What do we do about our neighbours who scream and argue all the time?

[lilsammi]

We live in an apartment and we are expecting our first child in february and our upstairs neighbours are always shouting, swearing and screaming at each other throughout the day and night. We also hear a lot of banging, my partner went up and was polite mentioning the noise level but nothing changed. How can we deal with this? Its been going on for months and the worrying thing is they have a baby who always screams, I don't want something to happen and I did nothing plus I don't want my baby growing up hearing all that goes on up there. HELP please
We own the apartment so its just not as easy as going to the landlord to complain about the noise.

 

[MaryG]

Have you talked to your landlord? Have you called the police?

 

[debepeg1]

You can talk to the property owner or manager, who may or may not give them a warning. I would avoid any further direct confrontations with your neighbors. Tell the property owner (if not on site and the manager does nothing) that you will have to move if the situation continues. You can call the police and report a domestic disturbance. It may not do any good in the short run, but if the authorities have to make repeated visits to their apartment, there will be an official record of their visits. When given the choice of a nice quiet couple and those who are constantly causing a disturbance, the owner or manager may give them notice to move out.
The unfortunate side of this scenario may be that the owner/manager doesn't really care, just as long as they are getting their money every month. In which case, you may have to look for another place to live, maybe in the same building, but with no upstairs neighbors.
I know from experience, apartment living sucks.

 

[TheE1]

Keep calling the cops, some states have 3 strike laws where after the 3rd report, the tenants can be kicked out. Off subject, I totally just stubbed my toe.

 

[wholesaleuggboots]

:vaccum:
We live in an apartment and we are expecting our first child in february and our upstairs neighbours are always shouting.

 

[Spindrift]

The only thing that can possibly help you is to sell it and move, other than that, nothing will change and it will only get worse. That is a terrible, toxic atmosphere for all of you, and just sell the apt and get out of there and be very careful where you move to so you don't go out of the frying pan into the fire.

 

[kare]

Google your local Landlord and Tenant board for info.... There is a section that deals with "Other tenants interfering with your reasonable enjoyment of your unit, etc"...or some words to this effect. Once you have found the proper wording your state/province uses (this is regardless of time, ex 10pm) write your landlord a letter including dates/times, how you have "tried" to speak with your neighbors etc... YOU do not have to move. It is your landlords responsibility to ensure that his tenants do not disturb other tenants. Your landlord can give them notice that he may proceed to evict THEM if they do not stop their actions. If your landlord ignores your requests, then you may go directly to the Landlord/Tenant board and file against your landlord for not protecting your rights. You may be entitled to a rent rebate and/or damages, depending on how you and your landlord have tried to solve the problem.

I just went through something similar, and I WON! Yes, you "can" move, but if like me, if you love your place,have spent time and money making a home, the rent suits your budget, and you do not want to go thru the hassle of moving (You are due in 2 months!!!), you do not have to. Sure, it is a hassle dealing with the landlord and if it gets that far, the L&T Board, but in the long run, it is less work than moving. WHY should YOU move? Who is to say that the next place will guarantee better neighbors. I have moved in the past due to horrible neighbors. This time, I said no! I am not going anywhere, it is my right to live in peace, and I pay my landlord to help me ensure this!!! Once your landlord is aware you know your rights, he will most likely help you. Just point out in your letter to him what the L&T Board states are your rights and the proper actions available to you!

Good Luck! And best wishes with the new baby!

 

[Smitty]

Sadly, the easiest (but possibly expensive) answer is: MOVE.

Find another apartment.
And tell the landlord why.

 

[SUSANE]

If you live in an apartment that means you are renters. if you are renters you have an apartment manager. It is his/her job to make sure that every tenant is behaving in a manner that does not disturb the other tenants. When you signed your lease you must have been given a copy of the lease which would have had the "rules" about living in that building. Read those rules and see which ones are being broken by your neighbors and then go to your manager with your facts straight and complain about them. If that doesn't get anywhere, then find out who your manager's manager is. Someone owns that building and they are paying your manager to "manage" it for him/her. If your manager is not doing his/her job, then report them to THEIR manager - the building owner. If they refuse to do anything about these upstairs neighbors, then call the police next time they make noise after the noise deadline has been reached (usually 10:00 or 11:00 p.m.). If the baby screams for more than an hour and isn't responded to, call CPS and register a negligence complaint against the parents. You can call anonymously if you like. You only have a month or so left to do all this calling and letter-writing, etc., so get busy. If nothing is going to change, you'll have to move because your noisy neighbors are going to stay living in an apartment where the manager doesn't give a da** what they do. If the manager will get up off his a** and do his job, he can harass them daily until THEY decide to move out. Your problem will then be solved. But don't sit there waiting for the hand of God to reach out and strike these people - it isn't going to happen. You have to become your own advocates now - and the louder and more often you complain the more likely you are to get something done. Find out who the building owner is and if that person doesn't care what is going on and doesn't want to do anything about it, call your local newspaper or television station - they usually have a "consumer advocate" who loves to take stories like this one to the public. You can't imagine how fast things get done after some apartment building owner has been humiliated over the public broadcasting system as a "slum landlord".

 

[angel]

I would mention it to them again and let them know that you plan to go to the landlord or call the police next time. But even if you decide to just call and not warn them, it would be justified. There might be some type of domestic violence goin on...

 

[s4ndr4j4n4]

You need to speak to your landlord because in your rental/tenancy agreement there should be a clause about annoying your neighbours with noise etc, check yours because your noisy neighbours will have the same agreement.