Loud Neighbors: What do you do?

[BetterOffShred]

I think they are indicating that you may have been overly rude and this was the catalyst for the music volume going up. I've been there where you're just done with their shit.. but yeah the door slam maneuver usually begets retaliation

[01010111]

He wouldn’t leave? He kept trying to get me to agree to talking to them if they’re being loud (something we’ve agreed not to do), I was flustered and didn’t really give him a direct answer other than “okay”. So, because I didn’t want to agree with him and I didn’t want to have a confrontation right then, I said okay and closed the door.

I think it’s weird that they came down here after they know they’re being loud, ask us if they’re being loud, and then try to get us to agree to talk to them if they’re being loud. Then when we don’t and close the door to get them to leave, they go blast bad rap for several hours.

[jrfox92]

I'm confused why everyone keeps ignoring this.

We aren't allowed to pound on the walls or go talk to them about it (that's in the rental agreement).

W's not allowed to talk to them about this.
They tried to force him to break his rental agreement through confrontation.
He shut the door in their face.
They decided to be obnoxious and crank the music AGAIN.

[Chankgeez]

Can you sit down and talk to your neighbors with your landlord present?

[01010111]

Maybe? At this point it really feels like one or the other has to move. So, I don’t want to fight. If we had the money we’d just spend the $8k to break the lease. I’m just done with this shit.

[Chankgeez]

Ask the landlord to let you out of your lease. If the housing market's really as tight as you've described, they shouldn't have any trouble finding tenants for your apartment.

[BetterOffShred]

Ask the landlord to let you out of your lease. If the housing market's really as tight as you've described, they shouldn't have any trouble finding tenants for your apartment.

Yeah that's a good point. And if he's unwilling to work with you there then you should point that out.

[01010111]

That’s the next step. If he refuses to move us to another unit, then I’m going to ask him if he can let us off our lease without the monetary penalty.

[weebles]

Yeah, it wasn’t clear that he wouldn’t leave or that you think he was trying to entrap you. So I misunderstood the shutting he door in his face.

Honestly, I would call the cops when he’s getting loud. If your landlord isn’t going to take care of excessive noise, then you need someone else to step in.

That being said, if it’s not after a certain hour (different cities have different norms), then the cops might just tell you to deal with it.

However, if you *do* call the cops, make sure you’re keeping a log of what is happening when. Because they’re probably going to try to stir some stuff up in retaliation, so having a log is a good idea for dealing with the landlord.

[Blackened Soul]

My neighbors

Do you have a shovel? A good out of the way place? would they be terribly missed?

[Jwar]

Do not fight fire with fire. That’s bad advice coming from a guy who is a landlord.

File a complaint with the police. You have zero obligation to them in regards to talking to them about it. They know obviously they are being obnoxious jackasses.

Contact the landlord in writing as stated. Text or email is ok.

If the landlord does not resolve the issue you can escalate it. There are online forms you can serve your landlord with much like they can serve you. There are quit notices that they legally have to adhere to.

I’ll even find you the forms.

I would contact the police first though.

[comesect2.0]

You gonna play by the book or take control of your life, stand up...don't shut doors....say, motha fucka I got 5 kids to feed and you just wokem up and I'm all out a cheerios...then if they refuse to go down to the corner store and pick some up for you, your 100% obliged to slap a door in der face.

[01010111]

Do not fight fire with fire. That’s bad advice coming from a guy who is a landlord.

File a complaint with the police. You have zero obligation to them in regards to talking to them about it. They know obviously they are being obnoxious jackasses.

Contact the landlord in writing as stated. Text or email is ok.

If the landlord does not resolve the issue you can escalate it. There are online forms you can serve your landlord with much like they can serve you. There are quit notices that they legally have to adhere to.

I’ll even find you the forms.

I would contact the police first though.

I started keeping a log back in July. According to the Portland police’s website this kind of noise (apartment to apartment) isn’t something they’ll respond to unless it’s a case of harassment. Though they might send a letter if they feel like it: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/63268

Where the police won’t take any enforcement action in this case, would it still be worth contacting them? Would it only be so we can say we’ve contacted them if we do have to escalate this further? I’ll look into those forms if it comes to it, I’ll probably reach out and take you up on that help if I do.

[BetterOffShred]

Yes. Paper trail the shit out of it. Having official complaints and records of your troubles will let your landlord know you're not to be fucked with.

[crochambeau]

I lived next door to a guy who loved his chainsaw. He would work out with that fucking thing at least twice a week, usually half a day on Saturday and whenever it was sunny. I looked up the local noise ordinance, and in my town to file a formal complaint *for a daytime infraction* they (the cops, presumably) would have to come out and measure above a particular dB at the property line. In my mind, Randy would have just stopped cutting while they were there. In the end, moving worked for me. It's really difficult to get confrontational to a dude who would sing songs to his fucking chainsaw.

So if you can't buy out of the lease, maybe picking up a chainsaw related hobby will give you piece of mind?