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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Angry downstairs neighour

198 replies

maybebaby88 · 06/03/2018 09:01

So a few years ago I moved into my parters flat which he owns. The guy downstairs seemed nice enough, a guy in his fifties. However, occasionally he would shout through the ceiling to shut up if we were making noise whatever time of day it was. I mostly just ignored it.

A couple of years ago we rescued a dog. We already had one, but the new one has been severely abused and tends to go a bit crazy at certain sounds. This happens a few times a day and she will run up and down the hall for a bit crying. This is when the neighbour started gettinf reallh aggressive, basically shouting 'shut the f* up' all the time. My problem is that he does this in the middle of the day. I have become so stressed out and on edge, I keep them quiet until a reasonable time (10am-ish) and even started but he still yells at the slightest thing. Its awful because its got to the point where I end up snapping at the dogs for playing.

To add to that we have just had a baby, and I'm constantly worried that his crying will invoke the same response. I feel like a prisoner in my own home. He shouted the orher day because one of the dogs was trotting around excited to be going on a walk, but it was 11:30!

We dont have a carpet in the hall, just floorboards at the mo as we have really struggled financially, which I know makes it louder, but he shouts regardless of which room it is.

Sorry for the ridiculously long post. But are we in the wrong? If the dogs were constantly barking and running I would understand, but its a few times a day for a few minutes.

OP posts:
fannyfelcher · 06/03/2018 09:26

Ikea has incredibly cheap rubber backed rugs that can fit into a washing machine, I swear by mine for my 3 dogs. Spend £50 and cover as much floor as you can. You can cut them down if need be, just use rubber glue to seal the end and then a heavy duty needle and wool to bind the edge. Takes an afternoon but they are great for tippety tappety claw sounds being quitened.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/textiles-rugs/rugs/ibsted-rug-low-pile-grey-art-60366812/

I totally sypmathise with your neighbour, my dogs claws on my bedroom floor for the 10 minutes a night it takes them to settle drives me absolutely bonkers and i can go from zero to raging in 3 seconds. And that is in my own house!

SpiceRack · 06/03/2018 09:27

YABU in terms of having two dogs in an upstairs flat, but not BU for doing normal everyday things that he might find noisy.

Our upstairs flat is used for AirBnB and we can hear absolutely everything and it drives us fucking crazy, we're moving out in a few weeks. Can hear every door shutting, the washing machine vibrating, people walking around sounds like elephants stomping about however all they're doing is normal everyday things and they won't even realise. About to move to an upstairs flat though so the tables will turn I expect.

danTDM · 06/03/2018 09:27

and beware as he'll probably report you to the police.

SpiceRack · 06/03/2018 09:27

and beware as he'll probably report you to the police.

for what? having dogs?

SEsofty · 06/03/2018 09:28

It is not reasonable to have two dogs in an upstairs flat

romany4 · 06/03/2018 09:28

As others have said, you need a carpet down.
I live in a semi but my next door neighbour moved in 9 months ago with 3 kids under 6.
She hasn't put any carpets down as she says she can't afford it so the kids run about with shoes on and believe me, when they are running up and down the stairs and the bedrooms, the noise drives me Insane. And its every day!

ShowMeTheElf · 06/03/2018 09:28

Is he aggressive or just shouting through the floor angrily? I think that 2 dogs running up and down crying on a hard floor upstairs would drive me batshit too. He may have been disturbed but tolerant of a constantly crying baby (can't be helped and they grow out of it) but 2 dogs as well? I think you are expecting a lot of him to be honest.

FaFoutis · 06/03/2018 09:30

Your neighbour will be sensitised to noise now. I doubt that a carpet will sort it out.

danTDM · 06/03/2018 09:33

report to the police for noise violation SpiceRack

upsideup · 06/03/2018 09:33

YABU for having two dogs in an upsairs flat, im presuming they are larger breads if they make that much noise as well. They need proper space and a garden and its not far to on people who live that close to you to have to put up with the noise

maxthemartian · 06/03/2018 09:33

You sound very blithe about the noise you create. I'd imagine your poor neighbour us a lot more stressed than you living below that racket. YABU.

Narnia72 · 06/03/2018 09:33

Honestly, you need to rehome the dog. Your flat isn't a suitable environment for it. And if you can afford to feed 2 dogs, you can afford to go on gumtree or local selling sites and get a carpet remnant for £20 to muffle the noise in the meantime.

I've been the downstairs neighbour, I think until you live under noise (there was also a problem with floorboards v carpet) you have no idea how stressful it is. You say he's now shouting in the middle of the day - if it is the millionth time he's heard the dogs, his nerves will be totally on edge.

Have you ever asked to go in his flat and hear the dogs noise from his perspective. Just the endless trotting of feet on floorboards will be horrific.

Sorry, but dogs and flats just don't go.

HisBetterHalf · 06/03/2018 09:36

Can be bad enough your own dogs running round on laminate never mind someone elses dogs above you on bare floorboards. try looking at getting some cheap offcuts if unable to fully carpet

Lizzie48 · 06/03/2018 09:38

I don't think you should have dogs in an upstairs flat, especially not the rescue dog. That would annoy most people, I suspect. I'm not surprised your neighbour is angry, though obviously shouting obscenities at you through the floorboards isn't achieving anything. And now you've got a baby he's going to have all the more reason to yell at you.

Get a carpet ASAP, or you'll have to rehome the dog.

elisenbrunnen · 06/03/2018 09:40

God living under you must be a frikking nightmare!

Dp has a noisy nieghbour - shouting, throwing things, loud TV that goes up at 10pm - police/HA do nothing. He is a vulnerable adult alcoholic twat and therefore untouchable. meanwhile, Dp is a nervous wreck.

AND we have spent £2500 on wall and ceiling insulation (to 3" thick) which has helped, but not cut out the noise)

Your neighbour can't do anything. Even insulating his ceiling will not do much, but will be costly and disruptive.

Sorry OP - you should get rid of your dogs. (And I am a dog lover)

Booboobooboo84 · 06/03/2018 09:41

Your poor neighbour. If you can afford to have dogs and a child you can afford to have decent flooring so that your lifestyle choices don’t impact on those around you.

Karigan1 · 06/03/2018 09:45

Just thinking that cushioned vinyl may be a cheap and noise proofing solution.

SpiceRack · 06/03/2018 09:46

danTDM - report to the police for noise violation

You can't phone be police for having dogs that run around and occasionally bark...

If he really wanted to he could report it to the council as statutory nuisance if it unreasonably and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of his home but in my experience the council will do something for dogs that a are consistently loud and non stop barking not running around and barking like a normal dog.

ReanimatedSGB · 06/03/2018 09:46

Meh, Buy some earplugs and shove them through his letterbox. Life involves noise and people who live in flats just have to get used to it.

Buxbaum · 06/03/2018 09:50

I'm sorry, OP, but your accommodation isn't suitable for your pets. I honestly think your options are either to move or to re-home your dogs.

Alwayslumpyporridge · 06/03/2018 09:52

I feel sorry for your neighbour tbh. Can you get a sound proof specialist around? Or the at the very least put carpet down?

Nanna50 · 06/03/2018 09:55

I thought this was a reverse. I think he must be stressed out and on edge, life in flats is noisy, but add into the mix living below 2 dogs, one that runs up and down a hall with no carpet while crying, and now a baby.

I bet if you lived downstairs you would realise that it is not just a few minutes a few times a day. Do they lie still all day? Are the dogs ever alone in the house?

MadMags · 06/03/2018 09:56

Having two dogs, one who “reacts to certain noises” in an upstairs flat is massively inconsiderate. Massively.

Him shouting seems a small price to pay.

fuckoffsnow · 06/03/2018 09:58

There’s nothing selfish about taking in a rescue dog.

Having any pet is inherently selfish - you get pets for your own enjoyment/to make you feel like a better person for helping a poor rescue animal. Taking in a rescue dog when you live in a flat is incredibly selfish.

TroubledLitchen · 06/03/2018 10:00

He sounds aggressive and rude but two dogs, two adults and a baby in an upstairs flat with wooden flooring?! You are definitely being unreasonable and you sound like the upstairs neighbours from hell. Go buy some carpet ASAP!

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