How do i raise this with my Landlady w/o being BU?

[BibiBlocksberg]

Another living quarters conundrum from me, quick background - didn't have much luck with house sharing (bullying, intimidation, manipulation etc) & consequently ended up having to move four times this year.

Finally found lovely self contained place with very kind landlady two months ago and it's bliss......when it's quiet.

My flat is the downstairs of a four bedroom town house -wall was put up in downstairs hallway giving me self contained access to own bedroom, lounge, bathroom, kitchen & own entrance. LL daughter & her small child live upstairs.

Trouble is, there is absolutely no sound proofing between up & downstairs and walls are thin so if there is any kind of living going on upstairs i hear it in my bit.

Every footstep upstairs sounds like a small explosion in my area, can hear kitchen drawers opening & closing, baby crying, virtually every word of conversations, tv, partner sneezing etc. That's over my radio, washing machine & kitchen fan going (so not like i'm sitting in silence listening to every creek from upstairs i mean)

Last weekends visitors for example sounded so loud (booming voices which in turn set off baby which set off visitors dog) i thought they were all sat on my sofa!!! (all day!)

Last night all was normal until 9pm when really loud crashes started coming through the ceiling, (visiting older child jumping off upstairs furniture)

Really don't want to be the constantly moaning neighbour but never knowing what sort of noise levels i can expect each night is making me anxious, reluctant to take time off work to just potter & relax at home & weekends are filled with constant noise & visitors from 9am as well.

How do i diplomatically mention the level of noise leakage w/out coming across as an unreasonable moaning minnie?

Especially since there are no obvious solutions to the problem (other than me moving AGAIN which i really can't face or afford for at least another three months.

Sorry for the saga, LL coming round for visit tomorrow & want to be ready to raise this in a calm & collected way :)

you could mention it as a privacy thing - say 'are you aware there is very little sound proofing and I can sometimes hear your conversations? I don't want to overhear but I can't help it. Is there anything we can do about soundproofing?'

does your ceiling have fancy cornices or inset halogen lights? If not, it is relatively easy to put up soundproofing and lower the ceiling by a few cm.

or just play your own music/radio (quietly) to mask there noise - things always sound louder if there is no sound in your flat.

Thanks Parietal, i agree that silence in my area makes everything else sound louder so i do put my music on etc.

The foot-fall noise from upstairs is such that it's nigh on impossible to block (i find) as it creates a sort shot like sound which reverberates around the skull (hard to explain :)) Have gotten used to the everyday noises & am able to filter those no problem but there's no telling when the next 'bombing' of visitors & other extra curricular activities will take place which are really hard to block/cope with.

Good idea about the privacy angle, will try that i think, friend mentioned false ceilings as well so might suggest that though not sure LL will want to go to that length/expense. Then again, i'm the first tenant in this property set-up for her so subsequent renters will experience same issues (especially when little one starts toddling lol) so she may be open to that.