If your neighbors were being loud...?

would you ask them to be quiet?

I live in an apartment, and the neighbors across the hallway have been having a "party" for at least the past hour since I got home. Their door is wide open with music playing, and they are speaking spanish very loudly in their apartment and also in the hallway right in front of my door, and outside. There may be about 20 of them.

If you were in this situation, would you open the door and tell them to be quiet? Do you think that would even change anything? I don't think I am going to tell them. I am going to file a complaint tomorrow to the lady in charge of the apartment complex.

By the way, it is 8pm.

I think that, when you live in an apt, you kind of have to be ready for that kind of thing. 8 pm doesn't really seem late enough to complain but if it really bothers you, say something. Going straight to your landlord is pretty passive aggressive and some landlords have harsh consequences for things like a noise complaint. Seems a little unfair to not give them a chance to correct their behavior.

A few years ago when I lived on the bottom floor of an apt, my upstairs neighbors were being extremely loud. I emailed the landlord (it was like 11 pm) thinking she would not get it until the next day.....turns out she got it right then. I heard the music shut off and then the guys left their apt and walked around banging on doors asking who complained on them. I pretended like I wasn't home but it taught me a lesson to just be straight with people and not be the "tattle tale"

Well, I figure it is only fair to complain about their noise, because when we first moved in, we got a notice that there had been complaints about our dogs barking a lot. (we resolved this by taking them with us whenever we go somewhere, or drop them off at a friends house). So it's not really an "anything goes" kind of apartment complex. I was texting my boyfriend at work, and he actually called the apartment complex security and asked if they would come by. I was kind of surprised he did that. But oh well, at least maybe they'll shut up. Also, this is not the first time they have been loud. It is pretty much every week they have this party... But this time the door was wide open. So it was louder.

Oh and i forgot to tell you, salukigirl: Thank you for your opinion!

If its an occasional situation then I let it slide because I do think everyone is entitled to a party every now and again, like celebrating birthdays or something, and it is hard to have a 'quiet' party. Im fine with noise for one night on occasion. But if its all the time Id leave an anonymous note asking them to stop.

In my own situation, I have (1) asked the person to be more quiet, (2) complained to the apartment manager, (3) called security about the noise, (4) called the police about the noise, and now it has progressed to (5) calling the police about my neighbor threatening me. Most of the time I just have to ask them to turn it down and that resolves it, but there is always someone who doesn't understand that with so many people living so close together they can't be as loud as if they owned a home out in the country where their neighbors are all over a mile away.

In my particular case, my wife needs the quiet more than I do. I have always had problems with not being able to talk to people - because I just can't think of any good reason to do it. Sometimes when my neighbors are that loud I take it as an invitation to go see what they are doing and maybe have a drink with them. These days it might have to be a thermos bottle of coffee, though.

Can you use something like classical music or nature sounds or a subliminal suggestions recording to mask most of the noise? Fans? A dehumidifier? Anything?

if it's happening a lot i'd have a talk with them, say it's bothering you and to please close the door and maybe lower the music . Also, I think 8pm is a bit early (depending on teh amount of noise) but 10 pm is not too early.

I have to practice a musical instrument in my apartment daily. I feel like I have the RIGHT to make noise in my apartment during the day hours, but I'd never dream of playing past 9, or before 8 am (and 8am is pushing it I just happen to know that my neighbor gets up early). The morning hours I consider change on the weekend because people might be sleeping in.

So it's a personal thing... regardless of time of day if the noise is REALLY loud... you have a right ot complain.

oh yea theyre spanish lol i kno cuz am spanish and sometimes we just like having friends over n just listen to music. i do agree that 8pm is a lil early for a complaint. u know how serious ur landlord takes complaint so by that decide if u file a complaint. also some people dont handle well when others tell them to keep it down or when there told theyre too loud, if it where me i wouldnt personally tell them.

Check your lease - mine says "quiet enjoyment of the premises" and states the hours. A weekly party to me is treating the apartment like a free restaurant. An occasional party is okay, plus it really should not carry out into the hallway like that, their door should be closed. The grad students next door used to be on the balcony next to my bedroom every thursday after seminar till 3 am, the woman giggling at her male prof, I wanted to kill them, I had to get up for work before 7!

The thing that bothered me the most is that they left their door wide open the whole time.... which means a total disregard for anyone else living in the building

This actually happens in houses too. And in a sense it's worse than in apartments. Worse because people don't move in and out all the time, so you're stuck with people who are really bad news.

Our neighbors on one side are real problems. Lots of late backyard parties (and I'm not talking 8:00 P.M!) Huge backyard fires in a dessicated, wooded area where vast scrub fires are a constant danger (all the houses here are frame houses). A five foot by seven foot confederate flag flying over the front door. And hatred towards us because my poor, ever-lovin' wife is French and does not know how to be "neighborly" in the true American sense. (In other words she can easily descend to language that over here is "fightin' words" without having the least idea.)

The fires are the things that bother us the worst. Just simple carousing of drunken rednecks we can deal with. But fires can easily get out of control. And all we can do is call the sherriff's office and ask them to come by. That's usually effective.

Eight P.M. is kind of early to sic the law dogs on anyone. I'd be more comfortable with 10 P.M. as a break-off time. Hope your situation gets better!