Deliberate stomping

19 years ago

There always seems to be a problem in those older buildings. Everyone raves about hardwood floors, but the noise level is atrocious. The people above me, one of who is the landlord, stomp in boots all the time. It's like they are getting into the stomping. It sounds like the ceiling should cave in. I should not have to move to a concrete buidling. How can you find out if a building has soundproofed hardwood floors, of is it possible?

Featured Answer

jonathan_schachter_yahoo_com

17 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

We live one floor above our renters in a 1912 brownstone in Brooklyn. It's a two family building. Over the past few months they have chronically complained about what I now see is *stomping* on our part. Last night, we had a big argument with them about it for the first time. To wit, we're fed up with their complaining, and they think we aren't doing anything about it. They have another 7 months or so on their lease. The wife is pregnant.

There are two reasons why it might seem loud down in their place. The primary one is that our living room is an uncovered hardwood floor, about 30+ feet long, and 18 feet wide. It's a gorgeous original brownstone parquet floor, and we are loathe to cover it. This is complicated by the tenant husband & wife's having decided to sleep in their own living room, which is directly below ours. They rent a one bedroom apartment, but their two year old sleeps in the actual bedroom. Our prior tenants had no child, and slept in the bedroom -- and were not the chronic complaining type.

More minor points: my wife has a heavy pace, and is 7 months pregnant. Our four year old will race across the floor when not told beforehand to walk softly. Our babysitter/nanny may need to be told to tiptoe. I am frequently up very early, and stay up late a lot.

The living room is a large space, clearly. And I think the most typical stomp scenario is when one of us crosses it diagonally, from the stairs to the upper floors (at one corner) to the front door (on the other). As I tried to explain to the tenant husband last night, short of putting in wall-to-wall carpeting, I don't see how the living room can be soundproofed with a rug. We can put a small piece below the last stair, where it hits the living room floor. We can also put another piece by the front door entrance to the room, or a runner. We might put a 8 x 10 or 5 x 7 in a cozy corner (out of the main traffic route). But I think more is probably to be gained by wearing slippers. Any recommended brands? Are socks (someone mentioned "sock hop" here) better than slippers? It certainly is cold enough to wear slippers on this coast now!

I awoke this morning with the idea of conducting an experiment with them -- having one of us walk in slippers across the floor, and listening from below. If the sound is sufficiently muffled, then at least we wouldn't feel such a burden to pursue the rug option.

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Comments (41)

talley_sue_nyc
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I think the thing to do is the next time you're considering an apartment, insist on being able to do a stomp test--bring along a trusted friend to do the stomping while you listen.

I honestly don't think most people deliberately stomp uness they're already locked in some sort of nasty, nasty feud.

Do the people above you have people above THEM? They may have no idea how loud they sound.
Remodeling_gal
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
My friend had this problem. She moved into the ground floor apt. and found her neighbor had a strange habit of jogging in his apt upstairs. She finally got the courage to introduce herself and discovered that he had a dog. When he got home at 11pm, he was spending quality time with his dog by tossing a tennis ball. The dog was getting his evening work out. Once she explained her dillema, he agreed to take the dog outside for a walk instead once he knew how badly the noise transferred downstairs.

Best thing to do is talk to your neighbor. Usually people are unaware of how sound travels. Ask him if he wouldn't mind trying the "sock hop" method and kick off the boots.
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lazy_gardens
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Also ... landlords take these complaints with a grain of salt. I had a second-floor tenant who regularly complained to me about the noise made by the third-floor tenant (me). I got a couple of complaints a week.

That tenant didn't know I worked nights and slept days, my husband's ship was out, and there was NO way anyone could have been stomping around at 10AM because the cats and I were snoring in my bedroom (which was not even over her apartment). Her most frequent complaints involved noise over her bedroom, which was not under my living area at all. To stomp there, I would have to crawl in the attic with a hammer.

That said ... two cats playing tag on a hardwood floor can sound like an earthquake to anyone underneath.
talley_sue_nyc
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I will say it is true that some people walk heavily, perhaps because they enjoy the evidence of their own existence. It doesn't make them evil, just human. And if they're approached NICELY, they'll be more likely to try to change something.

I think it's easy to put up w/ something for a long time until one is kinda fuming, and then it's hard to keep the contempt out of the conversation. Best to speak up BEFORE the contempt enters, and to not get one's mind all wrapped up in generalizations.
wyntermarie
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I agree that it may not be deliberate stomping. We lived downstairs on hardwood and our renter lived upstars. One day when she was in our space she watched our kids playing with some toy vehicles on the floor. She was shocked at how small the toys were, she had expected them to be huge ride on wagons from the way they sounded upstairs! You may be just as noisy to them, I would ask.

Talk to your neighbor and explain your dilemma. Wood floors really transmit noise in strange ways!
This_is_Jordyn
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
How long have you lived in this place? You may find that you eventually get used to the "stomping". I moved into a new apartment in January - with hardwood floors in every room in the building. I would get so frustrated with the kid upstairs running constantly (or what my brain in its annoyed state preceived as constantly). I was so excited when those people moved out...only to discover that the stomping continued! Turns out it was the kid on the 3rd floor. Amazing that the sound traveled that far down, but it did.

Anyway, my point was I got used to the running. Yes I still hear it and still notice it at least half of the time. However, it no longer bothers me.

That being said, maybe you could talk to your neighbor and explain about the noise. Ask if maybe they could walk without their shoes on after a certain time at night - say 10pm. You may still hear noise as some people do just naturally stomp, but maybe it won't be quite as loud! I'm lucky with my "kid stomping". He goes to sleep early (but of course he wakes up early on weekends...UGH!).

~Jordyn
SAG1
Original Author
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The stompers said I would just have to live with it. Now they are flushing the toilet incessantly.
This_is_Jordyn
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Good grief!

Can you talk to your landlord about this?
SAG1
Original Author
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Read the first post: one of the stompers is the landlord.
robin_DC
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Is moving possible? My last apartment had horribly thin floors. The upstairs neighbors were not deliberately stomping, but it drove me nuts that I could hear everything they said or did (and i do mean everything...) and that I could not have peace and quiet in my own place if they were home. They weren't violating any lease provisions or laws, and they were really nice people. But the fact was that staying in that apartment meant dealing with the noise, so I moved as soon as the lease was up (actually got the landlord to let me end the lease a couple months early).

Anyway, it doesn't sound like there's anything you can do to stop it, so I'd exit the situation if at all possible.
diydana
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
ok so here is my opinion.
I am a heavy sitter. I plop. Hard enough to move furniture back. My father use to go crazy...now my husband tells me stop plopping down so hard.
I walk hard too. I just kinda got a gestapo walk inside the house. Why? I hate shoes....I wear light weight sandles...mocks or socks or barefoot...so there is no way my boots/tennis shoes are making noise...aint got any! But I walk loud. I recall my father in the basement and he would yell stop stomping...stop running. No one was. We thought he was nuts a bit. Fastforward 15-20 years later. I am in the basement doing laundry...I yell stop jumping to my kids....now they think I am nuts. Dad was right the smallest bit of sound amplifies through the floors.
So from a stomper to you non-stompers...sorry can't help it.
But if the people down stairs said your driving me crazy..stop, I would. And that my friends is why I live in a condo with no one above or below. Once a stomper always...
talley_sue_nyc
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
diydana, you're very right; some people's habits of walking just sound loud. And some floors aren't very helpful in terms of cutting the noise.

That was the crux of SAG1's first question--how can you tell ahead of time whether the floors are helpful in noise control?

Hmmm, flushing the toilet incessantly?
per the dictionary, incessant means: continuing or following without interruption.

They're really flushing the toilet all the time? Or even every 5 minutes, you think they stop living their lives and run into the bathroom to flush the toilet just so they can annoy you?

This is the sort of whining that made me exasperated w/ this forum in the old days. Every thing a loud neighbor did was treated as a personal attack; people get all p.o.'d before they even communicate w/ their upstairs neighbors.

And their posts here are so full of venom and contempt that I worry they'll be unable to hide that contempt when they finally DO speak to their neighbor--and what neighbor is going to take you seriously or look on your cause positively when they can sense that venom & contempt?

Sure, there are jerks in the world--but there are also people who are simply thoughtless. And only if you have NEVER accidentally gotten in someone's way are you allowed to be scathing about people who don't know they're disturbing you.
diydana
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
well now that is the joy of America... freedom of speech.
The good the bad the ugly...can't get enough!
This forum has proven its self to be interesting.
Go home site.... go home site....go....
Hey I have a question.... look for a fresh post topic called Goodwill/ Salvation army.
SAG1
Original Author
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
What happened to the last reply? I agreed partially with the person; walking around in three inch heels is not considerate to the person below you (I deal with it constantly from both the man and the woman, both wear heels).
Cara_6
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hey Talley Sue--

If you are so "exasperated" with this site...why look at it??
theoracle
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Well, dydana, of course you can walk like a human instead of a fish, you just like to be bad.

SAG1, I once had an upstairs neighbor who seemed to do rapid in-place jogging in the bedroom everyday just when I was trying to sleep. I knew he was an undercover narcotics officer(what a sleazoid he looked like), but I was usually too tired and ill to go up to talk to him.

One day, on one of my good days, as I was going up to his apartment, I saw him walking across the plaza. The noise from his apartment was his labrador, wagging his tail on the bedroom floor, since he knew it was time for his "best friend" to come home.

So...You never know, do you?

Besides, when I was an intern, I lived across the street from the hospital. You would think you would never get used to the ambulance sirens going all night. It took about two weeks.

C.
Lauren777
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I live on the second floor. I take off my shoes when I enter my apartment. I try to be courteous..but I have had my neighbor bring her 10 year old daughter over and the girl is heavy-footed. It is not by size or weight because this 70 lb. 10-year-old could out stomp out anyone bigger and it is not intentional. She is just a stomper. I have heard where cats running around on the top floor disturb people and you would never think it, but apparently it does. What are they 15 lbs? Go figure.
camlan
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I understand completely about the stomping. My upstairs neighbor is fortunately very quietI hear her cats more than I hear her (and I have cats myself and their running around upstairs does not bother me). However, she does have one friend who comes over quite a lot and it sounds as if he walks around in big, heavy boots all the time. ThatÂs annoying. The guy before her was much worseÂno carpet on the wood floors, stomping all the time. However, after I talked to him a few times with no result, I told the landlord, who offered him the choice of removing his shoes or buying rugs to deaden the noise somewhat. Not sure what the guy did, but the noise was reduced enough so that I could live with it.

WhatÂs puzzling me about SAG1Âs story is that the noisemakers include her landlord. Now, finding a new tenant to rent an apartment takes time and money, advertising and showing the place and checking up on the new tenant. Why the landlord would 1) not try to make some effort to reduce the noise and 2) start making more noise with the toilet is beyond me. You would think that he would want to keep the apartment rented, as most likely he is using the rent for at least part of his mortgage payment. Perhaps he feels that since this is his home, he shouldnÂt have to alter his life in any way. What he is forgetting is that this is also your home, even if you are renting and he owns the place.

Perhaps the landlord doesnÂt realize just how noisy it is in the lower apartment. Is there any way you can have him come into your apartment when whoever else that lives upstairs is walking around?

Of course, the other alternative is to start exploring how to break the lease. If the landlord isnÂt willing to deal with the noise issue, I wonder what he will be like with other problems. You may have to pay to break the lease, but it will allow you to move to a quieter place, and show the landlord that he is the reason the apartment below his is difficult to rent.

Hope you find peace and quiet soon.

Cammy
SAG1
Original Author
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I am moving out! The landlord told me that was fine. He wants someone who is "into" the stomping, whatever that means.????
moviebizman
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hi I found this page by doing a metasearch through Google on "Why some people walk heavy footed." Which lead me to this page. I read everyone's follow-up post and can be a little more at ease just reading what some of you had to say. Thanks.

My problem is similar but ironically it's the people below me that are trouble. The reasons I moved to this current apartment in West Los Angeles was (A) Across the street from the motion pictures studio that I work for - no sitting in SoCal Freeway traffic.(My sports coupe stays clean and ready for weekend adventures) (B)It's an upstairs apartment (2 stories no one above me) (learned from the past what is extremely important to me - that is NEVER live underneath someone.)

Okay so how could the people below me be a problem??? Sounds WEIRD right? Well as many of you mentioned sound travel is a funny thing. Also as much pre-investigating before leasing was great advice but it's never enough. I'm excruciatingly anal. That's what makes me good at what I do. Asking questions is not always enough. Checking things out physically on your own without the prospective landlord or resident mgr peering over your shoulders is a good thing to do but some problems only get discovered after the fact.
So in my case what I found was that structurally the building's first floor was more hollow because the subterranean parking below was on solid ground and the apartments 1st and 2nd floors were sitting on a steel beam structure. (the floor centers are like striking the middle of a drum) The noise actually carries upward shakes my entertainment cabinet's glass and shakes my widescreen plasma HDTV mounted to the wall. All my previous questions were answered thanks to all of your answers to SAG1's original issue. Because my biggest question was:"Why does this idiot have to set his feet into the ground like he is wearing concrete blocks." I guess like you guys said - there are just people that walk heavily even if they're not big people.
So I tried "talking" with the people below and they just started doing it more frequently and seemingly on purpose therafter.
The man that is heavy footed isn't even on the lease yet he lives there with the woman that IS on the lease. (These are the kind of questions I've asked prior to moving in which one can only ascertain after it's too late.) Meaning I made sure that I was surrounded by professional single living people like myself. (no kids, noise etc...) Single not meaning relationship wise but live single bachelor type of lifestyles. I was verbally told so, so I moved in. So do I live with it? I don't make noise when I walk and I'm probably heavier than the individual who trudges his feet and digs them into the ground below. I made sure I moved in to the uppermost apartment but through this lame architectural masterpiece it didn't matter. Normally, through experience, and by what was ascertained through your follow-up posts: sound does not travel upwards in most structures.
Yes I could break the lease spend money and move. But would I have to (A) pull out my 40,000 dollar sports coupe just to burn fuel and sit in traffic? Or (B) roll out of bed jump on my skateboard and cross the street to be at work. Well call me stubborn I chose B. (plus riding my skateboard to work is much faster than driving into the studio) That is why I leased this place. When I feel cornered my brain goes into legal mode. As I said the guy was not even on the lease and he lived with the girl. Yet he wouldn't change by walking quieter knowing that real paying tenants are annoyed by the way he walks. So what happened? Talking to them didn't work - they did it more and on purpose after that. So I pointed out what the property managers already were looking into: The fact he was staying there violates one of the lease rules. So they got evicted. That's how I handled this one. Fairly and Justly. If the woman couldn't take responsibility for what she signed her name to - it was her responsibility to keep him in check since she is the legal person on the lease.
So my suggestion is: If you try and "nicely" speak to your neighbor(s) about the problem and they don't cooperate, start taking notes, read your lease aggreement, and you'll find something that someone is in violation of which will legally allow you to break the lease (here in California anyway) or in my case the property managers took action and alleviated my problem by evicting the problematic tenant and her rather permanent guest.
jezzadu
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I have this exact problem - it is a nightmare. The people above me sound the circus troupe from hell. I can hear every step they take, I can hear the girlfriend speaking (she is LOUD), the people before this couple had a baby and the man had a booming voice, that was ten million times worse.
I have spoken to the new couple about this isse because when they first moved in he would have his TV sooooo loud. Turns out he had a surround sound system thingy (hellooooo!) Luckily he agreed to turn it off and I hardly ever hear the tv anymore. But the walking, UGH - it's a nightmare, you can never have peace and quiet.
What's most annoying is that the landlord told me should would do some soundproofing before this couple moved in. Well, turns out she just got them extra thick carpet padding, I've been upstairs, I've done experiments with them where I have cranked my TV and stereo to top volume and they can barely hear a baseline. Whereas I can hear their TV at a very low volume - and music - forget it. It might as well be in my apartment.
They are nice enough people and agreed to try and be considerate but of course over time people forget...the girlfriend loves to clomp about in her heels while getting ready for work still!
I feel for anyone who endures this type of noise. It's horrible and very distracting to those of us who enjoy the quiet life. Thankfully I hope to move in the Spring. I will NOT be moving into another groundfloor apartment that's for sure.
Mia_
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Just want to note that from my personal experience living in apartments & condos that being on the top floor doesn't necessarily assure you that you will not have any noise problems involving your neighbors below.

Only one time I lived below another apartment, and the funny thing is that I never had problems with noise or loud footsteps with that neighbor. Then I moved to a condo, and I was on the top floor of a 3-floor building. In this case I never heard my neighbors below. The next move was to an apartment where I was on the top floor, and I could hear EVERYTHING from my neighbors below...stomping, voices, loud TV, slamming kitchen cabinets, etc. And then I moved to the condo from Hell...I lived on the top floor and I could not stand living there because of the noisy neighbors below with the excessive stomping, slamming doors, loud voices, loud music & TV, parties, I could even hear their phone ringing. And when I asked in a friendly manner if they could walk quieter and not slam doors, they denied they made any noises at all and went so far as to say that the noises were coming from a store a half-mile up the road! LOL!!! Well, at last I'm in my own house, but I do have a nasty neighbor next door.

So my point is that being on a top floor does not mean that you will not have noise problems from the neighbors below you. In my case it was ironic because the one time I lived below someone, I never hear him, but when I lived on a top floor, the noise was unbearable.

So it basically comes down to the construction of the building and what kind of neighbors you have and how sensitive you are to noise (some people can block noises out and others can't).
lindac
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Amazing!...In another thread on another forum, SAG1 said she had owned her apartment for 13 years.
Are there 2 people posting as SAG1?
Linda C
talley_sue_nyc
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Lindac, I'm curious which thread that was, and which forum.

(*I* have owned *my* apartment for exactly 13 years; you're sure it was SAG1 whose name you recognized?)
trekaren
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Tally Sue,

SAG1 has many curious posts in various forums, and several have to do with stomping, oddly enough. She is quiet for a while then comes up with a new angle.

Not that stomping isn't a real problem for apartment or town home dwellers.

But her posts are entertaining to say the least. Here are a few good ones. If you're ever bored, you should look for SAG1 posts. She should write a book - if she and her family are for real, they'd be more interesting than the reality shows that are so hot right now.

LINDA! BEHAVE!

Sister's Grandson stomping

Sister's Stepson, ahem, well at least he's not stomping

Slurping noises

Slurping, redux

Niece's stepson's odd behavior this time

neighbors stomping part two fromlast year
talley_sue_nyc
19 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
thanks, karen! that explains a lot
dunwell
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I think you meant this posting:

"RE: show me the money!!!!!!!!
Posted by: SAG1 (My Page) on Mon, Oct 6, 03 at 12:20

I bought my condo (a fixer upper, but still, I own it) 13 years ago. My mortgage is less than what some people pay for their cars (think $350 a month). In fact, a BMW costs more than my mortgage! I have a lake view, and the value of the place is now triple what I originally paid for it. The assessemnt is high, but included all utilities except the phone. The total cost is about $650.00 a month, and this for a place in the high rent district with a lake view. "

Oh well, maybe they are two different people.
sameral
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Even with 6 inches of Spancrete between apartments you can hear your neighbors walking around (if they are stomping), a toilet seat being slammed can be heard, a cupboard door being slammed can be heard, even a door being slammed can be heard.
motherscothie
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Just as there is no reasonable expectation of privacy on the Internet, there is no way to be sure you will have absolute peace and quiet if you live in an apartment. We are on the third/top floor of our building, which is the only place I'd ever consider living here. No way do I want someone above me! But has already been pointed out, that's no guarantee of noise-free neighbors.

When we first moved into our 20's-era building, the guy next to us drove us crazy. His bedroom is adjacent to our kitchen, and he chose to put his headboard on the wall opposite our sink. He started complaining immediately and told us we shouldn't do anything in our kitchen--not even running the water--after 8 PM as he liked going to bed early. I will go to great lengths to accomodate neighbors, but thought this was unreasonable. After all, he could move his bed, get earplugs, etc--all of which we politely suggested. Said he didn't like earplugs and that wall was the only one that felt "right" for his headboard. We told him we'd keep it down after 10, but that sometimes due to our work schedule we'd have to be in the kitchen after 8. He was ticked, of course. I found out later he was a chronic complainer to the manager about everyone near him--the guy under him snored too loudly, the people across the hall should close their front door more quietly, etc.

Some people just should not live in apartments.

Several tenants have occupied the unit directly below ours in the eight years we've been here. Most have been considerate enough. However, one was a very scary person who started stalking me after I knocked on his door and very politely asked if he'd turn down his mega-sound system after 11:00 PM. The manager finally dealt with him, though, and thankfully Scary Dude moved out shortly thereafter. The guy who moved in after him blasted his stereo every day between 5:30 and 6:30. When I asked him about it, he told me had liked to work out to get his stress level down after putting in a hard day, and the music was background to the workout. Now that's understandable. We agreed together on his daily workout time, and that if he played his music too loudly at other times I was welcome to knock on his door, or at his suggestion, bang on my floor/his celing to get his attention, and he'd turn it down. He was as good as his word, and I hated to see him go three years later.

Now there's an old woman down there who gripes about our walking across the floor, even though we never wear shoes in the house, aren't tapdancing here, and have area rugs on top of the carpets. We smile at her in the foyer and when we see her at the mailbox, and try to be nice. We do the best we can. But apartment living is sometimes just not as private as some would like. That's just the way of it.
nokeysyet
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
hi. here's our deal. we have hdwd floors, but have put 2 rugs in living space as well as 1 in bedroom (sml apt). the guys upstairs are really sweet but everyday and i mean EVERYDAY on the dot... guy #1 does jumping jacks. it sounds like the walls are coming down. guy #2 dumps tons of water on thier 3 plants, then the water dumps onto to our airconditioner (we finally put some towels ontop of the AC to tone down the sudden rainstorm that happens).

the guy in the studio next door is also a really nice guy (moved in just recently w/in the year- before him we had MAJOR problems with previous neighbor, who was insane- really) but he listens to 'adult' tapes constantly & show soundtracks turned up really loud. the walls are REALLY REALLY thin, as in, they certaintly aren't code. when he moved in, i made sure to introduce myself & Dh to him. he was v. sweet & we laughed about our choices in music & movies since i warned him we'll be hearing each other. i will put a holiday card under his door.

the landlords' family lives accross the hall... i have to say that they are a very nice family. very kind to us, cordial, nice about our dog (he tends to be cranky sometimes) but... they are loud & completely disrepctful in that slamming doors (shuttering whole apt), running in the hallwy kind of way.

the building next door to us (we see into each other's windows) are full of loud, scary, obnoxious people. music is played at increasingly high levels, shouting at all hrs of the night, etc, etc.

but i'm sure we are noisy to others... we have surroud sound w/ a subwoofer, dog who likes to play with his ball in the apt sometimes & barks at noises in the hallway. we have friends over sometimes that laugh loudly & often.

sometimes i cannot handle living in this apt. we have been in this one for about 4 years, we were in a studio a block away for 4 years. so it's a total of 8-9 yrs in this area. we just signed a 2 yr lease, and after that ...we're done. we will move to a less busy area. apt living is tough- i think owning tends to be a little bit better (we're renting) but RENTING AN APT especially in big cities is not fun. i think you sacriface alot for the lifestyle (i've lived in NYC for 12 yrs, my DH for about 14yrs.) we try to have a sense of humour about it, and we're in a great location & pay very reasonble rent considering but...

oh sigh.

good luck everyone. hang in there.

PS- if anyone is wondering where I CAME FROM... i came over from bldg a house forum thus, our user name. cheers!
nexiv
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Well, I've tried it all! I've spoken politely to my upstairs neighbors, I'm sent letters to the management office, I've left notes at their door, I've even left a pair of Isotoner slippers at their door (which a week later she left laying in the downstairs walkway). I then posted a note saying if anyone lost a pair of slippers that I had dropped them at the main office (just so they thought it wasn't me). The stomping stopped for about 2 days, but..its' back to the usual! Its a couple and a young boy of about 10 (I didn't think 3 people were allowed to live in a one bedroom apt. to begin with). When she's not home, there's no problem, but as soon as she hits the door, the "booms" start! Just for her to get out of bed, it takes a loud "BOOM" of her two feet to hit the floor above me! This sounds like she's running around putting out fires! Has anyone heard of "white noise" machines, and do they really work?? I work, she doesn't, and I'd like to sleep past 7am on a Saturday morning for a change !! At this point, I think it's just spiteful on her part, she knows she disturbs me and after I've spoken to them the stomping grew louder...help!
sunrochy
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Nexiv,
Will it be possible to ask to be moved to a top floor apartment?
nexiv
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hi SunRochy - Well, a 3rd floor apartment is roughly $300 more per month than the 1st floor. Besides, I have 3 cats and buy catlitter by 35 pound buckets, not good on the back when you have to climb 3 flights of stairs! I'm really at my witts end with her. What I try to do is play music on my computer, but I don't want to disturb anyone, I just want to block her out! The upstairs apts. are supposed to be 80% carpeted by the tenant that moves in..well, I'm assuming she's carpeted hers with papertowels! The 1st floor apts. are carpeted wall to wall on move in by the landlord. Why they don't carpet the above floors is crazy! I don't know what to do, or who to ask for help anymore..is there some type of temporary ceiling padding I can install, atleast in my bedroom, to get some peace?? Does anyone know, will seeking legal action help?
tandaina
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I don't think you can sue someone for the way they walk. At least I hope you can't.

However when I was in an apartment I also had noisy upstairs neighbors. My solution was a simple box fan. It got turned on when I went to bed at the "medium" setting and turned off when I woke up. For most people its not "noise" that keeps you awake its sudden unexpected noise. So the constant humm of the fan won't keep you up and should help drown out your upstairs neighbor's walking habits.

This worked for me, on the occasions when my neighbors were extra noisy at 4am I turned the fan up to high and went back to sleep.

At this point I've gotten so used to the "white noise" created by that fan I can't sleep without it on. I have no idea of "white noise" machines work but a good box fan is ALOT cheaper and does the same thing.
nexiv
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Well..Now I'm the big "complainer"! I've received a certified letter that I will now be evicted because I have cats. This is the only ploy they can use to evict me, but from what I've heard, the mgmt. office is sick and tired of hearing me complain. They moved the upstairs tenants to another apt, and that tenant went down to the office "crying & shaking" and told them she felt I would try to hurt her child! I never threatened anyone! Nor would I hurt anyone! No, I'm not allowed pets in this complex, but I do know there are at least 400 tenants that live here that have cats. But, after speaking with them, they will allow me to move to a 3rd floor apt., no mention of my cats. I don't know if they'll follow thru with their promise to evict me if I don't get rid of my cats by 1/10/05, but if so I will hire a tenant attorney and find out why I'm being evicted because of my cats and the other tenants are not. I am now looking to buy a condo. My lease is up in July and if I can stay until I find my new home, all will be fine.
sugar_fl
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I slept with a white noise machine for 30 years. My 1st husband worked nites & needed it to drown out noise. It finnally wore out. I am alone now & just found where I could order one. Matter of fact I just ordered it & should recieve it by the weekend.. I can hadly wait. My old machine was well traveled. it went on the plane everywhere I went.

I live in a moble home right now so have a tin roof. One of my crazy cats like to get on the roof at nite.. it sounds worse than a man stomping. I will be moving to an apt soon & the cats will stay here on the farm with my neighbor. They would never adjust to being penned up in a small apt. After reading these post I'm sure glad I am getting another white noise machine. The one in the link (what I ordered) looks just like what I had for 30 years except for the switch. If it last 30 years it sure will out live me LOL
luxum
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Why would you have 3 cats in a complex that doesn't allow pets? That's just asking for trouble.
Str8dyme
18 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The fan thing really does work. I have an oscalating fan (the round fan that can turn) with a remote control, so I don't even have to get out the bed to turn it off. I use it faithfully during the spring and summer months. Too bad I can't use it during the fall and winter. The fans really drown out your neighbors and I just love the peaceful sound it makes.
nexiv
17 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Lexum ! I had 3 cats when I got divorced, and am not willing to part with them! Besides, if you read what I wrote, you would see that at least 75% of the people that live here own some type of animal, its inevitable and is prevalent in every apartment complex! Think!!
Anyway, after I wrote my letter to them explaining that I wanted proof that they are evicting everyone who has a pet so I may forward to my attorney, I never heard a word from them. I have now received a lease renewal for end July. Since they've know I have them and have been accepting my rent check, there's nothing they can do except renew. I've new tenants now, and have had to talk to them a few times regarding noise, they have tried to keep the 'stomping' to a minimum. Thanks all !!
lissette
17 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The woman who lives above me likes to stomp in her heels late at night, which I'm pretty sure that she's doing deliberately because you hear her walking with her heels into the room (now the room up there has a carpet so it should cushion the step a least some) Yet the stomping of her heels becomes louder as she walks over my bedroom. The great thing about this wonderful thoughtful considerate person is that she then claims to be sleeping and denies her actions. And when she sees me in the hallways, she gives me dirty looks. I don't understand how can people especially grown adults behave in that manner. When you come to think about it deliberate stomping is something that a child would do if they are upset. I guess some people just never grow up.

Deliberate stomping

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