Noise nazis

njals_saga

Me and my girlfriend have been living in the top floor apartment of an old timber framed house for about a year now. There are hardwood floors. A few days after moving in our downstairs neighbours stated that they could feel the vibration from my subwoofer. So fine I turned down the bass and placed a thick book under it. They later told us that this had done the trick.
They have now rented their place out to another couple. One week after moving in they have now complained about the noise from music and tv THREE times. They were informed by the owners that as it was an old house footfall and talking were faintly audible between floors. Surely they should have inferred that music too might be heard.
We are not noisy people, and our music/tv volume is always at a reasonable level. They claim we have kept them awake several nights with music, even though we ourselves have been in bed around 12 all but one night and even then we only watched a movie until 1am, and that was at the weekend. Hypocritical as they had a dinner party until 2 the night before. For heavens sake on Saturday they were complaining about reasonable music levels at 1pm.
Anyway, was wondering whether what is considered reasonable noise levels is constant our whether it varies according to the structure of the building.
Are these people just noise nazis? Has anyone had to deal with overly sensitive neighbours.
The couple who owned the flat complained once in a year. The new guys thrice in 1 week.

AARRRGH

Is the noise definitely coming from you? I was once threatened - by the management company - to be kicked out of the apartment I lived in. No matter how many times I explained to them that the noise was coming from THE PUB UNDER MY APARTMENT they couldn't grasp this so it dragged on for months.

So check and double check that the noise isn't coming from your neighbour or somwhere like that.

bobbysands81

njals_saga wrote: »

Me and my girlfriend have been living in the top floor apartment of an old timber framed house for about a year now. There are hardwood floors. A few days after moving in our downstairs neighbours stated that they could feel the vibration from my subwoofer. So fine I turned down the bass and placed a thick book under it. They later told us that this had done the trick.
They have now rented their place out to another couple. One week after moving in they have now complained about the noise from music and tv THREE times. They were informed by the owners that as it was an old house footfall and talking were faintly audible between floors. Surely they should have inferred that music too might be heard.
We are not noisy people, and our music/tv volume is always at a reasonable level. They claim we have kept them awake several nights with music, even though we ourselves have been in bed around 12 all but one night and even then we only watched a movie until 1am, and that was at the weekend. Hypocritical as they had a dinner party until 2 the night before. For heavens sake on Saturday they were complaining about reasonable music levels at 1pm.
Anyway, was wondering whether what is considered reasonable noise levels is constant our whether it varies according to the structure of the building.
Are these people just nosie nazis? Has anyone had to deal with overly sensitive neighbours.
The couple who owned the flat complained once in a year. The new guys thrice in 1 week.

Have your TV/music at the level it's at when they complain and go down to their apartment and listen to how loud it is just to see for yourself - that way you can tell if they're being facetious or not.

I know of people who lived in an apartment and they could hear their neighbours 2 floors above them walking around, the neighbour was doing nothing wrong and was not making excessive noise, it was just the way that the sound travelled through the building.

Go see for yourself, the least that will come out of it will be that your neighbours think you're a caring fella and are making an effort!

countesshouse

Have a chat with the owners about this situation.Your neighbors downstairs are a little over the top i think,especially if you guys are aware that they are underneath you and judging by your post you have taken into consideration your noise level after certain times of the night. Did you ever think that they may have another agenda ( maybe want their friends to move in upstairs where you guys are????) it happens all the time.My daughter experienced this 2 years ago and spoke to the owners as she lived on her own but was getting similar to what you are experiencing now,they were told to leave eventually as they were giving her grief, like you also she kept the noise level of tv etc down after mid night but had to put up with their loud music and parties whenever they felt like it.It was sorted by the owners who knew that she was no bother.I know you probably don't want to involve the owners but you guys are paying rent also and to live with people downstairs giving you grief even when you watch tv is not on.People like this annoy me.:mad: grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

njals_saga

Countesshouse,
no I don't think they are aiming for this, as I'm pretty sure they are aware that we own our place.
The property is one big house. We are on the first floor, the nazis on the ground and another guy in the basement apartment. We live in Reykjavik and this is the kind of building most people live in. In their note they said that the noise we have is much louder than anything they have. I have 2 issues with this. 1st They don't know what we can hear from them. 2nd They are quiet people. We hear them but less than the couple before. But its not a formula whereby we can only make noise in proportion to them. If they were monks with a vow of silence that would not mean that we are only allowed to whisper.
We know they also left their last apartment due to 'noisy' neighbours. Maybe they should rent in the country.
Interested in how other people dealt with similar issues.

the_syco

As said: play music, and check out how loud it is downstairs (reminds me of a Friends episode). If it's nothing, ignore them.

njals_saga

We have been in the downstairs apartment on a view occasions when the owners were living there. For instance we had a house meeting to discuss the shared garden, with my girlfriends little brother upstairs watching a video. To be honest I thought it was the same as the sound we hear from their apartment. Plus since the new guys have complained I have moved the satellite speakers from the floor onto the windowsill and coffee table and have put an even thicker book under the sub-woofer. I think they are just fussy and over sensitive.
I want to say f off but they have a 1 year lease and we share an entrance.

countesshouse

Apologies i thought u rented, maybe u are right they should live in the country where its peaceful and the only sounds would be the singing of the birds and other animal noises.It will sort itself out,maybe these people are over sensitive in relation to noise.Do they work long hours?

njals_saga

No they don't seem to work long hours. I don't think she does anything at all, and he is a professor so doesn't have a pile of hours. I don't think it would excuse the fussiness if they were working long hours.
They say we have kept them awake several nights. They must define night as about 9pm so, although i admit it is sometimes hard to tell what time of the day it is here. Its got to the stage now where I want to really give them something to complain over. Came home to another note this evening, crumpled it up and threw it in the hallway. Immature certainly but I'm fed up.

countesshouse

JUST IGNORE THIS PEOPLE.IF I WERE YOU I WOULD HAVE A SMALL FEW OF YOUR FRIENDS OVER FOR A DINNER PARTY AT THE WEEKEND.JUST DROP A NOTE IN THEIR DOOR AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU ARE HAVING A SMALL DINNER PARTY,KEEP A COPY OF THIS NOTE JUST IN CASE THEY HAVE A COMPLAINT REGARDING YOU CHATTING DURING YOUR DINNER PARTY.GIVE YOURSELVES A BREAK GUYS YOU OWN UR APARTMENT THEY ARE ONLY LEASING THEIRS, IT CAN BE ANNOYING AND UPSETTING WHEN YOUR NEIGHBOURS ARE CONSTANTLY COMPLAINING ABOUT VERY LITTLE,MAYBE THEY ARE BORED WITH THEIR OWN LIVES????

jimmycrackcorm

Just tell them that the previous neighbours didn't complain after you changed the sub-woofer so it is just them.

Faith

Can you put some rugs down to muffle the noise?

TBH I'm in the same position as your neighbours and it drives me crazy. Had 4 girls living about the first year I was there, and all I ever heard was footsteps. But there's been 4 guys living there for the past 2 years and they're constantly playing loud music, shouting at each other, swearing, running around, having friends over to watch sporting events, having parties etc. I want to kill them half the time because the noise is so irritating. However, I've only complained a few times and that's when it was between 12am and 7am.

The only thing I can suggest is try to make friends with your neighbours and then they mightn't mind so much.

njals_saga

Yes we're getting a rug for under the coffee table, but thats unrelated to their complaints. Hopefully it will shut them up. I guess all we can do is keep living reasonably like we've been doing. I mean we can't stop living our lives just to satisfy them.

Xiney

Just tell them that it is the nature of living with floors separating units. None of you will never have complete silence, and that is the truth.

Frankly, if they persist, I'd ignore them. They sound nuts.

R.D. aka MR.D

Why don't go down to them some evening they are in and sit down with them and explain that you understand that they have problem but you will not be responding to anymore notes. In fact you are doing your best to keep the noise down and will continue to do so.

it just might stop their complaining.

Good luck!

Moznips

hi

i've been on the receiving end of noisey neighbours i.e. i've complaint about load noises from my neighbour above me.
i've always contacting her rather than the management company and it's worked. any noise issues i had with her ie: washing machine or footsteps i asked her to call down and listen to what i hear. it worked and now she had stopped but on her washing machine at midnight and is more considerate.
i have someone below me and the layout of their place is different with a bedroom under my kitchen so i would never put on a wash after 10pm adn i wear slippers around the place so as not to distrub them.
P