Getting noise complaints from downstairs neighbor (townhomes, school, live)

[anuta306]

I am having the identical problem with my downstairs neighbor! I have done plenty to accommodate them, but they insist that it didn't make any difference. After first couple complaints I started to try to keep my child from running until I realized that trying to keep him grounded was making my child miserable. 2 year old is not capable to understand that people below us can hear every step, every sound she was making. I became very snappy. .. and for what? To keep the person below happy while my child is unhappy? No way! I am not saying she can be wild all day and all night. We keep it down before 9am and after 9pm. I just got a letter requesting us not have any noise after 7pm. People, be realistic! In my opinion, people should consider the fact that if they are moving on the bottom floor, chances are the people above will have kids or dogs making plenty of noise. So, if you don't like noise, don't rent or buy bottom floor unit. If you did, suck it up, should have used your head. Toddlers are full of life, keep them from being them means making them unhappy!

Originally Posted by LuvVA

I have a 22 month old toddler who runs/stomps always except bed time and nap time.

But never after 10 pm or before 7 am. Apartment leasing office called us few times about this. Our downstairs neighbor also called cops couple of times. Cops were very nice and they said they could understand our situation, it's a toddler and he is being a toddler which is perfectly fine. Cops asked us to have a word with the neighbor and try to resolve ourselves. But I don't think this is going to be resolved like that.

Looks like now we are kind of forced to leave or move to some other apartment. We just moved here a few months ago and most likely will move out in the next few months once we buy our home late spring or summer time.

Few days back, apartment management people brought few contractors to do a floor testing and found something wrong with the concrete floor/studs relocated etc in the dinning area floor which causes more noise to the downstairs neighbor. And then they said the most ridiculous thing that my toddler's stomping/running caused this problem. BTW, he is 22 pounds.

Moving to another place is the only option we have now? Or Is it correct for the apartment people to ask us to move? Is there any law that protect us, a family with kids?

[shortel]

Honestly i have no sympathy for people who are loud. I have lived in the same apt for 11 years with mutiple people below me and never had a noise complaint against me. I am quite large person too.learn how to walk without stomping and you will have better relations with your neighbors.

[Bigfoot424]

I think this 2014 topic might have been resolved by now.

[LuvVA]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

I think this 2014 topic might have been resolved by now.

anuta306, Thanks for bringing back our nightmare.

I am very sorry to hear that you go through this. We had tough time controlling our toddler too. Finally we gave up and moved to a lower apartment for just one reason, we didn't want to take away his toddler life.




Bigfoot,

If you are curious what happened to the OP (which is actually me).....

We were forced to move to a much smaller apartment in the lower floor in the same apartment complex.

We later came to know through maintenance people that our previous downstairs neighbor has been a constant whiner, have done the same to previous tenants and forced them to leave.

I should probably have sued the management. Apartment leasing office knowingly let us take the apartment above him, especially when they knew we have 2 small kids.

Within a few months, we bought a home and moved out happily.

[LuvVA]

Originally Posted by shortel

Honestly i have no sympathy for people who are loud. I have lived in the same apt for 11 years with mutiple people below me and never had a noise complaint against me. I am quite large person too.learn how to walk without stomping and you will have better relations with your neighbors.

Seriously ??? You are comparing yourself with a toddler.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by LuvVA

Seriously ??? You are comparing yourself with a toddler.

Could be a really big toddler.

[Ffxdata]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Could be a really big toddler.

Or a very small adult.

[gomason]

This is why I always get an apartment on the top floor.

[FCNova]

I replied to the original post 2 years ago. Having kids in an apartment is tough, especially if a ground floor unit isn't available. But at the same time someone shouldn't feel guilty or obligated to avoid an apartment if they have kids and that's really all that fits in their budget. I guess we just all have to get along somehow.

I have mine in a townhouse and I feel even guilty about that because I know my neighbors can here them running around, but what are you going to do? We will move to a house eventually but in the meantime we just do the best we can to let them be kids while simultaneously disturbing the neighbors as little as possible.

[gomason]

Originally Posted by FCNova

I replied to the original post 2 years ago. Having kids in an apartment is tough, especially if a ground floor unit isn't available. But at the same time someone shouldn't feel guilty or obligated to avoid an apartment if they have kids and that's really all that fits in their budget. I guess we just all have to get along somehow.

I have mine in a townhouse and I feel even guilty about that because I know my neighbors can here them running around, but what are you going to do? We will move to a house eventually but in the meantime we just do the best we can to let them be kids while simultaneously disturbing the neighbors as little as possible.

I lived in townhomes for like 10 years and I never really was bothered by neighbor noise except one neighbor who played the drums on occasion. I'm surprised when people mention neighbor noise as a worry when moving into a TH. We had neighbors that had young kids too.