Noisy upstairs neighbours

[Shortcaketea]

More of a WWYD.

Upstairs neighbours are driving me mad. The parents either leave the DD to scream, cry and wail or the child runs up and down the hallway and dad "rough plays", sounding like he taunts her and both of them jumping off the furniture. My ceiling light has flashed previously from their jumping. On that occasion I knocked on their door and told them about my ceiling light. Right now my ceiling is creaking from their jumping.

I am minded to ask them again not to jump around considering they live in an upstairs flat. I am very close to complaining to their landlord.

I know, I know, I choose to live in a flat with upstairs neighbours. I have a small child myself, he does not run and jump through the house. I'm thoroughly fed up.

You said it yourself, you chose to live in a flat. It's childhood noise and nothing you can do about it apart from move.

You also don't know how much noise your neighbour underneath you hears.

Are you the upstairs neighbour ?

What exactly are you expecting the landlord to do?

Totally unacceptable behaviour from them. Unfortunately there is a large swathe of parents who either cannot be bothered to socialise their children or believe in permissive parenting and will not discipline their children. Most decent people who are bringing children up in flats, train them to have 'indoor' voices and feet. They take them to soft play, parks, beaches etc to jump and run around. Sounds like you're stuck with one of the above types who expect everyone to suck up the disturbances of their children. They will not change and they will not care. Only option is to move (been there and you have my maximum sympathy).

I don’t know, they are allowed to play in their own home surely? If it’s just playing not playing the drums or kicking a football, some kids are more boisterous than others. I’m incredibly intolerant of my noisy neighbours btw!

On a tangent about permissive parenting, I witnessed a child of 5/6 dashing a bottle of water to the ground when offered it and repeatedly hitting the adult with her with a large soft toy (presumed a grandparent). Child didn’t seem distressed just unhappy about something. Elderly adult stood there completely passive. This baffles me, can anyone explain?

Most decent people who are bringing children up in flats, train them to have 'indoor' voices and feet. They take them to soft play, parks, beaches etc to jump and run around.

Yes exactly. As much as I've chosen to live in a ground floor flat they have chosen to live in a first floor flat with a young child! My child isn't much older than theirs and we absolutely do not allow running indoors and being overly loud as we have neighbours upstairs and either side too.

I don’t know, they are allowed to play in their own home surely?

The running up and down the hallway and jumping off the furniture to the point my ceiling is creaking and light bulb nearly blew isn't merely playing though is it?

I guess I am just asking for advice on how I tell them (again) that jumping off the furniture or whatever it is they're doing simply isn't acceptable. It's so inconsiderate.

In my experience, nothing will be achieved in trying to point out to them again that they are being inconsiderate. They will believe their children have the right to do whatever they want in their home, even when that home is in a shared building. Nothing you say will change them believing this. They have different values and are bringing their children up the same way.
Your options are:

• Move
• Contact council who can put recording equipment in your flat to trace if the noise goes above a certain decibel which is deemed anti-social.
• Contact their landlord and kick up a fuss.

My landlords boss lived in the adjoining semi to us, all we ever got were 2nd hand complaints about us so obviously the landlord should have a word with the tenants