Upstairs Neighbors Stomping Constantly? (This Stops Them!)
We’ve all been there, relying on a cup of coffee to wake us up in the morning since our inconsiderate upstairs neighbors decided to hold a dancing recital in the middle of the night. Okay, so maybe not a full recital, but they were stomping around constantly!
You can stop neighbors from stomping by first politely communicating with them about the issue. If that doesn’t work, involve a third party, such as a mediator or landlord, and document the dates and times the noise occurs. This will help in proving your case against them.
That’s not to say that your neighbor can be as loud as they please, and common courtesy is an important factor in successful apartment buildings. In this article, we’ll look at how you can approach your neighbor and work on a solution to minimize the noises emitting from their apartment.
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Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
Relying on cups of coffee to keep you awake is not a very healthy lifestyle to maintain. So, apart from the other solutions discussed in this article, here are some products that might come in handy.
Here are our top picks to cancel out your noisy neighbors:
1. Noise-Canceling Earbuds – Ideal for wearing around your apartment or helping you fall asleep at night.
2. White Noise Machine – This can help you fall asleep and block out nuisance noises.
3. Security Camera – To record any evidence if needed in the future.
Neighbors Stomping Upstairs
Are your neighbors dancing around in high heels? At 6 am? The chances are slim, yet it can be infuriating to clearly hear your upstairs neighbors’ every move. Let’s first look at why you might be hearing them so clearly and how you can block the sound.
Why Your Neighbors Stomp Upstairs
The impact noises that you hear coming from your neighbors are actually a sign of outdated infrastructure within the building. Sound travels through hollow spaces and bounces off walls, floors, or the ceiling, and this nuisance is actually quite common in many apartment buildings.
We use furniture to absorb sound, preventing it from bouncing off the walls – like an echo. If you’ve ever tried to talk in an empty apartment, you’ve probably noticed the echo. Buildings that were built more than 20 years ago did not really take sound into consideration.
The architects did not take into account how the sound from one apartment can travel through the floor into the pipes and ‘leak’ into the apartment below.
So it might sound like your neighbors are purposefully stomping on their floor, but in reality, the sound is being ‘echoed’ through the pipes and bounces into your apartment louder than what it actually sounds upstairs.
Some sounds might not even be your neighbors at all. If it sounds like your neighbors are rolling marbles around on their floor, the sound is probably coming from the pipes. Pipes tend to creak and moan when air gets trapped in them.
How You Can Prevent The Stomping
It’s great to understand why you can hear the stomping so clearly, but it doesn’t offer much of a solution to your problem.
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The first and often best solution is to have an open discussion with your neighbor. Invite them over for coffee (or a glass of wine) and broach the topic carefully. It’s vital to stay friendly and not get irritated or upset.
Your neighbor might not even be aware of the noise and be more than willing to help. In an attempt to soften the sound, suggest installing a rug on their floor (which would absorb a lot of sound).
To reduce the sounds in your own apartment, you could purchase noise-canceling earbuds. These might be the most convenient way to completely block out your neighbors’ stomping. As an alternative to the earbuds, you could also use a white-noise machine to help you fall asleep.
If you live in a relatively old building, you could try to paint Green Glue on your ceiling. Green glue acts as a noise dampener, potentially blocking low sounds coming from upstairs.
If your neighbor is uncooperative and the noises are deliberately careless, you should schedule a meeting with your landlord or building manager. Sit down with them and discuss your issues. Also, provide them with any evidence that you have (videos or sound recordings).
Legalities
In most cases, your neighbors would be more than willing to come to a mutual plan to reduce the noise emitting from their apartment. However, if your neighbor seems unwilling to comply with your complaints, here are your options.
Talk To The Building Manager or Landlord
After receiving no cooperation from your neighbor, you can turn to the building manager. Mention your noise complaint and ask them to address your noisy neighbors. If some of your other neighbors also lodge complaints against the same noisy neighbor, it definitely will bolster the complaint.
Every building has different rules and regulations with regard to noise limits, so be sure to go over these rules to check if your neighbor is actually breaking any of them.
File a Lawsuit
This might seem like an extreme option, but if all other options fail, it might be your only one. The first step would be to gather as much evidence as you can that your neighbor is being noisy with malicious/inconsiderate intent. You can use a Ring security camera to capture noises at all times of the day or night.
If you’ve already discussed your complaints with your neighbor, but the noises continue, send them a formal letter. In this letter, state what your next steps will be if they do not take your complaints into consideration.
Go to the police and file an official complaint against your neighbor. This is a big step, and oftentimes your neighbor will be more considerate after they receive a visit from an officer.
However, if your neighbors continue to stomp around without a care, you can file a lawsuit. This is not an easy, simple, or cheap route, though, so you would have to be completely sure that you can win the lawsuit.
Hire a local attorney who understands civil law and can gauge your case well based on your specific circumstances and evidence.
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Final Thoughts
You do not need to ‘suck it up’ and endure the loud stomping noises from your neighbor.
There are several ways to at least soften the sound, as we’ve discussed, or you could even take the next step and report the nuisance to an official.
