Have you addressed the noise issue with the management? If by housework, you mean that your upstairs neighbor is coming home at 11 pm and starting to vacuum, I think you have cause for a noise complaint. Especially if all the units have marble floors. Is there anything in your lease about noise or quiet hours or needing to have area rugs down to lessen the noise? Bring this to the attention of the neighbors and the management. I can't blame the management for not working with you on breaking your lease when all you have done to remedy the situation is to talk to the neighbors one time. So here's what I'd do. First, I'd start documenting the noise. Every day. Every time. Jot it down in a notebook or on your computer. "11 am Saturday. Vacuuming. Can't hear TV set on volume 80." "Midnight. Thursday. Woken up by neighbor's footsteps as he returned home. Kept awake by vacuuming and dishwasher." Second, I'd go back to the neighbors. Of course they don't realize they are making so much noise. Tell them that you and your kids are being woken up by the noise--be specific as to time and type of noise--and ask them nicely to deal with this. It doesn't matter to you what they do--put down area rugs, change their housekeeping schedule--but between the hours of, say, 9 pm and 7 am, you would appreciate their efforts to reduce the noise traveling into your unit. Document this and all conversations with them and their responses. They have little choice as to their working hours, but they can try to reduce the noise. And they can certainly limit housework to more standard hours, like during the day when most people are awake. Third, go to management. Show them your log of at least one week's noise disturbances. Ask them what they are going to do. Ask them what else you can do. Be proactive. Continue to give management weekly updates on the noise situation. They need to know that it is a constant, ongoing problem. If you complain once and never again, they are going to think the problem is solved. Fourth. If nothing else works, could they move you to a different unit, preferably one on the top floor? Fifth. If that fails, you have the option to break the lease. Yes, you will have to pay the rent until the unit is re-rented. You signed a contract. You have to honor the contract. Breaking the lease is a last resort. You have to try all your other options first.

first of all, your quote was ' I listened to his stereo/TV through my wood floors for about a week before asking the apartment manager to ask the new tenant to turn it down (it had gotten loud enough one night that I could croon along with the songs). The next morning I had a nice note from the neighbor introducing himself and asking to please call him if he ever got too loud again' which rather clearly states that you called the manager without speaking to the neighbor- and didn't introduce yourself until after the incident. 2) I grew up in a house with a mother who stands all of five feet tall in heels- and a dad who's 6 foot and change. I have never once gotten the impression that being intimidated, or intimidating, has a bloody thing to do with either gender- or a person's size. if you were raised to believe in your own helplessness- I'd like to introduce you to a few people who might change your opinion. 3) to get back to the point- you let it go on for a week in the first place- rather than go down there the very first night, (and rather than 'confront' the poor guy) apologize for interrupting him, but explain that the floors are thin, and you are a light sleeper... as a full grown female, I find the 'helpless' females a far more threatening figure than any unarmed male- because it's those girls who, rather than participate in a democratic and open discussion, and use the rules of negotiation and compromise- do things like call the manager, or the cops- without ever giving the other person a chance, and then running to everyone and complaining that no one wants to 'play fair' when you don't get your way. your neighbor sounds like you've managed to scare him half out of his wits- and here you are complaining to us that he's not being sensitive to your needs. if your peace and quiet is really so important to you- do this yourself. bake cookies. make nice. prove you deserve that extra x chromosome. and I bet you get better results than you're ever going to get by threats- which is what having the manager calling him about it is. you are putting his residence in jepoardy- do you even realize that? women used to be able to shame whole communities into proper behavior simply by expecting it from them...confrontation was something that low-lifes did, not proper grownups. when did we lose this ability? or did it just become too much bother?

Yes this is an old thread, but extremely relevant; especially in light of Covid and all the insanity it is breeding. I have two nasty neighbors, so I got the luck of the draw. One on each side. The neighbor to the left was syrupy sweet for a few months, but that turned. The neighbor to the right is anal as all get out but feels as if he is entitled to encroach on our property, move things, dig our fence up because he felt it wasn’t level, take deck tiles he agreed to buy from me, but never made good on, mow over my outdoor area rug, and “accidentally“ destroy various things. The man isn’t crazy, just anal and entitled at 50 plus years old. Worse than a toddler. Never apologies or offers to replace what was damaged. I have felt like retaliating in several occasions, but I always pull myself together. My husband is now seeing things more and more. You are not crazy. Those that are calling you crazy must be “that crazy neighbor” to someone else or just plain evil and nasty. There are so many people in the world like this. A person entitled and miserable is extremely difficult to live by. I pray your situation has improved. We are hoping to move in a year or so. I will be sure to pay extra careful attention to the neighborhood and make certain there is ample distance between property lines. I want peace!

That can be tricky, it seems like the roof is conducting the sound. Ask the apartment managers to make sure it is bolted down all the way, if it's loose or wobbly that can be quite loud. Also ask them to clean it, fans get really loud when there not balanced (because of dirt). Other then that some type of foam insulation or padding between the ac unit and the roof might make a difference if you can get the managers to install it. Also try white noise. Get one of those table top waterfalls or something, they do pretty good at blocking out the hum types of sounds, assuming you like the waterfall sound.