Because fuck you that's why. You don't like it? Move.

Dear LW:

For the last year, I’ve lived on the first floor charming a 19th century house that has been converted into a four unit apartment. My current upstairs neighbours, among other issues, have four cats who scamper/crash around on hardwood floors at all hours of the night. Some things I’ve learned:

NEVER rent an apartment in a converted house unless you are on the top floor. While I love the “character” these old buildings offer, it isn’t worth the lack of sound insulation.

Buy a noisy fan. White noise does help.

Move to an actual apartment building. Something made of cement. Make sure it’s filled with “young professionals and/or seniors”. I’m moving to just such a place at the end of the month.

And for all of you who say buy a house? Sorry, but the bubble hasn’t burst here yet. I live in a government town. It’s still a seller’s market. Homes go for at or above asking. And $250K will get you a 600 sq/ft foot condo or a townhouse an hour’s commute away.

The rental market isn’t much better. Thirteen people/couples came to see my apartment when it was being shown over a two hour period. The bedroom is right next to a busy street. There is next to no natural light. And there is no personal outside space. It's going for almost $1K a month (utilities extra)

And 10 people ended up vying for the place.

I had a friend who always like to drive by at odd hours when she was considering a move. You can see more about a place when people are home, and if you drive by at 2am you can see who the night owls are. Usually when we look at a new place to rent we look during the day when most people are away at work, so it is important to look at different times to see what it is like at 9pm when most folks are back home. You won't know who is working out on the 2nd or 3rd floor and dropping their weights on the floor, but you can get a better idea of the activity level overall if you look at different times.

You will have realized, BAK, from reading all the letters here, that many people sympathetic. And also that many will blame you for being 'too sensitive' or 'choosing the wrong sort of apartment'.

My experience: when people make noise that inconveniences their neighbours, it's because they truly don't give a shit about their neighbours. You can't make them give a shit by talking to them - it's in their makeup. They are inconsiderate. All you can do is move away. By all means talk to them about it...once. If you do talk to them about it and they don't stop (...and they won't...) where do you go from there? Escalation? The noisy person holds all the cards in this situation - they have at their fingertips the means to drive you up the wall & there's nothing you can do to retaliate.

Some people truly believe that they can play music at whatever volume pleases them whenever they like, and if you don't like it, it's your problem. (Which, of course it is: landlords and police will not help with this sort of thing).

And when you move ... there's no way of telling whether your new neighbours will be just as inconsiderate, before you move in, is there? All you can do is look for obvious clues (dogs that bark will probably bark when you come to see the place) & schedule viewing the new apartment at a time when neighbours are likely to be home (and therefore, making noise). Ask about the flooring of the upstairs apartment, if you rent downstairs.

...And be prepared to move again...

This is the landlord (manager) you're talking about, not the owner. Go up sometime soon & respectfuly state your case about the 3 AM crashes (I work a job in the day to pay my rent, etc. so I need to sleep at night). Try & be calm & reasonable sounding when you speak your piece.

If the situation doesn't immediately change for the better, go & talk to the owner of the Apt building. Say that if it doesn't stop, then you will be forced to move. The owner wants that rent check & should fix it so you don't move.

If you live on the top floor, your upstairs neighbors won't drive you crazy.

...after coming home from a long day of work and sitting down to catch my breath, hearing someone out wandering around in the common area yelling "Fuck you..." into a cell phone. I went to the door and asked if she could continue that conversation inside. Well, the reception was bad and this was a common area anyway. She wasn't even a tenant but the sister of one....

People talking on cell phones has become an increasing irritant in tight quarters. In another building, there was a man who used to walk the driveway in the early AM hours speaking Hindi, presumably to someone in a different zone. He had come out so as not to disturb his own family but was oblivious (or unconcerned) that he was disturbing others.

When I bought my home, before we started looking, my real estate agent had a list of things which were necessary, things which were desirable, and things which would take a home out of consideration. I suggest LW make a similar list and be realistic. Can you put up with a dog barking more than a child crying? Are people coming and going at odd hours more of an irritant than the occasional late night party? The only time I have been disturbed in my new home was by a high school graduation party. But, hey, you only graduate once. A blip on the screen.

Why would anyone lift and drop their furniture repeatedly at night? I don't know, but the tenants above me do it too, and weekend mornings. They also scream and shout. Two little girls, aged approx. 9 and 11 - my nemeses!