Neighbour Noise Issue

allandanyways

Is it acceptable to leave a note under the door/in mailbox of neighbours in an apartment block where their noise levels are gone beyond annoying and into downright inconsiderate?

Saturday morning, 7 am. Hoovering all of the skirting boards that run along the back of our bedroom wall.

Saturday morning 8am. Singing loud enough to wake me up and throwing things, slamming things and then having a power shower for 40 minutes when power shower box backs onto our bedroom as well.

I'm in the middle of an extremely busy period in work and need as much sleep as I can get and cant even get a few hours on a Saturday morning. This didn't bother me too much during the summer but I haven't slept past 8am at the weekend since I lived in our old house.

I understand everyone's entitled to their own lifestyle and timetable etc but I cannot deal with the lack of sleep because of their bizarre activities. All I want is a lie in on a Saturday and they just make so much noise, it's impossible.

I was thinking of just leaving a note under their door saying something like "just a reminder that your bathroom backs onto our bedroom. if you could try to be a bit more considerate and quiet, particularly on weekend mornings that would be great".

Even typing this, I feel like it's a petty move, but short of renting a hotel room at the weekends, I don't know how I'm going to get any sleep. I don't think I should have to buy earplugs when I'm paying Dublin rental prices for this place, which is where I should be able to sleep.

I know the whole thing seems really petty but I'm at the end of my tether with the lack of sleep (the whole process starts at 5am during the week).

athtrasna

Call for a chat, but check your development rules first. Ours say no noise audible from outside the apartment between 10pm and 7am, which in this case would mean your neighbour was compliant.

To be honest, I think you're on a hiding to nothing here, you can appeal to their human side (do not do this in a note) but your neighbours being on a different schedule to you is totally reasonable. Invest in good quality earplugs.

Kensington

Earplugs unfortunately. Apartments in Ireland are just badly built, particularly "modern" builds.

We're lucky enough all our neighbours are on similar schedules and we're on top floor, but we can hear them clip clopping around in high heels and toilet flushing sounds during the morning/evening. We're very conscious to keep noise to a minimum to those directly below us but some people simply don't realise that their noise may intrude or carry - especially if you're quiet yourself, if they don't hear any noise from you they probably figure you equally can't hear them, not necessarily that you're just very quiet.

zef

ID call in before I'd leave a note, too. I think most people would respond better to that than a note, where tone can be implied.
I do sympathize with you , sleep is often taken for granted and a bout of stress and sleeping pattern disruption is an unpleasant experience.

tenifan

8am is early, but not unacceptably early for someone to go by their day-to-day activities. Even 7am.. it's not like they're playing the drums or have a dog barking.. they're hoovering their apartment. Blame the builder.
You could always try hoovering when you know they're in bed, say 11.30pm at night.. Maybe it will make them realise how thin the walls are.
Another option: move to an apartment that's better built.

TwoShedsJackson

Call into them first and see if they can react to your concerns. A note as a first contact is a rather passive-aggressive approach to take.

greenbicycle

Its completely reasonable to be up and going about your business at that time, a shower after 8am is not early at all in my book! (It is even late for me,even on the weekend!)

I think that if i got a note under my door complaining about something that is not out of the ordinary i would be a little put out and i would consider the note sender to be quite an awkward person.On the other hand if a neighbour came and talked to me in a friendly and open manner i would try and facilitate them as much as i could without compromising my own day. Hoovering and singing could certainly be left till later in the day!

Chris_5339762

I understand that people have different schedules what with work and life and all, but apartment rules aside it is ridiculous to be hoovering at 7am.

athtrasna

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I understand that people have different schedules what with work and life and all, but apartment rules aside it is ridiculous to be hoovering at 7am.

Not if they're expecting early visitors or trying to get it done before work

R P McMurphy

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I understand that people have different schedules what with work and life and all, but apartment rules aside it is ridiculous to be hoovering at 7am.

Sounds like they are on crystal meth

Hollister11

I'm up at 7am and if someone told me to stop what I do because it's too noisy id tell them where to go.
The day has started

moc moc a moc

Nobody respects a note-leaver. If it's enough of a problem that you feel you need to raise the issue with them, then raise it in person.

Hollister11 wrote: »

The day has started

No normal person's Saturday starts at 7am.

Hollister11

moc moc a moc wrote: »

Nobody respects a note-leaver. If it's enough of a problem that you feel you need to raise the issue with them, then raise it in person.



No normal person's Saturday starts at 7am.

What about work
Fair enough Sunday but Satutday

the_syco

allandanyways wrote: »

Saturday morning, 7 am

It's also their day off, and some people don't sleep in. Pop over later on, and ask nicely if they could not hoover until after 9 or 10. The power shower, not sure. You can't really not ask someone not to shower.

Oh, and consider that they're doing this because someone else woke them up during the week, and this is their revenge (especially with the singing!). Oh, and the note thing can be laughed at, esp if they're already taking their revenge on you...

shruikan2553

In my apartment building there should be no noise heard from outside between 8am and 8pm I think so you should check yours.

Might not be able to do much about the showering but using a vacuum cleaner or singing is ridiculous.

Eldarion

You don't want to buy ear plugs because you're paying Dublin rents? Sounds like you should be paying rent for a detached house in that case. Hell I'd be mad if someone put a note in my door for having a shower at 6am much less 8am, Saturday or not. It's not your neighbour's fault his shower backs on to your bedroom, that's just bad building layout. Some people start work at 7am or 8am on Saturdays, namely the retail crowd. So you're expecting these people not to shower those mornings before work because you want to have a sleep in?

Living in an apartment complex, noise is part of the deal. Realistically you could have up to 5 different sets of neighbours sharing a wall/floor/ceiling with you, it's unreasonable to expect all 6 sets of ye to have the exact same schedules. God forbid you had a shift worker next door. Buy yourself some earplugs, start going to bed earlier on Friday night and leave your neighbour alone.

foxy_j

I totally sympathise with you OP! I love a lie in at the weekends too. I live in an apartment complex & most of our neighbours are considerate except for an older man living direCtly above us.
He's half deaf and blasts his tv usually from about 11pm-1am & 8am ish for an hour or two -during the week & weekends (he has a tv also in his bedroom & often falls asleep with it up high) as never wears his hearing aid.

We also often have to turn up our tv in the evenings to be able to hear it over his. We've managed to deal with his daughter as it reoccurs but its frequently happening. Our apt rules is between midnight & 9am there is to be noise to be heard outside your apt.

I haven't complained to the management company yet but i'm getting there.
Consideration for others costs nothing!!

foxy_j

I totally sympathise with you OP! I love a lie in at the weekends too. I live in an apartment complex & most of our neighbours are considerate except for an older man living direCtly above us.
He's half deaf and blasts his tv usually from about 11pm-1am & 8am ish for an hour or two -during the week & weekends (he has a tv also in his bedroom & often falls asleep with it up high) as never wears his hearing aid.

We also often have to turn up our tv in the evenings to be able to hear it over his. We've managed to deal with his daughter as it reoccurs but its frequently happening. Our apt rules is between midnight & 9am there is to be no noise to be heard outside your apt- also saying in general the volume should be kept to a level that gives all residents the ability to enjoy their home.

I haven't complained to the management company yet but i'm getting there.
Consideration for others costs nothing!!