'The girl downstairs is insane': 35-year-old grad student feuds with overreacting downstairs neighbor over noise complaints

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Mar 29, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

Dealing with a difficult neighbor is a non-confrontational people pleaser's living nightmare. 

Sure, we are expected to have to draw boundaries with roommates and folks with whom you share space, but when it comes to the people living next door, above or below you, minimal confrontation is always preferred. This is usually possible when both parties are decent, sane humans, but that's not always the case. In this instance, we have a graduate student who split time in a private apartment of her own and in campus housing a few times a week. When she was in the latter environment, she ended up having to deal with a downstairs neighbor who made a fuss any time she made the slightest bit of movement.

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    "I started studying by night because of the neighbor below"
    via Nathan Wright

  • Graduate students are not a rowdy bunch. It's one thing if you're living in campus housing and undergraduate students are partying at all hours of the night. One has to expect at least some of that behavior if one chooses to live in such an environment. However, clearly, the author's neighbor (a law student) was just trying to start drama. In fact, it was as if she had installed some device monitoring the author's every movement. Any time she made the slightest physical adjustment, the neighbor started banging on her ceiling and complaining to the landlord. Keep scrolling below for the full story!

  • 02
    I am a student at a university. I am 35 years old and have a house in a different town, but am currently living part time in a student corridor. The house is built 1955. Sounds will travel thorough the building.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 03
    I am a quet type of neighbour. Almost never listens to music, mostly studies on my computer, I read and drink tea. Lots of tea.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 04
    Most of the time, I'm not even there, only a few days a week/month. In my area, this is the cheapest accomodation you can find, it does its job, I am quite happy about it.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 05
    Then, a new neighbour moved in below. One day, she knocked on my door and asked me if I used the new furniture cups she gave me. "What furniture cups?" "The one I left in your mailbox."
    via Laserskrivare
  • 06
    I explained to her that my mail comes to my house, meaning I only check the mailbox once a month or so, to get the student newspaper.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 07
    I get the furniture cups and puts them on my chair. She left them together with a note about me making loud inapropriate sounds. I do not. Whatever. I'll use them, if it helps her.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 08
    Fact about the chair: The chair itself is part of the room, since I rent it furnished. I am not buying an office chair on wheels for her sake, not happening.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 09
    One day later, she finds me on Facebook and is upset my chair is still making sound. She also informs me to "stop moving furniture around". I do not understand she is saying. She
    via Laserskrivare
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    also states she want to compromise by asking me to sleep at the same times as her, ten in the evening to eight in the morning. I inform her this will not happen,
    via Laserskrivare
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    however, I will get a carpet. She says it's not fair I get to make sounds so that she can't sleep, says that it makes it impossible for her to focus on her lectures by day.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 12
    Next time I am at my house, I take a small carpet with me. When I get back, she still complains about the sound and want me to study sitting in my bed.
    via Laserskrivare
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    Cheezburger Image 10487075072
    via Greg Panagiotoglou
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    I inform her I will not do this (Not that she has anything to do with it, but I have an actual permanent back injury affecting my nerves and I will not study in my bed, I need a chair).
    via Laserskrivare
  • 15
    She starts banging at the ceiling every time I make a move. If I use my kettle. If I use my chair. Even if I use the bathroom. She obviously wants me t be as quiet as I am when I am not there.
    via Laserskrivare
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    Then she complains to the landlord. They e-mail me about it being prohibited to make loud sounds between ten in the evening to eight in the morning.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 17
    I explain politely to the landlord that the girl downstairs is insane. They are understanding and inform me they will try to speak with her.
    via Laserskrivare
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    I also check her Facebook profile. It says she is studying law. For some reason I find this kinda funny, because she acts like the "loud sound" rule can be used to interfer with me actually using my room like a normal person, and has quoted the landlords rules about loud sounds after ten like it's Swedish law or something. It is not, and it would take a lot more for the landlord to do anything.
    via Laserskrivare
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    She also reminds me about lawyers I have spoken to in my worklife, that tries to use their title to get better treatment than normal clients and threatens you if you don't comply.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 20
    Yesterday I got back from my house after three weeks studying from there, because I need to get to some seminars, examination and stuff. Twenty minutes past ten she start making banging sounds at the ceiling.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 21
    I am 35 years old. I normally go to sleep at midnight at the latest. I am not some party animal like some of my other neighbours (Who are nice people btw). I have had no real plans to begin living like when I was 20 and was up all night. Well, I guess I am not studying in the mornings like I plan to, I am going to begin
    via Laserskrivare
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    studying by night every time I am here and especially if she starts hitting her ceiling (Usually the course I go to begin quite late on the day, so this is not an issue). I blocked her on Facebook.
    via Laserskrivare

  • Several members of the online community weighed in with their own tales of difficult neighbors who clearly used noise complaints as a means to stir up trouble. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is nothing new…

  • 23
    . crunchyyoghurt 6 hr. ago I don't know if this will affect your back, but I heard physical activity whilst studying helps with memorising content.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 24
    Maybe you should jump rope while you study at night too haha
    via Laserskrivare
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    Laserskrivare OP. 6 hr. ago I do believe jump rope would actually count as disturbing for real, however I do walk around sometimes because of this very issue with my back. I do this quietly, I do not use shoes inside, she still
    via Laserskrivare
  • 26
    hears it. But seriously, I can hear the shared kitchen that is on the opposite side of the corridor.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 27
    She wrote to the landlord I am stomping on my floor. The wardrobe was built in place and makes a lot of sounds as well when I open it to get my nightgown. Yeah, I am totally the nightmare neighbour.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 28
    (My neighbour upstairs plays the recorder and is not that good at it, she should be considered lucky I am not doing that as well.)
    via Laserskrivare
  • 29
    wlfwrtr. 5 hr. ago If you have a camera you can bring into apartment for your nightly routines record what is happening. Next time landlord says anything prove to him that she makes more noise banging on the ceiling than you do throughout night.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 30
    Laserskrivare OP. 5 hr. ago I actually invited my landlord to observe my routine and what I do in my room, but it seems that was'nt necessary.
    via Laserskrivare
  • 31
    grodslukerskan · 5 hr. ago Maybe you could file a complaint on her banging her ceiling after 22:00? She isn't exactly keeping quiet herself...
    via Laserskrivare
  • 32
    Laserskrivare OP. 5 hr. ago lol I kinda did in my reply to the landlord, and they were like "We understand :)", with an emoji. I do believe they are finding the situation a bit ridiculous and they surely have more important things to do.
    via Laserskrivare

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feud landlord neighbors students bad neighbors petty revenge terrible neighbors entitled people karma entitled people apartment
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