Hey guys, I 27f live in a smaller apartment complex on the top/second floor. Just to get straight to the point, my downstairs neighbors have three kids. For 12-14 hours out of the day it is constant high pitched screaming from the kids and yelling from the dad. I cannot sit and read a book or enjoy quiet time during the day. On my days off I get woke up at 8:30-9am from kids screaming. At night the dad will drag a floor jack through the parking lot to work on his car. They slam doors and throw things around the apartment CONSTANTLY. Finally called the landlord one night for the door slamming as a painting had fallen off the wall from the walls shaking, the door slamming has not disappeared all together but it isn’t that often anymore which I’m thankful for. I have lived here coming up on a year and I’m at my whits end. I know apartments aren’t going to be quiet all the time but this is a constant issue, it happens every single day and all day long. I do not have the funds to move at this time but I don’t want to call the landlord again complaining about the issue making it seam like I’m a problem tenant. My question is would I be the asshole if I did call the landlord on this issue. I have tried reaching out to the neighbors asking them if things could calm down a little bit but it falls on deaf ears. I have left a letter in their mailbox explaining I know kids will be kids and they are going to be loud and having fun but the high pitched screaming is too much. I also have videos from inside my apartment where you can hear the high pitched screaming from the kids and the dad yelling.
ESH
Kids waking up at 0830 is SUPER REASONABLE. Be lucky it isn’t 0600.
Yes, they can be quieter. But kids are kids. They’re going to be told to be quiet the rest of their lives… Let them be kids now.
Dad should regulate his emotions better.
Talk to them. You tried? Try more.
Buy some headphones/earplugs, you live in an apartment.
Kids will be kids that’s true
But I watch my nieces and nephews and there’s no way my upstairs or downstairs neighbors hear them screaming.
That is outside of what is ok. She can’t expect them to be quiet all the time. I agree that 8:30 is A reasonable wake up time, but screaming at 8:30 is not reasonable.
She has a legitimate concern.
She has the right to enjoy her space
They don’t have the right to scream to the point where she can hear them multiple times a day
NTA. But those kids parents sure are
She absolutely has a legitimate concern. That’s not in question. Just how she handles it is.
I have tried reaching out to them multiple times on separate occasions both verbally and with written letters and I should not have to wear headphones or earplugs in a place I pay for.
Secondly, I understand kids are going to be kids and be loud and have fun but when it comes to high pitched screaming for hours on end that when I have a problem. I don’t mind hearing the kids argue over who’s toy is who’s or them laughing while on the game. Don’t mind that what so ever but when I’m being woken up at early hours on my days off or when I choose to take a nap because of a migraine, that’s when I have a problem. Can’t sleep in. Can’t sit and read or enjoy a show.
NTA.
You tried talking to them. You tried being understanding. Excessive noise every single day isn’t normal apartment living. Call the landlord as that’s not being a bad tenant, that’s advocating for yourself.
It’s the landlord’s responsibility to keep the place habitable. He needs to take steps to keep it that way.
NTA, but hopefully you are recording the noise
I started recording the noise and also keeping a ledger of time and date stamps when the noise gets to be waayyy too much.
NTA. Also, check your lease. There is often language about acceptable noise levels and respecting other tenants…
Good thinking, my lease is 26 pages long due to the owner of the property being a lawyer so I’ll definitely be looking into that.
NTA but I’m not sure there’s any real way to go about this other than getting loud in retaliation…. That’s not really a good idea either TBH. It’s hard having kids in an apartment building
I’m not going to retaliate with being noisy myself. That will just cause more issues and I don’t want to do that. I get it’s hard having kids in an apartment building but they are letting them run absolutely wild, there needs to be some level of respect that is taught to them that they are living very close to other people and being as noisy as they are isn’t a good thing.
Sounds like those kids could be in an unsafe environment. Perhaps call child protective services and lodge an ‘anonymous’ complaint about screaming parents?
Otherwise, it seems like your next most immediate goal is to move. Sorry.