What's the best way to approach this?

[Eireann]

As you know, I've been having a hellish time with the spoiled rotten teens next door, cranking up their stereo. I'm lodging a complaint with the city authorities this week. My landlord and landlady know about it, and they have also been subjected to the noise.

Okay. Well. My landlord and landlady live directly above me. They have two young children. The noise from upstairs is tremendous. I hear running, yelling, screaming, shrieking, the sound of some heavy, wheeled object being moved (I have no idea what the hell it is), stomping, loud thuds, the dog barking, etc.

The only way I can think of to help this situation, is if some kind of soundproofing material is installed - either under their floor, or directly below my ceiling. Since I can hear the noise everywhere, it would have to be done everywhere. My landlady does know that I can hear them, and unfortunately, this hasn't lessened the noise. (I didn't complain about it; she just asked me once, "Can you hear us?" and I said, "Oh, yeah.")

It's a classic case of noise being far more noticeable in the rooms below than it is in the rooms where it originates. I'm hesitant to approach them about it because I don't want them to think that I live to complain; because it would probably cost a lot to take any soundproofing measures; because I want to have some things fixed down here before my landlord comes in to do anything (if, indeed, he does).

What's your advice?

[Seshat]

Invite her down for afternoon tea at a time when her kids and the dog are extremely active.

[It's me]

Hate to say it, but sometimes the only real solution is to move.

[Andara Bledin]

I second the notion of inviting her down at some point when it's particularly bad.

Some people just have no idea what's going on outside their bubbles.

If that doesn't get things to change at all, then it might be time to either look for another place, or invest in some decent noise-canceling headphones.

^-.-^

[trailerparkmedic]

I'd say something non aggressive like "Sometimes with everything going on upstairs, it gets a bit loud and it disrupts my work/sleep/etc. Is there some way we could arrange to get soundproofing put in so everyone is happy?"

[Kiwi]

My current landlady knows that her lazyboy chair is RIGHT above my bed. She laughed about it when I told her she kept me awake until 3am one morning with her squeeking as she rocked in it.

She bitches that she can't keep a tenant (she knows about that chair, its why her last tenant moved) but wont consider moving that effing chair. Only a few months until I can move out!

If she knows about the noise, chances are she wont do anything to fix it.

[Mytical]

Gonna suggest trying some white noise. Will even supply links. Not gonna guarantee they will work, but worth a try maybe.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/3702288...=263602_304662

http://compare.ebay.com/future/19043...=263602_304672

Just a couple of examples. There is also headphones, but those can be uncomfortable to sleep in. However, they often do a better job blocking out noise.

[Andara Bledin]

We have a neighbor (their window is about three feet across an alley from ours) who watches bad tv all night long. To shut that out, we keep a fan running. A great source of white noise, and keeps the air from getting too still in the room.

My brother can't sleep in silence at all. He has to have noise, so he keeps a fan running every night, no matter what.

^-.-^

[Megg]

Start saving your egg cartons. Cut them in half and staple them to the ceiling - soundproofing! It worked for me when my roommate and I had ... issues. We won't get into what issues, but one of our rooms needed some soundproofing, and fast! It's cheap, and you are recycling! Or re-using, which comes to the same thing in the end.

Also, she might think twice about that chair if she has to take all that crap down when you move out!

[Eireann]

I did it! I did it!

It turns out that the heavy wheeled object is a toy belonging to their younger daughter.

(On a side note, I didn't know they had any children when I moved in, or I would have continued looking for a place to live. I've lived underneath families with children before, and I know how noisy it can be.)

I buzzed my landlady on the house intercom and asked, after apologizing and saying, "I hope you don't think I live to complain," if some soundproofing material could be inserted below my ceiling. She sounded embarrassed and said, "It's our daughter's bike. She loves it."

Within a few seconds, I heard loud, ear-piercing, shatter-all-the-windows screaming. My landlady explained, "I just took it from her."

I heard loud, protracted shrieks of "MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAA"

I wish I could scream like that at the neighbors, quite frankly.

I explained to my landlady that I can hear much more than the bike - I can hear them walking around, for example. I also mentioned the fact that when you're on the same level as any noise, it's not as loud as when you're underneath it. It echoes, somehow. I really felt awful that she took the bike from her daughter; it's not permanent, but bitterly disappointing for the daughter and hellishly loud for the parents.

She's going to talk to her husband about inserting some soundproofing material under my ceiling, and I'm going to contact a guy I know who does all sorts of handyman work, to see what's the best thing to do.

Yay me! Usually, I never confront people about noise, and just bitch about it to myself or anyone who will listen. This time, I let someone know in a respectful way, what is going on. I also mentioned - and this is true - that I may be doing recording on my computer, which is another reason why it would be good to have soundproofing.

[Rapscallion]

It's all about an reasonable quality of life. Sounds like you've done what's necessary to bring that about - nice one!

Rapscallion

[Eireann]

My landlady did stick to her promise not to let her daughter ride the bike after 7 p.m. Before that time, however, she can roll back and forth as much as she likes. Imagine shopping at one of those huge places where your heavy purchases are put on a large cart and rolled to the checkout counter.

Now imagine hearing that noise day in, day out, above your head, back and forth.

I haven't heard anything about the soundproofing yet. Oh, do I hope that the answer is favorable!