A Baby will be above my Apartment, am I screwed?

[Rod Hagen]

After years of day and middle of the late-night barking from untrained dogs owned by entitled residents in my last place, I moved to my current apartment because it's concrete and steel, and it's one of two apartments in West Hollywood thus far successful in keeping out pets. (The other is rundown and noisy for other reasons).

It's been blissfully quiet In the nearly year I've been here.  In that year, one Zillenial asshole resident decided he is so special that he will break the 50-year policy of no dogs.  Good news is his apartment isn't near mine so I've never heard the new dog, bad news is it creates a precedent and others will follow. God knows how those dogs and owners will be.   Nowadays landlords rarely evict tenants for getting a dog in violation of their lease because it's so easy to get the "service dog" certification.

Last week, I found out that the woman above me is going to give birth in a month.  Fuck.  Have you lived next to or above or in my case below an infant? It's a well-built building, is there any chance that its screams won't wake me up at night and irritate me during the day?  Any at all?  While I can hear them walking, I've never heard their TV or their talking.  Talking of course is not the same as a baby screaming.

I know that apart from pressing the the landlord to instal carpet if it is a problem, do you have any other practical suggestions.  Obviously, you can't zone against parenthood.

https://alblawfirm.com/press-mentions/crying-baby-noise/

I purchased this and this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3V6Y38G/ref=twister_B0D6C4LZPN?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074FL2HL2?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Any suggestions besides establishing a relationship with them, my landlord, and the Manager, all of which I've already done?  

I love this building so much.   I do not want to leave.  Thank you.  I'm terrified.  Am I screwed?

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 03:21 PM by Rod Hagen

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

"A Baby will be above my Apartment, am I screwed?"

Yeah, probably.
You should contact the Mertz's to see if they have any vacancies in their building. No children allowed!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xRUlYhzowfE

BTC
🤡

[+ sync]

If it's amenable with your landlord, and you are willing to finance it (after consulting with professionals), the installation of noise-dampening ceiling tiles might be an option.

[+ SirBillybob]

Frankly, I wouldn’t catastrophize about the imminent screeching as I doubt it will be very discernible, if at all. Similar in decibel range to canine yapping but higher frequencies less likely to bleed through a floor/ceiling barrier.

In contrast, a caregiver with an annoying thumping heel-strike gait (my pet peeve) may end up pacing around for long periods at all hours while carrying and attempting to soothe the tiny owner of said amazingly developed vocal cords.

Months in, one of these wheelies (below) could be annoying if used on hardwood or tiles. 

Some folks find ‘white noise’ overrides as disturbing as regular acoustic intrusions but I live by them, for example a waterfall soundtrack loop from iPhone to a miniature-ish Bose Bluetooth speaker, both devices internally adapted for recharging abroad. Prior to that I used a machine similar to the one you depicted, a company called Marsona. Very effective. I see they are quite expensive; you might try the cheaper Marpac that has a twist swivel volume emission feature to see if you can tolerate it. They are standard for small waiting rooms to mask clinician-patient discussion. 

Edited Monday at 05:22 PM by SirBillybob

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

I can't speak for apartments, but dogs are much worse than neighbor's children for detached housing in the suburbs.  I plan on moving to Florida next and getting a house on the water, because I'd rather deal with a crocodile 🐊 than a neighbor's barking dog (which the crocodile 🐊 will take care of 😊)

Edited Monday at 05:49 PM by Vegas_Millennial
Apostrophe

[marylander1940]

10 minutes ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

I can't speak for apartments, but dogs are much worse than neighbors children for detached housing in the suburbs.  I plan on moving to Florida next and getting a house on the water, because I'd rather deal with a crocodile 🐊 than a neighbor's barking dog (which the crocodile 🐊 will take care of 😊)

[+ Jamie21]

Baby will be fine, but just wait until it starts running around and jumping around the apartment, especially if it’s a boy. You’ve got 18 months until that starts, and it will last about 10 years. Enjoy. 

[maninsoma]

Do you currently hear noise from the people above you?  By that I mean are their ordinary footsteps audible?  Can you hear them talking or hear their TV or stereo?  If not, you'll probably be okay.

Apartment living can be rough.  About 15 years ago I was so fed up with having my sleep disturbed that I was going to move again, and that happened to coincide with market forces that allowed me to buy a condo instead of remaining a renter.  The main criteria I looked for (apart from affordability, of course) was construction that minimized noise transmission.  I had my agent go outside into the hallway and talk as he moved around.  I had him knock on interior walls while I stood on the other side.  I was sufficiently satisfied that the building construction (also steel and concrete) was of sufficient quality to minimize noise.  Fortunately I was right.  There is some noise transmission but not when things are just at an ordinary daily living level.  By that I mean if my upstairs neighbor is moving furniture around I can hear that, but most days I don't know whether he's even home.  Even when I had some tenants next door who played their music very loudly I could barely hear it in my unit though it was much more audible in the hallway.  Here's hoping that your building is similarly well constructed.  I know that more modern construction does not necessarily guarantee this: My last trip to Los Angeles was horrible for my sleep because I could hear every single footstep from the apartments above and next to the one I rented.  The builder must have cut a lot of corners because there were all sorts of other defects that were surprising to see in a building only a few years old, including a patio sliding door that had to be held in a certain position in order to close properly because the floor settled at an angle.

Edited Monday at 06:26 PM by maninsoma

[MikeBiDude]

1 hour ago, Jamie21 said:

but just wait until it starts running around and jumping around the apartment, especially if it’s a boy

Haha! The condo I visit frequently is North San Diego County is on the second floor, with a 3rd floor above. There are often children there and yeah….they get up early and I hear every footstep 🤣

[BigDMike]

I had a problem once with noise and decided to buy 2 of these...1 in the living room and 1 in the bedroom.  At its lowest speed, you really don't hear it...but move it up a few notches and it serves a purpose AND creates white noise that blocks out everything else.  

You may want to look into them

https://www.amazon.com/BLUEAIR-Purifiers-HEPASilent-Allergies-Purifier/dp/B08KPJCDN6/ref=sr_1_15_sspa?crid=1ND6IL5KL0YFV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KeSQsnyXRyoF_QqBvEG8fTR1RG0wUGq0G43JK7Ppd0vPuM7tfDOXwwIp1_cbaDzahvZk3VfdOlJTLtziv1jaNGHAzkIGsgczLKAgalzO3tlXvC36KSLID24X-ya3__l7tj-RuUaWMMjCS5wUusVsUix9FM5UodEzPlg3k0s9mlS0EwDllqBvIAOvETy507dyYK2tujIyr8LvjXO7IlpkUagEBixzsd5wysg-Vv1Nt2IEVJ-4i5QQbtqO0duxthkMALIw7z8KMrqrqWzXkb60RMiBby51_ipTPGPKV_HkN9I.nLPQ67CDyIALgaaagmrmJsYxzoq2mgSxIJQB6dSVLkk&dib_tag=se&keywords=air+filtration+system&qid=1780348867&s=home-garden&sprefix=air+filtra%2Cgarden%2C217&sr=1-15-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1

[Rod Hagen]

5 hours ago, sync said:

If it's amenable with your landlord, and you are willing to finance it (after consulting with professionals), the installation of noise-dampening ceiling tiles might be an option.

Thank you.  Thought of that.  Unfortunately, our apartment is Ceiling-Heated.

[+ sync]

19 minutes ago, Rod Hagen said:

Thank you.  Thought of that.  Unfortunately, our apartment is Ceiling-Heated.

Bummer, I never considered that.  Hopefully a viable alternative will present itself.  Unwelcome noise(s) can really bring down one's habitat.

[Luv2play]

5 hours ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

I can't speak for apartments, but dogs are much worse than neighbor's children for detached housing in the suburbs.  I plan on moving to Florida next and getting a house on the water, because I'd rather deal with a crocodile 🐊 than a neighbor's barking dog (which the crocodile 🐊 will take care of 😊)

You are bound to be disappointed. There are no crocodiles in Florida. Lol

[wsc]

My first apartment after getting out of the Navy was on the second floor of a three-story building. The man above me was a Marine living off base (Quantico). I didn't hear anything most of the time but swore he wore combat boots to bed; heavy footsteps every morning - early!

Can't blame someone for walking on their own floors so I lived with it, but just for the first year. After that lease was up, I moved to a top-floor apartment in a different building in the same complex and since then have always insisted on a top-floor apartment.

Any chance you could move up, up, and away from the noises? I'm sure moving would be a hassle -had to do it myself 18 months ago- but the rewards of a top floor place are worth it. (Unless it's a sixth-floor walk-up, of course.)

[wsc]

10 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

You are bound to be disappointed. There are no crocodiles in Florida. Lol

While alligators are the overwhelmingly dominant semi-aquatic species in Florida (over a million and widespread), there are about 2000 crocodiles in Southern Florida; the only habitat both reptiles share. (I have family in Southern Florida.)

[Luv2play]

When I lived there during the winters 25 years ago I don’t think there were any. At least that was the conventional wisdom. Are the 2000 now living there recent arrivals?

[Luv2play]

I just read they were practically extinct in the 1970s but conservation efforts have led to their increased numbers. In the 1990’s when I was there they were never heard of. Alligators yes, absolutely. Everyone had a story about sightings or attacks. Crocs were something in the movies. 

[Nue2thegame]

20 minutes ago, wsc said:

While alligators are the overwhelmingly dominant semi-aquatic species in Florida (over a million and widespread), there are about 2000 crocodiles in Southern Florida; the only habitat both reptiles share. (I have family in Southern Florida.)

Winston is correct. Once endangered but They’ve been in South Florida for over a thousand years. Different and less aggressive than their African and Australian cousins, they’re now making a comeback. Maybe due to the abundance of small dogs and babies. Which offers an additional option, Rod could move to S. Florida and even possibly rent a room from Vegas. 

[+ PhileasFogg]

 One baby will not be that bad at first if construction is good.   If that changes, steps can be taken to mitigate. 

[+ SirBillybob]

59 minutes ago, wsc said:

While alligators are the overwhelmingly dominant semi-aquatic species in Florida (over a million and widespread), there are about 2000 crocodiles in Southern Florida; the only habitat both reptiles share. (I have family in Southern Florida.)

Duh, how else would we have “See you later - “ … “In a while - “ ? 

[mike carey]

7 hours ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

I can't speak for apartments, but dogs are much worse than neighbor's children for detached housing in the suburbs.  I plan on moving to Florida next and getting a house on the water, because I'd rather deal with a crocodile 🐊 than a neighbor's barking dog (which the crocodile 🐊 will take care of 😊)

It makes sense to buy in a gatored community.

[Luv2play]

15 minutes ago, mike carey said:

It makes sense to buy in a gatored community.

With a moat.

[Luv2play]

In the mid 70’s I was living in an apartment on the first floor of a three storey Victorian house. The landlord lived above me with his wife on the second floor. On the third floor under the eaves a single straight male lived who was German and in his mid thirties.

My bedroom was under the stairs that went up to the second and third floors. I would hear the young guy at 3 in the morning virtually every weekend night going up the stairs in his wedgie shoes usually with two young girls in his company. The stairs were wooden and the sound was just above my head while I lay in bed. 

He drove a Corvette so before the entrance there was the roar of the engine as he drove down the drive beside my apartment. This announced the arrival of the harem. I put up with it as I was just coming out and brought guys back to my place a few hours before my neighbours arrival. They were gone before the next carnival scene. 
 

I sometimes wondered how the landlord put up with it. Maybe because we didn’t play loud music, paid the rent on time and were otherwise great tenants. 

[+ SirBillybob]

13 hours ago, mike carey said:

It makes sense to buy in a gatored community.

… while also keeping one eye on the pond riding your cart to the pickleball courts, replenishing electrolytes after the game. In any case, diaper pails bring the thread full circle. 

Edited Tuesday at 02:00 PM by SirBillybob

[viewing ownly]

There could be the possibility that the pregnant lady will want to relocate to a more family-friendly complex after she gives birth. It would feel like a colossal waste of money to soundproof your place and then see that happen. If it does, start a punk band.