Help! It's 12:30 am. Noisy neighbors! What to do?

Question

I have my 4 small children asleep in our small 1300sq ft apt. It's 12:30 am. and the new neighbors who moved in downstairs are blaring their music and it's thumping our entire floor.
I don't know what to do.
We recently moved from our 4000+ sq ft home to save $ to build a house and this is an adjustment for us all, but this is crazy! I try to keep the kids quiet all day while we're home and we try to be out as much as possible so as not to disturb anyone. I may not get after the kids for stomping or hollering anymore, you know? What do you think I should do, bake some cookies and take them some and ask if they could keep it down in the middle of the night, or should we start stomping at 6 am when we start our day? I want to do the right thing here, so obviously misbehaviour should not be our intent... but still...

All these replies are great! I love the bagpipe idea, very creative. ;D I don't think I am willing to go and ask them to turn it down myself as I would be fearful of retaliation. Hubby is even less confrontational than I am, I normally handle stuff like this. So, maybe the office needs to get one notice from me then after that we call the police. Keep the suggestions coming, they're all very helpful!

Answer 1

I had the same problem with my neighbor who lived above me. He would wake my daughter up at all hours of the night, his stupid excuse was that it was his cat. I would tell the manager who was a useless cow, all she did was talk about me behind my back to him, since they were buddies, so nothing was done by talking to her. So I talked to him in a calm matter and told him, he was clueless that my daughter was waking up..I ended up calling the cops on him. the noise stopped for about a month.. the cops came out again, they told him that if they return he will be fined with distrubing the peace after hours.. So my advise to you is to call the cops, let them handle it. the cops really hate having to come out. Be sure and tell them that your children are waking up from the noise, they really don't like that, if you say it just bothers you they might not respond. good luck with it!!

Answer 2

I assume this is probably what I call "bumpa-thumpa" music with heavy bass that rattles the pictures off the walls?

There is usually a rule to the effect that this stuff has to stop by 10 PM.
If the apartment management is not willing to intervene, and the security patrol for the apartment complex will not help... there really is something you can do.

Get a CD of Scottish highland bagpipe music... we're talking "The Royal Scottish Blackwatch" or something like that. Crank it up to only 1/2 volume and open the window nearest them. Bagpipe music carries for miles and miles, and cuts through bass. They will shut it down. Believe me, it works.

Answer 3

Smear baby poo on their door accompanied by a note that says:

I'm one of your neighbours, but I could be down the hall, upstairs or downstairs, I'm not saying. The city bylaw says your neighbours are entitled to peace and quiet in their home, ESPECIALLY from 9:00 pm to 8:00 am. When you make noise between those times, my kids wake up and have to go to the bathroom and it's impossible to get them back to sleep.

I think you should be aware of how your loud music and banging around is affecting your neighbours around you. So here is a sample of what it does in our household. If you don't be polite and keep it down, you're stirring up some sh*t with your neighbours.

Signed,

your neighbours

PS Or ... as Rachelle suggests, throw a cooked ham at them!

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Answer 4

If you feel safe going downstairs, then do it. If you have a husband or boyfriend, I'd send him down instead though.

However, if you don't know the people or there's a chance they may become confrontational, I'd call the police. Let them handle it. There's no excuse for that kind of noise at this hour.

Answer 5

i had this problem.. neighbors playing music literally EVERY hour of the day and night... parties like clockwork- at least 3 days a week... we had security guards at our apts, so i called them a couple times.. but tthey cant do much except tell them to turn it down.... so i ended up calling the police....of course by this time the security guard was already there so they couldnt do much... just call it in as a noise problem.. you shouldnt have to give your name or anything./.. that should help the problem... they may get a fine... if it happens again talk to your landlord or if you like go to their door and ask them to turn it down.. however.. you could be then seen as the "*****" neighbor

Answer 6

I think you should tell the leasing office. I also think you should go down there and tell them to turn down the music. If that doesn't stop it, call the police, because loud noises after 10pm is in violation of noise ordinances. But you need to tell your leasing office.

Answer 7

Ask your neighbor to keep it down. If they refuse to do so or get worse, call the Police and let them handle it. They are disturbing the peace.

Answer 8

I'd let the kids run, slam, bang, and make as MUCH noise as only 4 small kids can make.

Answer 9

Stomp and crash tomorrow morning, and see if they ever do it again. If they do (I assume you are temporarily living in an apartment?) talk to your landlord. Or go right to the mindless ***holes and tell them to shut up.

Answer 10

honestly, I would call the police and let them deal with it since it's past 10pm, the usual noise curfew time.