I've had it up to here with apartment life!

The BBQ Pit
21

[QUOTE=Frank]
I have never understood why people put up with shitty neighbors in an apartment. Complain! Complain to the neighbor, to the landlord, to the police. There is no reason to put up with people ruining your life due to thoughtlessness, carelessness, or just generally being assholes, and there is no reason to put up with it.
[/QUOTE]

I also don’t know why people put up with it.

All you have to do is read your lease. You are entitled to the “quiet enjoyment” of your apartment.

Also, every complex I have lived in has community rules. No loud stereos, etc.

If all else fails, that’s your out. You can break your lease without penalty.

The key is getting on good terms with the management. With me, and my long renting history, it’s easy to do. They are more willing to please me, a long-term renter, than they are someone who rents for a few months and then leaves.

You get a lot of clout when you are a long-term renter.

You also should research where you are planning to rent. Where I am now, there are single professionals and well-off retirees.

I don’t hear or see anybody. Sometimes, I think I am the only one here.

22

[QUOTE=Zambini57]
If all else fails, that’s your out. You can break your lease without penalty.
[/QUOTE]
But first you have to ensure that you have somewhere else to go. I was paying $650/mo for a 1BR in a great northern Virginia neighborhood; even 10 years ago such things were virtually impossible to come by.

23

The problem with apartments around here (central Indiana) is that the vast majority of (I would say “only” but I don’t want some irate math professor giving me a verbal dress-down) people who live in apartments are young, happily unemployed, or criminal. Basically if you have an honest, well-paying job, you buy a house. There is no “researching” the kind of people who live in the apartments–the expensive ones are full of entitled college students who will party all weekend and leave their stereos on while they go to class, the cheap ones are full of skeevy meth-heads. Pick your poison.

Complaining does absolutely nothing, either. My experience is that if you write out a complaint to the management, you get no reply. If you call them, they take down your number for the “manager” to call back, and the manager never calls. If you go to the rental office to talk to them, they gasp and say that’s TOTALLY against the lease and they’ll do something about it RIGHT AWAY!, then do nothing, and three days later when you come back to ask what’s going on, they’ve discovered that there’s a loophole and they won’t do anything about it.

Police don’t care, either. If they can’t hear it outside the building they REALLY don’t care–never mind that the sound travels from unit to unit inside the building. If they can hear it outside the building, they’ll knock on the door, making fun of the “prissy neighbor” who called them about the noise, everyone will laugh, the police will go away and the noise will continue.

If you talk to the neighbors, the reactions range from polite but empty promises, to defensive arguments, to screaming at you and following you back to your own apartment, then standing outside the door and continuing to scream until they’re good and ready to stop.

Living in apartments, in areas where nice people live in houses, is hell-hell-hell. Good for you, Hippy Hollow, for getting the hell out. Real civilizations should never, ever involve shared walls.

24

[QUOTE=Sattua]
The problem with apartments around here (central Indiana) is that the vast majority of (I would say “only” but I don’t want some irate math professor giving me a verbal dress-down) people who live in apartments are young, happily unemployed, or criminal. Basically if you have an honest, well-paying job, you buy a house.
[/QUOTE]

That’s absurd.

If you have the money, apartment living can be very nice.

::checks your location again::

“central Indiana”

Yeah, you’re probably right.

25

Thanks for the good vibes and responses, folks.

I’ve lived in communal settings all my life - four of us at home, living in duplexes all of our lives until HS; college, living in dorms, and being an RA; after college, teaching and living with roommates in a house and then an apartment complex; grad school, apartments. So I have a pretty high tolerance for the normal types of noise (feet upstairs, occasional loud voices, even loud music at times). But these guys… they are the stereotypical 20-something tearaways. They like cars and beers (and presumably women, though I rarely see them around). So everything they do is centered around this.

As my OP stated, I have no problem complaining. I just don’t like doing it. And in apartment living, one must balance complaints judiciously. Unless the people are on the road to eviction, they’re not going anywhere, and it doesn’t help to have enemies upstairs/next door.

My new neighborhood in Austin has a HOA, which my dad warns me about, but they have rules like “No loud parties after certain hours,” and “no cars parked on the street overnight.” My mom heard this and asked if there was a parking lot nearby. To which I replied, “In what circumstance can you imagine six people with cars overnight at my house?” (My parents and in-laws live in Austin as well.) They also have rules about picking one’ garbage can up after the dump truck comes by. Here, on the other hand, my neighbors do not secure their trashcan (I bought a $5 chain at Home Depot and wrapped it around the standpipe), and if it’s windy, I can usually find their can rolling around in the street.

As I said, I rarely see their trashcan out on trash day. So I suspect they accumulate trash over a period of months, then they take down about four 33 gallon bags of refuse. I already mentioned the mountain of bottles that are for recycling. There are enough cars that they could drive down to the supermarket and return them for deposits, and make enough for a few free six packs! (Hey, I might do that, but I don’t want that nasty shit in my car.)

I’m pretty sure the neighborhood I’m moving to would be unappealing to the fools upstairs. It’s family oriented. It’s quiet. You have to join a HOA. It’s in a residential area, so no bars/clubs/liquor stores nearby. I can’t wait to go out on MY porch, without seeing somebody’s shit on it, open a beer, and just chill. Maybe work or read out there, knowing that nobody’s touched my smoker.

I guess I have a weird reverence for people’s space and personal property. I won’t even let my friends who visit park in their driveway - they either park in mine (I move my car) or I direct them where to part. If my washing machine’s broken, I’ll fix it rather than bum a wash off their machine. It’s the principle, I guess!

26

[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow]

My new neighborhood in Austin has a HOA, which my dad warns me about, but they have rules like “No loud parties after certain hours,” and “no cars parked on the street overnight.” My mom heard this and asked if there was a parking lot nearby. To which I replied, “In what circumstance can you imagine six people with cars overnight at my house?” (My parents and in-laws live in Austin as well.) They also have rules about picking one’ garbage can up after the dump truck comes by. Here, on the other hand, my neighbors do not secure their trashcan (I bought a $5 chain at Home Depot and wrapped it around the standpipe), and if it’s windy, I can usually find their can rolling around in the street.

[/QUOTE]

I’ve never lived with a HOA, but everything I hear from my American friends who do is pretty negative.

While these things are in theory a great idea, in reality the sort of prople who gravitate to running them apparently have a tendency towards jack-in-office pettiness - minding other people’s business excessively and sometimes irrationally.

Fact is, most homeowners do all that stuff (take out the garbage, cut the grass) out of a sense of pride in their home, without any association telling 'em too. Certainly my neighbours do. Part of the joy of home-ownership is being the lord of your own domain - I’d worry that such an association would be intrusive.

Again, that’s all second-hand.

27

[QUOTE=Malthus]
I’ve never lived with a HOA, but everything I hear from my American friends who do is pretty negative.

While these things are in theory a great idea, in reality the sort of prople who gravitate to running them apparently have a tendency towards jack-in-office pettiness - minding other people’s business excessively and sometimes irrationally.

:snip:

I’d worry that such an association would be intrusive.
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Depends on the association. Our condo owners’association is run pretty well; their meetings are pretty much open for any owner to observe and there’s an annual election so being on the board year after year isn’t guaranteed.

28

[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow]
We had friend over, and we heard your shouting, then fistfight break out, all in time to see you throw cans of paint at each other.
[/QUOTE]
Sounds like a domestic violence call at Jackson Pollock’s house.

29

It really does depend on the HOA. Some are run by people with common sense and logic, and others are run by people who like their tinpot dictatorship powers (“Your grass will be exactly 3 inches tall at all times. These are the two types of flowers you are allowed to plant in your front yard. These are the shades of beige you are allowed to paint your front porch.” etc.)

30

[QUOTE=Lute Skywatcher]
Complaining doesn’t always work. Back when I was renting, the nice, quiet lady in whom I knew prior to my moving in moved out of the apartment under mine and some new parents moved in. I hardly ever heard a peep out of the baby but somebody down there snored all night and had habit of vibrating my floor with their stereo all afternoon. I complained to them, the cops, and the owner but this shit still went on for 12 months.

One particularly bad day, after calling both the owner and the cops, the woman from #7–apparently friends with the new parents in #1–complained at me for my complaining about the new parents! A few minutes after this I got a call from the owner accusing me of telling #7 that the owner was the one who called the cops!
[/QUOTE]
Sue the landlord.

31

[QUOTE=Zambini57]
I know you qualified your statement with “more likely”, but I get bothered when I hear that apartment dwellers are wannabe but cannabe homebuyers usually due to employment issues.

I don’t know where some of you have been living, but I have been in apartments for most of my adult life, and except for my very first apartment, where I took what they gave me, I have not had a problem in 17 years.

It’s just a matter of visiting several apartment complexes, telling the management what you want and getting put on a waiting list if it is not immediately available.

My first apartment was on the middle floor with units on both sides and there were some noise problems. Subsequently, when I looked for another, I told the managers that I wanted top floor, corner of building and away from the common areas. Put me on a waiting list if you don’t have it now.

So, my apartment living life has been a pleasant experience. I like the convenience. Sure, it’s a waste of money but I am single so the money I save in other areas balances it out.

Niether I nor my neighbors are scum. I have been employed with the airlines for 20 years. My neighbors include pilots, single professionals. My downstairs neighbor has her doctorate.

Some people just don’t want houses. If you’re single, what are you going to do with a 4-bedroom house?

I don’t buy the whole, if you’re not a homeowner, you’re nobody. I could buy a 4-bedroom tomorrow, fill it full of new furniture and the latest electronic crap, put a new car in the driveway and pay for it all in cash. Then go out the next day and do it again.

I just don’t want to.

Rant over.
[/QUOTE]

Very well said.

I live in a two floor apartment above an art gallery. Two bedrooms, huge bathroom, great room, eat in kitchen, laundry closet and all the maintenance is taken care of for me.

I used to own a house. Got rid of the damned thing. Unless you are willing to spend at least a half a million around here you cannot get even the smallest of single family houses you can only get a townhouse or a condo. The years I owned that house were the worst years of my life. I hate the maintenance - the furnace this, the roof that, mow the lawn, yadda yadda. And, don’t get me started on those neighbors I had.

I may decide to buy a house again in the future - but don’t assume because someone doesn’t own a home that they can’t own a home.

Rant over…

Congratulations, Hippy Hollow on your new home. Best of luck with it.

32

[QUOTE=shamrock227]

I may decide to buy a house again in the future - but don’t assume because someone doesn’t own a home that they can’t own a home.
[/quote]

I’m certainly not assuming that. What I’m saying is that the kind of person who can’t own a home is more likely to be someone who would make a bad neighbor.

In my old apartment complex, 90% of the tenants were perfectly good people who had chosen to rent because they were single, or retired, or whatever. But there were also a couple dirtbags that were very disruptive.

33

[QUOTE=Sattua]
Complaining does absolutely nothing, either. My experience is that if you write out a complaint to the management, you get no reply. If you call them, they take down your number for the “manager” to call back, and the manager never calls. If you go to the rental office to talk to them, they gasp and say that’s TOTALLY against the lease and they’ll do something about it RIGHT AWAY!, then do nothing, and three days later when you come back to ask what’s going on, they’ve discovered that there’s a loophole and they won’t do anything about it.

Police don’t care, either. If they can’t hear it outside the building they REALLY don’t care–never mind that the sound travels from unit to unit inside the building. If they can hear it outside the building, they’ll knock on the door, making fun of the “prissy neighbor” who called them about the noise, everyone will laugh, the police will go away and the noise will continue.

If you talk to the neighbors, the reactions range from polite but empty promises, to defensive arguments, to screaming at you and following you back to your own apartment, then standing outside the door and continuing to scream until they’re good and ready to stop.
[/QUOTE]

Then break your lease and find a new place to live. Sheesh. Document the disturbances, document the letters to the landlord, document the calls to the cops. Then move.

I’ve got a file that includes every single contact I’ve made. You’d be amazed how much clout a tenant has that pays rent and utilities on time every month.

34

[QUOTE=Frank]
You’d be amazed how much clout a tenant has that pays rent and utilities on time every month.
[/QUOTE]
Those are the tenants the landlord wants to keep happy, because those are the tenants the landlord wants to keep.

35

[QUOTE=brazil84]
I’m certainly not assuming that. What I’m saying is that the kind of person who can’t own a home is more likely to be someone who would make a bad neighbor.
[/QUOTE]

I hate owning a house. I don’t like to repair broken appliances, I don’t like to mow the lawn, I don’t like to garden, and I don’t like to shovel snow or reseal driveways. If I pay someone else to do the ‘general maintenance’ parts of owning a house, then I’m going to come out behind living in an appartment. Plus, I only need three, maybe four, rooms total. (dining/living, bed, kitchen, bath) I have no need or desire to have extra rooms beyond that.

36

[QUOTE=Zsofia]
Luckily, we’ve switched from drunks to potheads next door and I couldn’t be happier! Peaceful people, the potheads. They even have peaceful parties.
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:cool:

37

[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow]
Our new home is in a community of professionals, nicely manicured lawns, little ladies and little kids riding bikes on the sidewalk.
[/QUOTE]
Be careful what you wish for here. After the first 20 times you damn near hit one (or they almost hit YOU) backing out of your driveway you may change your opinion of this bike riding utopia. God for bid you have to park a car in the street and watch as every 4 year old on the block tries to make a U-turn and runs into your car parked on the sidewalk. :mad:

38

[QUOTE=Frank]
I have never understood why people put up with shitty neighbors in an apartment. Complain! Complain to the neighbor, to the landlord, to the police.
[/QUOTE]
Because I’ve never had a landlord that has been interested in anything other than collecting a rent check.

Anecdote: We had a problem with a third roommate who signed the lease not fulfilling her obligation. After assuring us she’d be held responsible they give US the bill after 11 months. When asked for an explanation, their answer amounted to, “because you’re an easier target.”

39

[QUOTE=Cyberhwk]
parked on the sidewalk. :mad:
[/QUOTE]
:smack: Parked ALONG the sidewalk…before anyone gets snarky. :smiley:

/Triple post :frowning:

40

Why don’t they make apartments with really thick walls and advertise them as such?