Upstairs Apartment Plays Music at 6.30am on a Weekend - What to Do?

TheGiantTomato on 19/06/2021 - 08:23

Good morning fellow OzBargainers,

About two months ago, a new upstairs neighbour moved into the apartment directly above me. He loves to blast his music at two very specific times - 6.30am for about 1-2 hours on weekends, or 10.30pm for an hour on weeknights. Not crazy enough times of the day to get authorities involved, but annoying enough times to disrupt sleeping patterns.

I know I'm quite lucky that it's 'only' for a couple of hours and not throughout the whole day, but even just one song at 6.30am on a Saturday or Sunday does the damage of waking me up. I work long hours during the week and look forward to recovering on the weekend with a big sleep, so the music is really starting to annoy me.

The ceiling/walls don't have the greatest noise insulation so I hear everything he plays. What's possibly the worst part is that he doesn't pay for the premium version of whatever streaming service he uses, so you get the same exact ad/voice-over between every single song. Sometimes he will also play the same song on repeat 4-5 times. I really do wonder about people's music habits, but I'm digressing.

I tried speaking to him about two weeks ago, I (jokingly) told him I loved his music selection but if he could turn the volume down and not play music before 8am that would be great (which is in line with NSW's noise policy). He seemed nonplussed and turned his music off that morning. But since then, he's returned to playing music at his regular intervals.

I've been living in my unit for 6 years, and have never had trouble with noisy neighbours. My lucky run has come to an end.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to get the message through to this guy to stop playing music so early? Should I find creative ways to start a war of attrition? Suck it up until he hopefully moves out? Get other parties involved? Passive-aggressive notes? Or uproot my life and move - where I could potentially have the same problem at my next place?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Quantumcat on 19/06/2021 - 08:27
    +2

    Bang on the ceiling with a broom to remind him.

    Part of living in an apartment unfortunately. Hopefully your next place is a detached house.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2021 - 09:03
      +9

      A colleague did this once and the broom handle went through the ceiling 😯

      • SF3 on 19/06/2021 - 09:22
        +8

        broom handle went through the ceiling

        One of those The Block renovated units eh…

        • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2021 - 09:27
          +1

          lol It was a new apartment building and apparently the walls were 'paper thin' & he soon found out the ceiling was no better.

          • SF3 on 19/06/2021 - 09:34
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: They use new materials in The Block too 😆

            • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2021 - 09:36
              +1

              @SF3: Yes…they just don't make/renovate them like they used to

  • Ocker on 19/06/2021 - 08:30
    +6

    Pull the fuse out of his electricity supply box

    • jimbobaus on 19/06/2021 - 08:33
      -4

      While i doubt its the case, imagine if you did that and someone in the apartment was on life saving medical equipment

      • holdenmg on 19/06/2021 - 08:51

        Ironic that AC/DC can be both good (and not having it bad).

    • SF3 on 19/06/2021 - 09:24
      +2

      Could just be playing from a phone with bluetooth speakers.

  • Hithere on 19/06/2021 - 08:34
    +6

    What can I do about neighbours playing loud music?

    Noise from musical instruments and electrically amplified sound equipment (e.g. radios, TVs, CD and DVD players, and home theatre systems) that can be heard in any habitable rooms of a neighbouring residence must cease during certain times: midnight to 8am on Friday, Saturday or any day preceding a public holiday and 10pm to 8am on any other day.

    An offence occurs if the noise continues after a warning has been given by a council or police officer.

    https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/questions/neighbours-play…

    • TheGiantTomato on 19/06/2021 - 09:36

      Thank you. I'm aware that he's outside the curfew, but I just don't think the police would respond in time. I've only ever called the police about a noise complaint once about a party that was still going at 4am and because a fight had broken out (I was living in a different apartment), it took them 3 hours to respond (and by then things had settled down, so nothing was done).

      • Mechz on 19/06/2021 - 12:43
        +6

        Print it and put it in his letter box. If it continues put it under his door. Then start making noise complaints.

    • brokenglish on 19/06/2021 - 08:41

      Looks like my old neighbours negged me 😂

      • WreckTangle on 19/06/2021 - 09:29
        +10

        No, you got negged because you abuse free trials.

    • bobbified on 19/06/2021 - 11:18
      +2

      I was in similar situations. I moved many times.

      If you've really moved that many times for the same reason, the issue may not be with the other people.. 🤔

  • rollin on 19/06/2021 - 08:53
    +2

    Go up and give him/her a glasgow kiss…

  • holdenmg on 19/06/2021 - 08:56

    Maybe your neighbour wants you to move out (for a friend to move in nearby) and this is the vehicle to achieve it.

  • FocusRider on 19/06/2021 - 09:09

    What music does he listen to?

    • TheGiantTomato on 19/06/2021 - 09:28
      +2

      Everything from rap/hip-hop to Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. He's got a wide taste in music.

      • pharkurnell on 19/06/2021 - 10:11
        +9

        listening to that shit is well worth getting the authorities involved…

      • Hithere on 19/06/2021 - 12:41
        +2

        Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On

        Report them immediately. It can only go downhill from here.

        Next they'll be playing music from Bette Midler's Beaches album.

  • SF3 on 19/06/2021 - 09:20
    -2

    Upstairs Apartment Plays Music at 6.30am on a Weekend - What to Do?

    Ear plugs

    Or use the music to you advantage.
    Morning exercise
    Evening dance party

  • Ocker on 19/06/2021 - 09:27
    +13

    I had a battle of the sounds session with a tenant above me once. He would practice his playing the piano at all hours of the night right above my bedroom.
    One night I decided to send him a subtle message. Dragged my HiFi unit into the bedroom, place both speakers facing upwards and put Midnight Oil, Blue Sky Mining on full volume auto-play. Slept on the couch for the night.
    He had the audacity to complain to the building manager about the noise, but he never played the piano again at night!

    • serpserpserp on 19/06/2021 - 13:36

      This would absorb about as much sound as hanging up tissues around your room.

      • jjjaar on 19/06/2021 - 15:06

        I have a colleague who tried them and says they worked 🤷🏼‍♀️

        • Melb69 on 20/06/2021 - 05:09

          It would more likely dampen voice from the room they were used in.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2021 - 09:54
    +2

    Some ppl need to be told more than once.

    Suggest knocking on your neighbour's door at the time he is playing the loud music. You will not be in a joking mood & he just may finally get the inconvenience

    • Succulent on 19/06/2021 - 10:11
      +1

      Agree with this, try for the second time just at when they were playing, with just out of the bed face.

      If they still do it, I assume your units has strata (if you have building manager, that is even better). You can contact strata/building manager and ask them to help you giving warning, especially if it breaching the owner corporation bylaw (i.e. your building rules which regulate how everyone should be living together under one roof). Here are the guidance of steps on contacting strata:
      https://www.lawaccess.nsw.gov.au/Pages/representing/Noise/Ma…

      • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2021 - 10:19

        just out of the bed face hair

        FTFY 😉

        • Succulent on 19/06/2021 - 10:21

          they were are playing

  • theHMASfriendship on 19/06/2021 - 11:43
    +1

    Suggest to him some headphones for those times.

  • Catullus on 19/06/2021 - 12:03
    +6

    it's probably rumpy-pumpy time and he has a noisy lady, so plays music to cover the sound.😘

  • serpserpserp on 19/06/2021 - 13:34
    +2

    The only plausible answer is to burn down the whole apartment complex unfortunately. It is the only way to be sure.

  • morse on 19/06/2021 - 13:41
    +1

    If he responded politely the first time you asked him, it’s probably worth asking again. If it keeps going after you’ve asked 2 or 3 times then maybe look at authorities, hopefully it won’t get to this. It might well be annoying other neighbours too.

  • Sensei888 on 20/06/2021 - 08:12
    +1

    Those times and regularity sound like 'sexy times'. He's turning on whatever to muffle the sex sounds. Explains the poor selection and why it's on repeat.

    • leiiv on 23/06/2021 - 23:46

      If that was the case, which sound would you prefer OP?

  • riksta on 20/06/2021 - 08:44

    Most strata schemes adopted a new set of standard model bylaws in 2016/2017 (it was in most bylaws previously anyhow).

    https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/sl-…

    6 Noise
    An owner or occupier of a lot, or any invitee of an owner or occupier of a lot, must not create any noise on a lot or the common property likely to interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of the owner or occupier of another lot or of any person lawfully using common property.

    Speak to your property manager if you rent or your committe if you own, they can potentially be issued a bylaw breach notice which usually is enough to stop the behaviour.

    This does not have to meet EPA criteria for it to be considered a bylaw breach.

  • kanter on 20/06/2021 - 08:53
    +2

    If it’s not just the 2 of you, it must annoy other neighbours, bring it up with the body corp

  • ozboygsl on 20/06/2021 - 11:54

    1}Approach strata mangement if you have it. 2} polite typed note requesting less noise left at their door. 3} escalate if necessary from there . - I'd leave suggestions that have worked, but there's too many thin skinned ppl on this forum who wouldn't cope.

  • HeWhoKnows on 20/06/2021 - 14:27

    You can make a noise complaint any time of day if its deemed unreasonable.
    Both to the police and to the building strata committee.

    Best to approach these new residents first and make them aware of the issue.
    They may unaware and probably happy to turn it down.

  • srhardy on 20/06/2021 - 17:50

    Just ask if they could use headphones

  • BeamMeUp on 20/06/2021 - 21:20

    Doesn’t fix your root cause but try Hearos NRR 33 earplugs.

  • Zachary on 22/06/2021 - 08:50

    I tried speaking to him about two weeks ago, I (jokingly) told him I loved his music selection but if he could turn the volume down and not play music before 8am that would be great (which is in line with NSW's noise policy). He seemed nonplussed and turned his music off that morning. But since then, he's returned to playing music at his regular intervals.

    I would try again. Then a 3rd time with a slightly more serious tone and facial expression.

  • TransportPosters on 23/06/2021 - 20:43

    Surprised no one has suggested "bikies" yet.

    I think in this case you have to just go and have a kind chat with him. He may not realise how easily his music is heard at that time. Could be nice about it. If not, start preparing to move and count down the days until you leave. Don't write a note.

    If he's into music being loud then he's not going to change to headphones. He wants to feel the music and be physically free to do whatever he's doing at that time on weekends.

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