For apartment-dwellers: does the noise of people walking around in the apartment above you ever drive you insane?

It’s irritating at first, but you get used to it. I’ve found that running a fan when you’re going to sleep provides some ambient noise. It doesn’t drown out the sounds above, but it helps get you acquainted with the ambient noises your upstairs neighbors make.

Some apartments are worse than others. I have lived in a variety of places over the years, and I suggest if it is intollerable, then move, or – ask the landlord to put some noise calming tiles on the ceiling.

It still gets to me sometimes, but for the most part, I naturally tune it out. At first I thought my neighbors upstairs were exceptionally loud, but just about every apartment in this place is like that. There have been times where I was worried that they were going to come crashing through my ceiling. Luckily for me, it’s just a lone bachelor who lives above me. Our washing machine and dryer are located beneath a family of 4 people with two kids, and it’s almost irritating just standing down there for 5 minutes while throwing my wash in.

As I sit writing this, I am listening to some horrible base from some terrible music from those who live above me. They might be nice people. But I really find this irritating. And the loud footsteps. Yes, not good.

Or you can do what I do and just live on the top floor and not have to worry about annoying upper floor neighbors

Yes! I swear the people I used to live under walked around and dropped 10lb. dumbells at all hours just to make me insane!

Normal sounds from above are bad, but I have lived in two places that were even worse.

In one apartment the people above us had crazy fights nearly every day. A friend and I used to stage very loud fights of our own during these times, just to A) point out that we could hear every word they were saying and B) distract them from their own fight.

In another apartment, the man who lived below me was stark raving mad. Every night, I’d hear him yelling “Oh, God. Help me. Oh! God! Help! Me!” – in a monotone, robotic way. He was alone. I had no idea what to do about it. I contacted the office and they sent him a letter saying ‘someone’ had complained about his middle of the night noises, and he stopped for like a week. When he started up again, I was half tempted to knock on his door and say “Hi, I’m Mary. God sent me to tell you to STFU.”, instead the office allowed me to break my lease and I moved.

I am so glad I don’t live in an apartment anymore.

I don’t hear people walking around, but we can hear distinctly when anyone drops something. Not much I can really do about it, though.

It is pretty bad here at my apartment, the walls/floors are paper thin… sometimes I think american gladiators is being filmed up there.

I live above a female friend of mine and she hears everything….everything.

I used to wake her up at 8am with my metal music. Ive kept her up late night with other activities.

It usually happens late at night. I hear a lot of footsteps and voices ( I cannot undestand what theyre saying, its like a blur). And one time the T.V. was so loud I literally had to hear Moulin Rouge.

No, it doesn’t bother me too much even though this is the first apartment out of the last four that I am not on the top floor.

The footsteps are worse than any of the other noises, for the most part.
It’s sort of comical to hear him come back from the bar and stumble around dropping stuff and bumping into things.

I don’t know yet but I move ino my first ground floor apartmet on Friday so I’ll let you know!!!

I’m sure there is something weird going on upstairs, because at least a couple of times a week, it sounds like someone is emptying a box of ball bearings onto the floor in the room above my bedroom, and I don’t know why.

My place is fine. I hear them walking around, but it doesn’t bother me.

HOWEVER. At my boyfriend’s place, the apartment above them is… an issue. We love hearing their cat go tearing across the floor because it’s cute. We don’t love their athletic sexcapades that often start a bit after midnight and last forever. Loudly. We don’t love their elliptical machine. And we don’t love (@aprilsimnel this may be useful for you) their GIANT JENGA SET. Each wooden block is the size of a brick! After a particularly… loud night we went up there to make sure they were alive and discovered the source. When we hear it, usually someone in the apartment shouts “JENGA!”, but seriously? Stop playing with it on the edge of a table. Thanks.

I don’t know, we always choose the apartment on the top floor.

My mother is very heavy footed, and when I lived below them, it annoyed me to no end.

How would it make you guys feel if your apartment manager bought you a white noise machine? Would you be irritated because she didn’t stop the noise or be thankful that she was trying to do something to help fix it? (I am trying to keep residents in my apartments right now. )

I’m pretty sure the rental office suggests the bathroom ceiling fan idea to people who complain about the noise. We have noise restrictions in our lease, but with 380 apartments in this complex, they aren’t going to play hall monitor unless someone really throws a fit.

I think white noise is a good options, but can see how some people would get offended that the property manager wanted to add more noise as a response to a complaint. But then, some people will never be satisfied and shouldn’t be living in a communal setting.

@Judi I suggest you have noise deadening ceiling tiles installed. They are slightly more expensive, but worth it in the long run.

Also, when you have the upstairs rugs replaced, which you inevitably will, have the installer place an extra layer of foam directly on the flooring.

boy, after reading this, I am so glad I own my own home. It might be only 800 sq ft, but at least I don’t have Bigfoot living upstairs. Every apartment I ever lived in was a single story building.