Noisy Upstairs neighbors

[co556guy]

What is the name of your state? Colorado

I live in a bottom floor apartment. The apartment above us creates a lot of noise:

Stomping on the floor.
Sounds like someone is dropping a bowling ball on the floor, etc.

I have written numerous noise complaints to the management company of the apartment. They have done nothing.
I have confronted the tenant, who basically said that they didn't care (felt that they should be able to do whatever they wanted, regardless of how it impacted others).
I have called the police, who have done nothing.
The tenant above us, today, called the police on me...because they said I had banged on the ceiling (while I was still in bed....I slept in till 10:30, they called the cops at 10:29.

What can I do to get this situation resolved? I'm tired of the noise, and I feel like I have no recourse except to deal with my abusive upstairs neighbor's excessive noise since management won't do anything, the tenant actually wants to create the noise to annoy me, and the police are siding with them (they had made up their mind before they even got my side of the story).

[Hot Topic]

Don't expect the police to put your complaint about people "stomping" around in the apartment above you high on their list of priorities.

Management will probably side with the other tenants because they don't want to be "bothered" with taking action against them, especially if you're the only one who has complained.

I would move as soon as I could.

[MyGhetto]

You're actually lucky that you live in a apartment. I live in a condo and have come to realize that unless I want to spend lots of $$$ on repairing the floor above me (it can be done see here [url]http://www.buzzle.com/articles/soundproofing-loud-upstairs-neighbors-condo-apartment.html[/url]
) my only alternative is to sell my place and buy another. That's why I have my place up for sale now. It's driving me nuts too since the market sucks and I can't find any buyers. In your case though since you live in a apartment you have the alternative of just living there until your lease terminates or you can sub-lease (rent your apartment to somebody else) and relocate to another apartment. I wish my problem was that easy. It's frustrating the hell out of me here. I know you can't call the cops and my neighbors don't give a blank about how they're annoying me too. They tell me the same thing is happening to them too with their neighbors above. Thus right now while I wait and wait to sell my place I've turned to using earplugs (Mack's silicone earplugs are the best) and thoughts of suicide. So be happy you live in a apartment and when you rent another place make sure the floors are made out of concrete and ask the other renters or management there about ceiling noise problems too. You can always have somebody come with you too and have them hop on the floor above you to test it out for noise problems. I know I'm not taking any chances with this BS anymore.

[turtle05]

despite the hassle of stairs, that is the exact reason why i asked for a top floor apartment. in apartments, you usually will hear your neighbors, sometimes even just hearing them walk. Many times, what is loud to you is just normal walking around for them, but the walls are thin and they can't help it and be silent all the time - they have lives too. Just deal with it, maybe ask them not to stomp around and stuff after a certain time so you can sleep, a negotiation might be the best thing until you can move somewhere else.

[KittyCraig]

I have the worst upstairs neighbors!!! I can't stand them. They have woken my 2 year old up so many times, it is driving me crazy. I live in TX and I had heard of a 3 strikes and you're out rule, come to find out it's more like 12 strikes and you get a warning. So my husband and I have complained and complained over and over again, to the point the the office people get the paperwork ready as they see us walking to the door. What you are doing is right, but make sure you get a copy of the paperwork for your records. Today I cleaned off my patio and found like 100 cigarette butts on it (we don't smoke, and neither does our two year old!) I bagged them up and took them to the office. I figure at least we will get them fined for littering. But what I am doing is getting evidence. Recording the sounds they are making, collecting reports from the security company (7 to be exact), and I am sending them off tomorrow to the management company. If they don't evict them or have them moved, or us moved to another unit, we are legally allowed to break our lease, as much as I hate to do it (i kinda like the apartment itself). I found a noise tolerance and a management responsibility clause. They are two separate clauses, but they both outline the managements responsibilities on the matter. You should read your lease, end to end to see what you come up with and take it to a lawyer. I was told that if one party doesn't hold up to it's end of the deal in the contract than neither does the other, and I would be allowed to break my lease legally if nothing was done about the issue in a reasonable amount of time. So they have 1.5 weeks after the letter and then I'm gone! Hopefully something gets done about it and I can keep my lovely, little, cozy apartment all to myself. LOL. Good luck.

[ecmst12]

Don't hijack other people's threads, especially dead ones. Noise is a fact of life in apartment living.

[Jubybean]

Originally Posted by ecmst12

Don't hijack other people's threads, especially dead ones. Noise is a fact of life in apartment living.

If you haven't lived in an aparment, no one understands. I have lived in 3 apartments, it hasn't been a long time. But I do know that depends on where you live,things can be bad or good. There are always problems no matter where you live. Just a matter of people helping others out. Some people have to deal with what goes on. But there is a matter of being too noisy and lack or repect for others around you. I agree with the person who said that if you can get things worked out, to find someplace else. But then people have to remember that people can't always find another place if they are stuck living there. I try my best not to get the police involved as most things can be settled by just working things out.

Don't know how much this will help but just thought that I would throw in my 2 cents.

Judybean