Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's not up to you to confront your neighbors regarding this letter. That's why you have a manager...let them be the go between. If they ( the neighbor) wanted you to know that they wrote the letter, they wouldn't have wrote the letter, they would've knocked on your door.
You can also write your own letter, stating what you've stated here, that you disput the claim of noise and why. It can't hurt..and it's a papertrail. Also invite the manager to your place and let them hear the noise thru the walls that you hear...I bet what they are hearing is normal daily living noises and because it's a cheaply built building, they hear everything.
Our complex discourages residents from handling issues on their own. You just never know how somone is going to react to you knocking on their door.
My furniture is moved in and so far so good on the noise complaint. I talked to the apartment manager and she said they had reported that the noise was better. Which is good. I think it was (as someone else pointed out) a combination of having no furniture in the house and cheaply built apartments.
That's the good news. The bad news is now they've turned their attention to my dogs. LOL This time they complained about feces in my yard... the kicker to this is that the feces in my yard is from their dog being allowed to roam freely. My dogs are small and box trained so they don't go outside. LOL I'm writing my own letter on this topic to the management. Let the paper trail begin. They also told my daughter and another little girl to not walk on their property. All the units open up on a large field where the neighborhood children play and these people consider "their" yard all the way to the treeline... except it doesn't work that way. In our lease, we aren't even allowed to put anything out past our patios and all else is concerned community property.
I just think sometimes people get so used to one type of neighbor... in this case, since this was a corporate rental prior to our moving in... they were used to single businessmen who were gone most of the day and probably into the evening. They had a buffer between them and the rest of the units with kids. Now they don't. There will be no pleasing them as long as we are here so eventhough I don't want to move any time soon... I'll be looking for a new home when it's closer to my lease being up.
Sometimes you just have to find a compromise (which I was willing to do) or you have to admit that there is no everyone's happy solution. In this case, I don't believe there is any way to make this young, childless couple happy unless they have what they consider ideal neighbors.
I thank everyone for their input but I think I'm going to close this thread as now it just seems like a place for me to complain rather than finding concrete solution...
First, I would read my lease, very very carefully and find the clause that states you can be "kicked out" after three complaints. I would bet a dollar that those terms are not present.
I would not attempt to talk with the neighbors personally. I think that would probably just tick them off. They are not people who are wanting a personal confrontation with you or they would have come to you instead of the landlord.
My suggestion would be to write them a nice, albeit "to the point" letter stating that you have been contacted by management about noise. I would say something like this....
"Since you live here, you are undoubtedly aware that the walls are very thin. I have consulted my attorney with regard to the lease and he has assured me that the noise resulting from normal day-to-day activities would not be in violation of the terms and conditions of that document. We respect your right to quiet enjoyment of your residence and hope that in the future if you have an issue you will come to us as neighbors to resolve it".
During our recent time in the military, we moved frequently and are looking forward to establishing a long-term, friendly relationship with our neighbors. Please feel free to call us at XXX-XXXX if you would like to talk this over in greater detail".
Send this letter certified mail, return receipt requested and a copy to the property manager.
I seriously doubt that there will be any more complaints or threats from your manager about eviction.
If I were you, I would go to Radio Shack and get a SPL meter ($45?). Get the hard fact and shove it to them. The sound level that considers to be disturbance is 70dB+ 25-ft away (Noise Ordinances). The sound has to produce continuously. An ordinary conversation inside a home is 60dB. If the SPL meter registers less than 70dB, you are in no way disturb anybody.
I would agree with those who suggest talking to your neighbors. Just let them know you have children, you'll try your best to stay quiet during off-hours, etc., etc.
Also, coming from someone who has lived next to multiple obnoxious and excessively loud neighbors, I just want to say THANK-YOU for caring so much about the situation. It's nice to see that there are still some considerate people in this world, and not your typical jack-a...es who deny being loud even though it's obviously them, and just get louder on purpose.
Lawmom, Thank you so much for the fabric treatment idea... I will try it actually! I think the main issue is my apartment is empty so all sounds resonate... there is no furniture to absorb the sounds and we've been snowed in more this winter than my children are used to. Thankfully, our things get here on Friday so hopefully full rooms will help.
As for speaking with them, I mentioned in my first post that they won't acknowledge me... this includes when I knock on their door.
I know this post seems a bit pointless but I was actually hoping someone who was annoyed by the kids next door might post and say "A and B would have made happy" or "I can deal with A noise at this hour". Something like that...
Since you have specifically asked... I might suggest you sit back, watch and listen to the noises going on in your home. Are your kids 'jumping' up and down the stairs, banging into walls, talking excessively loud/yelling/screaming/fighting...things that would seem 'normal behavior' to you is probably being extremely noisy to your neighbors. I would certainly leave a note on your neighbors door advising you are addressing the situation and to please contact you.
Koale
I had this issue with an office I rented. It was ridiculous how thin the walls were. I could literally hear them sneeze and sweep the floor. It's not your fault that the apartment complex was not built in such a way to reduce noise between units.
I've done a lot of research on this. Fabric and curtains will do nothing to stop sound. They are acoustical, meaning that they will make sound sound better in your unit, but what you need to stop sound is mass. This is very expensive and not worth doing. You would need to do things like stuff the walls with insulation, install sound proofing sheetrock which you would be costly and not likely permitted.
The only advice I could give you is to try sound masking. Sound masking is using noise to cover noise, like when a fan is running and you can't hear somone talking in the next room. Look online for a marpac white noise machine and place a few of these by the wall you share with the complaining neighbor.
Ive seen some sound rooms where they do egg crates on the wall then add another layer over them. I dont know if you want to flip that kind of money or the cost but it may be an option.
I hired a sound engineering co to advise me on what material to use under a hardwood floor and they were super helpful. Some of the things that you would assume can reduce sound can actually make it worse and vis versa..
Try calling a sound engineering co and they may offer a simple generic suggestion over the phone to you for free. They are professionals &
will offer non-specific advise to you. Or you can check out some books at the library. You have a very common problem...thin wall, need to reduce sound transmission. There should be literature on this to help explain how sound waves travel and what blocks them.
Egg crates will do nothing. Anything light and fluffy, like egg crates, styrofoam or fabric, will allow sound to pass right trough. Mass stops sound. Things like lead sheet, mass load vinyl put under sheetrock, second layers of sheetrock, building a second wall, are going to add mass and stop sound, but it's a rented apartment.
Like I said in the other post, unless it's your own place and you can budget $$$$, then you will have to mask the sound.
I dont' understand all the suggestions to remodel the apartment in order to sound proof it. I would suggest having your children 'tone it down' until your lease expires and then move to a less sensitive rental. And basically complaints can be filed all the time but the LL or prop manager usually has to hear it for themselves before they can actually or legally evict over it. So just talk to your kids and all will be well.
Koale
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Alrighty then...
This is all kind of wierd...
