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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Noise from flat above

15 replies

Museumland · 09/10/2021 15:26

Over the many years (15) I have lived in my flat I have had couples and singles with and without children above me. Noise has not been an issue with one exception about 10 years ago there was a particularly noisy family who played ball games indoors. The last family had a baby and were very quiet. During the summer , new tenants, a couple with a four year old child moved in, they are very nice. Recently I have become quite irritated by their stomping around. I think during the warmer months we were out of our homes more and I didn't notice the noise. It's quite awkward as when they moved in the mother mentioned that they were really quiet which in hindsight now strikes me as an unusual thing to say. Perhaps they meant that they don't have loud parties. I don't think it's the child, I just think the parents are quite heavy footed and they or at least one of them honestly stomp to the extent that my light fittings rattle. While I am working I am not particularly bothered but for the last 2-3 weeks they seem to have children's parties and have spent more time indoors so it's beginning to grate so it's now most of the weekend and all evenings. I have spoken to them to ask if they have moved furniture around or such like and they haven't and were apologetic. I think it's very hard to expect people to be conscious about how they walk around in their home but whereas before I could tolerate it because it's now pretty much all the time when I am not working and I am finding it hard to relax in my own home. AIBU and has anyone ideas about how to deal with this ?

OP posts:
fashionSOS · 09/10/2021 15:29

Do you own or rent? If you own, have a look at your lease to see if there's a noise clause.

billysboy · 09/10/2021 15:29

soundproof ceiling would help you no end

You would lose 60mm off ceiling height

PearlclutchersInc · 09/10/2021 15:32

We rented a flat a few years back with was lovely in every way. Until the upstairs neighbours changed their flooring from carpet to laminate.

The only upsides were that we were waiting on completion for somewhere else and they worked days and were quiet in the evenings. The rest of time it sounded like a herd of stampeding wildebeest in stilettos.

BrilliantBulb · 09/10/2021 16:02

My upstairs neighbours ripped up carpet and laid wooden flooring. I was really apprehensive about this for obvious reasons but they reassured me they had got the most expensive sound proofing to go under it and it would be fine. I saw the huge amounts of sound proofing so I know they didn’t lie about that but the reality is it’s still very far from fine! Every footstep is so loud and not helped by the fact he wears his big work boots around the flat.

You have my sympathy @Museumland!

negomi90 · 09/10/2021 16:05

I have stompers above me. I've got surprisingly used to it. You can't tell people not to move around and better innocent stompers than loud parties or fights.

FrankGrillosWrist · 09/10/2021 16:25

Speak to them don't let it drag on. I've had similar & got to the stage where I wanted to hammer on their door & charge them as soon as they opened it. After a particularly noisy night & being woken up thrice by their hammering, banging, & stomping, as soon as I heard them next morning I knocked & told them exactly how I felt & how it affected me. I wasn't rude, it was all very civilised, & I've lived peacefully ever since.

Museumland · 09/10/2021 16:26

The family are tenants. In the past when there's been loud parties in the building those tend to be the odd one now and then. This is pretty much all day every weekend and every evening. The flooring is wooden but in the past that's not been a problem nor has it been a problem with other families with children...

OP posts:
billysboy · 09/10/2021 16:53

In some of the flats we work on they insist on proper rubber underlay with a wooden floor to minimise sound transmission both airborne and impact

Its not cheap and there are different specs

fashionSOS · 09/10/2021 16:54

@Museumland

The family are tenants. In the past when there's been loud parties in the building those tend to be the odd one now and then. This is pretty much all day every weekend and every evening. The flooring is wooden but in the past that's not been a problem nor has it been a problem with other families with children...
But are you a tenant or an owner? If you're an owner, you can see the lease for your flat, which will likely have similar terms for the one upstairs.

If the flat is rented out, even if the noise clause isn't there, if it is in the headlease, it will apply to the renters regardless.

billysboy · 09/10/2021 16:56

www.floorscan.co.uk/product/acoustilay-15/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-4SLBhCVARIsACrhWLXkUE1RJtQYhnEH-W8ATg6ACYVFJFfwgJkq618ZBvY1xibwrT-UBwIaAgs4EALw_wcB

Acoustilay is what is specd in most of the portered blocks and seems the most effective

goinggently · 09/10/2021 17:01

We have this problem... 3 very heavy footed tenants upstairs. Ceiling shakes sometimes and we can hear them talking, often quite raucously. At a loss really because they're not behaving unreasonably. Can hardly ask them not to walk or talk in their own home(!) but it does drive me nuts. We're trying to move and I shall not miss them if we manage it!!

Idontlike · 09/10/2021 17:05

@Museumland

The family are tenants. In the past when there's been loud parties in the building those tend to be the odd one now and then. This is pretty much all day every weekend and every evening. The flooring is wooden but in the past that's not been a problem nor has it been a problem with other families with children...
Maybe previous people had rugs down?
Youarenothere · 09/10/2021 17:28

I’m the noisy upstairs neighbour, although it’s my 3 year old mostly. To try to keep the peace with downstairs neighbours we have done the following...
No shoes inside
Slippers must be worn
Rugs down wherever we can
No running, dancing, jumping or chasing things
No toys with big wheels
No balls

Honestly, the constant complaining from downstairs has ruined an otherwise amicable relationship, so I would probably aim to have one or 2 chats about solutions they could accommodate, rather than complaining every few days as has happened here.

On the flip side my neighbours have made me feel so uncomfortable in my own flat that I’m currently looking to move elsewhere, so you could try that approach to get rid of them.

Museumland · 09/10/2021 17:32

Sorry, just to clarify. I am the owner. The family in the flat above are tenants. I am sure the flooring has been laid to the correct standard as there's been no problems. It's really about whether there's a nice way to tell people that they may think they are quiet but actually they move around like a herd of elephants...

OP posts:
Museumland · 09/10/2021 17:35

Youarenotthere, you sound very considerate. I think I might suggest wearing slippers, the odd bit of running by the child around really doesn't bother me, it's the heavy footed stomping... also they never seem to sit still !

OP posts:
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