Downstairs neighbors keep complaining about noise

amother

White

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 8:07 am

I am getting really frustrated and tense. I live on a second floor apartment with a 5 3 and 17 month old. My downstairs neighbors keep complaining about the noise. This morning at 6:55 I had two kids in bed with me and one kid playing on the floor. The neighbors "broomed" the floor. I guess my daughter was making too much noise. My husband then walked in the door from Shachris and took all the kids to dining room and kitchen. They still "broomed" the bedroom two more times when it was just me lying in bed and they "broomed" the dining room once. I don't know if they did the bedroom again cuz they were imagining noise or they figured that I was staying in my bed and letting my kids loose in the dining room.

Im sorry if my kid was making noise in the bedroom at 7am. I understand that is really annoying. The kids then moved to the dining room. If you are choosing to use the dining room as a bedroom - thats kind of your problem. I have no riding toys and my kids don't jump but yes they do run and my toddler walks like a toddler. I did put area rugs out to try to minimize the noise. This situation is making me so tense. ARGGGG!!!!!

amother

Crimson

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 8:10 am

It’s too bad on them. You won’t be able to keep your kids quiet enough to keep them happy so try not to stress about it. Obviously if your kids are being extra loud than you should try and control them. That’s apartment living. If they can’t take the noise they can leave. I lived in an apt that’s how it works.

33055

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 8:11 am

Brooming the floor is incredibly rude. I would have a nice convo about the steps you are taking to mitigate the noise, and then tell them that if they broom the floor again, you will broom them right back.

They are behaving like animals.

Amarante

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 8:18 am

Noise at 7 AM from a child playing is normal.

If this special snowflake wants absolute quiet, they should move.

We have a man in our building who harasses the other people living around him because of his extreme "sensitivity" to sound. He makes complaints when there is no one who is actually in the unit. He also patrols the corridor and complains about normal cooking smells. He should move to a private residence so that the normal activity of human beings won't bother him.

Last edited by Amarante on Fri, Feb 09 2018, 6:56 am; edited 1 time in total

DrMom

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 8:24 am

Were your kids being legitimately noisy (banging on the floor with toy hammers, tap-dancing, running back and forth bouncing a basketball), or do your neighbors seem hypersensitive to sound?

Would laying down an area rug in play areas help?

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 8:25 am

My neighbor used to complain that her upstairs Neighbor would make noise at 6am or sometimes even before! And there was noise till 12-1 am. In the bedrooms!
She bought white noise machines and they weren't too helful. She worked almost full time with a family of kids and was in a constant state of exhaustion!
I lived next building. Same built. And some nights I'd wake up from the upstairs neighbors baby crying!
And the upstairs Neighbor was upset that the downstairs Neighbor constantly asked her to not make noise at those hour.
But she NEVER broomed.
That is incredible rude.
I'd pretend it didn't happen and ignore it
And 7 am is normal time for kids to wake up.

amother

Lilac

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 8:38 am

It's seems like you did everything you can, you're entitled to live a normal lifestyle with little kids in the house. Ignore your neighbors and if they have a problem they can move somewhere with no neighbors on top off them. I also have upstairs neighbors with a very very busy household k"h there's always noise literally 20/7 but you know what I got used to it, and I don't complain when people visit me they always ask me how I survive but I barely hear it anymore. That's just life, Good luck!

amother

Slateblue

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 10:32 am

I'm not sure where you live, but even places like NYC have laws stating when tenants can have "quiet enjoyment" in their homes. From 10 pm to 8 am, and the neighbor who broomed you could, in fact, go to your landlord and make such a ruckus they'd have to install carpeting.

I think brooming is obnoxious, but if you and your kids woke me up at 6:55 am I'd come up and bang on your door. And in most places, I'd have cause.

This isn't about your neighbor learning to live with others, it's you and your family trying to find a way to make less noise.

oliveoil

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 10:36 am

amother wrote:

what does broomed mean?

knocking on the ceiling with a broom to communicate that there is too much noise upstairs.

pretty standard for apartment living, not sure why people here are saying it's so obnoxious.

amother

Slateblue

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 10:48 am

oliveoil wrote:

What kind of lives do ya'all live that 7am is considered early??

I live in Brooklyn and get up at 8, to get to work at 9:30 in publishing, in downtown Manhattan. When kids wake up me up that early I'm livid.

amother

Slateblue

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 10:55 am

oliveoil wrote:

knocking on the ceiling with a broom to communicate that there is too much noise upstairs.

pretty standard for apartment living, not sure why people here are saying it's so obnoxious.

It is obnoxious. The neighbors need to be grown ups and come knock on the door

amother

White

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 11:03 am

amother wrote:

It is obnoxious. The neighbors need to be grown ups and come knock on the door

OP here. Please do not come to my door at 7am. I am definitely up and my kids may even be dressed but I am in no state to open the door. The noise being made at 7am is normal noise of a kid walking on the floor. She was not banging or jumping. If you are a light sleep Im sorry get a noise machine or move to a private house. I do not believe I am in the wrong at all here. Even if NYC has "quiet enjoyment time" which I really can't imagine is until 8am - ppl walking will not violate that.

amother

White

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 11:12 am

amother wrote:

I believe my kids noises is normal household noise and wouldn't violate any noise ordinances. These neighbors are constantly complaining that they hear us stomping at 2am. The only action in my house at 2am is someone walking to the bathroom. If that is bothering you - there is really nothing I can do. I have looked online to find official times of "quiet enjoyment" in NYC and have never found anything. Where do you see online that 8-10 is official time.

amother

Slateblue

Wed, Feb 07 2018, 11:17 am

amother wrote:

I am at work and can provide you with sources later.

I am a landlord, and these are the times. Most people don't follow them--I actually think it's 11 pm, I'll check--but it's the law and actionable.