating them, then call the cops. Don't expect a speedy, enthusiastic, SWAT-like response. But, if you're lucky, the guy will have outstanding warrants and you'll be rid of him for a while. Of course, once he gets out, you're a goner. Can I have your stuff?

Because the floors are carpeted r4

Start making a log noting dates and times. Also record the sounds. After a month, maybe send everything to management. Talk to other neighbors to see if his sounds bother them as well.

OP, Drill a few pinholes and periodically send something really smelly down to his apartment.

Thanks r7.

I should have added: management told me to call the police next time it happens. But to be honest, I am scared if I did that he would retaliate.

Is there a neighbor next to him or across from him?

You make no sense OP. If you’re seriously banging on the walls instead of the floor (even if they are carpeted) I hope your next door neighbor(s) comes over and shoots you in the face. It would only be fair.

🙀

Tenant rights vary by state. Google your state and “tenant’s rights,” and some handy lists should come up.

Also, read your lease and see if there’s any component he’s breaking (e.g., does it have a clause about excessive noise?). If he’s breaking a term of the lease and the landlord isn’t doing anything about it and it’s negatively impacting you, at the very least, you may be able to break your lease without penalty.

If there’s no term of the lease he’s explicitly violating, you’re pretty much stuck with it until your lease is up. I’d bother the landlord relentlessly until they do something about it, and if that doesn’t work, call the police and file a noise compliant.

Good luck!

I wouldn't try to deal directly with the downstairs neighbor. Too much potential for unnecessary trouble. I would record the sound and report again to the management. If it continues, I would probably start looking for a new apartment.

Had some issues with an upstairs tenant years ago, in London. The first flat I’d bought, in a beautifully converted Victorian factory. Problem was, there was hardly any noise insulation. They were 2 students whose rich dad had bought the flat for them. I tried to be conciliatory. I seized building management. I talked to their dad, I even once involved the council noise management department. To no avail. The 2 guys upstairs even lashed out at me and told me to leave them alone or they would file a complaint to the police. Eventually I just sold the goddam flat and moved out. This was really driving me mad, and life’s too short for this bullshit.

How helpful, r11

Check your lease. I had a similar problem with an upstairs neighbor years ago. The lease had a section about the landlord being responsible for "reasonable" enjoyment of the rental home, and included a clause about quiet hours.

I have an AOC neighbor who is up all night playing Spanish music and putting a speaker on the window for all to listen. I asked the super about the family in this particular apartment and he told me that they are Section 8 and don't work. I asked when did the building start taking in Section 8 tenants since the rents are over $2000 and he said they accept a small percentage of Section 8 tenants and they are the worst to deal with. He said he would speak with them, but a few days later, mostly on a Sunday night for some reason the speaker is back in the window. I plan to move when the lease is up. This is just one more downhill slide of my neighborhood where shootings and crime are up, gotta love NYC these days.

OP, Do you believe he owns a gun?

r18 I have no idea. But if I had to guess ...

I'm in MA, which has strict gun laws

Go on Yelp and post a scathing review then send the link to management, and if you can find any regional management info online.

R19, I'm also in Massachusetts. Are you the city or suburbs?

Western Mass, r21.

Rural-ish r21

[quote] a MAGA (by all appearances) moved into the apartment below me

[quote] I banged on the wall one night

Do you live in an M.C. Escher drawing?

Geez. What's so improbable about banging on the wall? No one lives above me; the wall is internal (not shared with an adjoining unit), but right above the room that is the source of the noise.

And the whole building is poorly designed RE sound. I can hear my neighbors next to me when they take a piss.

talk to the landlord and insist they move you (at their expense) to a new apartment in the complex. If they don't threaten to sue. If they still balk at you. Flood the bathroom accidentally :) repeatedly.

Management of large apartment complexes don’t give a shit about stuff like this because they don’t have to live there.

My advice to you would be that if it’s a large complex like you say and you enjoy the place otherwise, ask management if you can move into another apartment of the same size when one is available.

My next piece of advice is that unless unless you live directly in a big city, do not live in attached housing. Been there, done that, and unless I was living in NYC, I would never do it again.

[quote]And the whole building is poorly designed RE sound. I can hear my neighbors next to me when they take a piss.

Ignore my first piece of advice in my original post (I just now saw this). You need to find a new complex to live in if you want to continue apartment life. When apartment hunting, do research and find out if the places you’re interested in are built well or cheaply.

Do you have any set of rules you were given when you moved in? For instance, I rent a condo and it is listed no loud noises after 10 PM on week nights/after 11 on weekends and not before 8 AM. If you have something in writing, then you have a case.

I am going through this since March as a renter living above an idiot, who was just served with papers. Don't know when a court date will happen because of covid, and it could be months after that before he moves his bony ass out. It's been horrible, another layer of 2020 misery

Agree your best bet is to attempt to secure another apartment in the complex, and I suggest save your money to eventually move to a smaller setting, like 2 apartments in a house or something.

OP are you paying your rent ? Is the downstairs person working ? If he is not he is either section 8 or just not paying his rent . If you are paying your rent , I would think management would take heed to your complaints

This is small potatoes compared to what I went through in my apt building. When I moved into the building it caused all of the surrounding apt tenants to freak out. During my first weekend in my new apartment I had the cops called on my by an 92 yr old woman below me who told police she thought I was breaking into her unit. I wasn’t. Then the bat shit crazy woman across the hall knocked on my door and directly accused me of cooking drugs in my kitchen claiming she could smell it in her apartment. I told her that I do not do any drugs in any shape or form but she insisted I was because she knew the odor having worked as a secretary at a state penitentiary for 20 years. Later that night I caught her rubbing my apartment door with anointing oil praying in tongues for my salvation.

I would honestly rather live in a mobile home than an apartment. At least with a mobile home there are no attached walls.

R22, I'm north of Boston near the ocean. I had a very noisy hetero couple above me when I moved in two years ago. I complained endlessly to the landlord and he finally refused to renew their lease when it ended. Now, I have a 65 year old male up there who does nothing but read and sleep 24 hours a day.

If it is within your means to move, do so. And don't look back.

If not, do as others have suggested. If you are a poors contact free legal aid and see if they can help.

if you are a vengeful cunt like me - do all of the following:

- Buy roller skates and blast XANADU while riding around your apartment - CONSTANTLY. - Write a press release and pitch to all of the local news outlets about your plight and your neighbor from hell - Befriend or hire a huge muscle daddy. promise him unlimited hole to stay at your place and give a beat down to the neighbors if they come upstairs. - Use anonymous mailing services to send them a bag of dicks or dead rats - Get a trac phone and stalk the cunt. Find ways to destroy his career. if he is straight it won't be that hard to do. hire a model for a me-too setup - Move out two months before your lease is up - and then 'rent' your place on airbnb as a party pad and let the kids go fucking crazy in there. You will have insurance through airbnb and whatever, you may lose your deposit, but revenge ain't free, gurl. - install cameras on your door and car - wait for retaliation - and then send evidence to the Po-Po to have them arrested. They will be too dumb and poor to have cameras to catch what you did.

I call the police on my loud neighbors, and shortly after a 2nd or 3rd visit management evicts them. It doesn't look good having the police come around too often. Complaining to management gets varied results, and after getting no satisfaction once too often, I now just dial the police up. If the noise is from loud shouting and partying, I tell them I suspect domestic violence is happening. They get there pretty quickly then.

NEVER confront the idiots directly. They then know who you are and will retaliate. The sister of a friend did this and gotten beaten up by three teenaged girls, who got off with a stern warning.

Go to the pet store and buy a bag of live cockroaches. Fill a record album and slip the whole goddamn thing under his front door.

a datalounger once wrote about tossing a bowling ball on the floors a few times after a new neighbor moved in and began blasting music. I forgot to ask if this tactic caused damage to his floors but he did write she quit blasting her music.

[quote]I should have added: management told me to call the police next time it happens. But to be honest, I am scared if I did that he would retaliate.

Retaliate how?

Worst thing is he gets physical and then you can just have him arrested and be rid of him.

I call the pigs on my neighbors all the time. It’s the only way to stop em.

Can you move? Seriously. Because I don’t think this is going to end well for you.

I agree, call the cops on the asshole, no matter how many times it takes. Once the cops get sick of having to deal with the guy they'll start coming down on him hard. Make his life a misery and maybe he'll eventually move. The landlord clearly isn't going to do a damn thing so you'll have to take things into your own hands.

Thanks everyone.

My lease is up in August, and I have no intentions of renewing.

I may try to move to another unit in the meantime.

Give him a vicious slapping. When he peeks through the peephole, tempt him with a box of Girl Scout Cookies. Or a Twix bar. He'll open to take it from you. Hit her then Willona.

Him/Her/Them

I used to live in apartment with noisy neighbors above me. Banging on the ceiling with a broomstick did no good so I called the police on them. I had to do it more than once too. I also complained to mgt. and they warned them too. Finally I started keeping a record of every time they broke the noise ordinance and gave it to the rental office and when the neighbors’ lease was up they got kicked out.

Write a review on whatever platform the apartment complex is on for all the world to see. Point out that management told you to call the police even though they have the power to fix it.

You'd be surprised how quickly they fix the situation when shit goes public.

Yeah, r39. I'd rather not be physically assaulted.

[quote]I may try to move to another unit in the meantime.

Isn't this just a potentially bad roll of the dice, especially since you've said management is no help in dealing with your current issue? How do you know your next set(s) of neighbors won't be just as loud as (or worse than) the one currently below you?

I have thought of that, r49

This is why I fantasize about having a superpower that allows me to control noise. I would be able to turn off or disrupt the following: people blasting their stereo at home or anywhere in public, girls with vocal fry or annoying/grating voices, crying/screaming babies and children, cunts with power tools, etc. Noisy eaters, gum chewers, jewelery janglers -- I'd be able to silence that shit immediately.

I know this doesn't help you, OP, and I feel for you. I've been through the wringer with noisy neighbors, etc. I can only say that when I was getting grief similar to yours, I used to jump up and down on the floor above his living room, pound it with a hammer, or keep dropping weights everytime he fired up his music. I know I sound unhinged but he eventually stopped doing it. People are cunts.

r42. i never answer the door, it's always bullshit or worse. I was forced to answer this weekend when someone pounded and rang the doorbell multiple times. With all the bass in my voice I asked 'what do you want'? the person on the other side of the door answered i didn't have to be rude, it was security and the water was being turned off. Pounding on someone's door isn't rude? does that make sense to you? it doesn't make sense to me. Which is why I don't answer the door.

I only answered to get the person to stop banging on my door.

HE banged on MY door. And he continually bangs on the wall/celling in response to me making the slightest sound. I am generally a quiet person. I have not had a single guest since COVID; I don't own a TV; I play music on my laptop quietly.

I don't know if he's unhinged, but he is clearly a NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO!! type of guy. (See also: his illegal parking. He doesn't care. And why have a "violators will be towed" sign if management has no interest in enforcing it?)

Part of me thinks management (she is a woman) is also a little scared of this guy.

Try to make love to him.

Contact a lawyer and threaten to sue the management company.

Find the owner and tell him/her/them.

Find out where the cur works and make calls saying you're from a collection agency, from a law office, or from other embarrassing locations.

Move.

Banging on the door is an unwelcome intrusion, Unless its an emergency, an inexcusable disturbance.

Here’s what you don’t do: don’t do anything to disturb the peace. You have to move and you need to have a reference. No bowling balls etc. He may not care about the police but you have to because you need to find another apartment. Don’t leave anything near his door or anything that can be traced back to you. Don’t make noise. Don’t confront this asshole. He’s violent and almost certainly has a gun. What are you thinking?

I’d look at that lease hard. There’s got to be a noise ordinance clause. Write a letter to the landlord and tell him he’s got thirty days to cure the problem. If not, you will consider the lease broken and look for other housing. Put the ball in his court.

In the meantime, call the police non-emergency number and get the name of an officer. Tell him what’s going on. Some areas have an officer or department that handles community issues. This person basically does nothing, but they can document. Tell the officer you need documentation so you can break your lease. They’ll tell you what to do. Every time you make a police report, send a copy to the landlord. Keep writing the landlord a letter every week, including a journal of how often and how long this guy makes noise. Keep copies. Ask the police if anybody else is complaining about this guy. If they’re making a report, you can go down to the police department and get a copy of the reports made about this guy. Give copies to the landlord. You can say “he’s interfering with your enjoyment of your home.” You can also say due to the unlivable conditions, you have no choice but to break your lease, although you don’t want to. I’d also ask the landlord, what would you do in my situation? Ask in writing, it’s more likely you’ll get an answer in writing. If he says, just call the police every day, tell him that’s unacceptable and your home is unlivable. In writing.

If the landlord is so afraid of this guy he won’t do anything, you’re going to have to leave. But don’t do anything to mess up your own record. If you can get a free legal consultation, look up lawyers and get one. Write your questions out in advance. You get one hour. Tape the session, which is legal as long as you say you’re doing it. That person is not legally your lawyer, so don’t admit to wrongdoing or talk about doing retaliation. I’d ask, if I tell the landlord he’s got thirty days to cure it, can he do anything to me if I break the lease? Do I have to be out at the end of the thirty days? Whatever he says, pay attention. Don’t argue, you’re wasting your minutes. Just do it.

Look for another apartment and find out what it will cost. It’s better to be able to tell the landlord, I’ve already looked and I can get a similar or better apartment for the same money. Have addresses and amounts ready. There are a lot of vacancies now due to Covid, and a lot of tenants are behind on their rent. Scare him into thinking he’s going to lose all his paying tenants over one oaf.

If this guy isn’t thrown out (and maybe even if he is), leave. He’s crazy and you’re better off away from him.

Thanks, r57. Very helpful response.

I went through this this past year and ended up moving out.

The property manager was no help, I provided a list of times and noise issues, and asserted my right to “quiet enjoyment” of my place... finally telling the manager to either deal with the tenant above me making noise 24/7 (short, wide woman who walks like a pachyderm and who never lifted a piece of furniture in her life ..... dragggggging it instead... constantly) or let me out of my lease. He took the easy way out and let me out of my lease.

Moving was a hassle, but I got a better place at a Pandemic-inspired savings.... and yet managed to find yet another place under a unit recently rented to a woman who walks like a heard of rhino over the African plains.

R57 too many words

OP, chances are rents may be reduced due to Covid so it’s not a bad time to move. Just keep communicating in writing.

OP, that's funny because the only people I've ever known who blast their music with that inane THUMP THUMP THUMP are blacks. You now, not typical MAGA types. It's one of the reasons I left New York. By the way, most of these people who blast music or otherwise make a lot of noise are doing so in order to establish their dominance while daring you to say anything so they can trot out the rant they've spent years practicing in the mirror. Just call the cops and play dumb if the neighbor asks if you were the one who called them. If you live in an apartment as you claim it should be easy to pretend it wasn't you.

R4 thanks for pointing out that OP is full of shit with his post.

I explained the question at r4 at r6, r61.

But if you doubt my story, whatever.

And explained further at r25, r62.

(Sorry, r61 -- r63 was meant for r62, not you.)

Yes, we get it, OP. Half the responses in this thread are you attempting to prolong this Jussie style ridiculousness.

[quote]OP, that's funny because the only people I've ever known who blast their music with that inane THUMP THUMP THUMP are blacks.

[quote]Jussie style ridiculousness.

Your slip is showing.

R66 You started this thread and have responded to it 17 times. YOUR slip is showing, dear.

We are home now, many of us working from home. Prolonged noise is more than an irritant, noisemakers are fucking with your ability to work, hold meetings,and attend class.

r68 thank you. That is the biggest irritation -- I can't concentrate on work without a white noise machine, which gets old after awhile

R69 Why does it have to be white?

American houses are so weird to me. Made out of wood and paper.

R71 Japanese houses are made of wood and paper as well but people are raised properly and so consider other people.

Don't other tenants complain about the loud music? You should get rid of the carpets and walk around loudly. Sure, he can bang on the ceiling but for how long. Also, call AAA services to tow away his truck if it's parked in place where it's forbidden to park

R73 Don't ask the OP questions. He'll try to dox you too.

With COVID, no guarantees the cops will even show up unless a violent crime is being committed. Perhaps, try code enforcement on his vehicle. By no means open the door to your domicile if he approaches. Be safe, and hide your Tina Turner wall clock.

I've found that young people, I guess that means under 35-40, don't understand what two taps of the broomstick means - it means turn it down, you're disturbing us. One of the last times I used the broomstick method, the tenants below had to ask mgmt what it meant. A more recent time, the people hit back. And these were a couple of self-righteous kids renting illegally, which means unscreened or approved in another person's cop-op apt. I've heard that many of them call the cops when they get the two taps from others in the bldg.

MY SUPER suggested calling the police on these people, I live in a cushy suburb where the cops don't see much action. Which reminds me of when there were another couple above me making such a nightly racket that I had to right them weekly notes to keep it down. After two, they wrote back saying he's tired of these "nasty notes" and was going to contact the police and charge ME with harassment. If he ever did, it provided them with a good long laugh.

Two Taps of the Broomstick, I wish this was a viable song. Unfortunately, it was deleted from the Bedknobs and Broomsticks soundtrack. Sickening, just sickening!!!

Every tenant has to the right to the "quiet enjoyment" of their residence. It doesn't matter if it's in your lease or not - but it probably is - it's in common law.

For OP . . .

True, R78. My building has a rule about "quiet time" after 9PM. But they've gone after people who play loud music at other times of the day.