14 Ways to Annoy Noisy Upstairs Neighbors Legally
If you live in a building where you have annoying noisy upstairs neighbors who do not respect other people’s privacy, do not worry. There is a solution for that too. Although you may not like it at first, figuring out how to bother your upstairs neighbors should be an easy task.
If you’ve had enough of your neighbors’ thunderous footsteps echoing above you, there are multiple ways to let them know you’re not happy with their behavior. However, rest assured; it’s all part of harmless mischief — at least from your perspective. So, let’s start!
Understanding Local Noise Regulations
Before you address the issue of your annoy noisy upstairs neighbors legally, ensure you’re well-informed about your rights. If they consistently blast the TV from 7 a.m. each day, even on weekends, you might have grounds for complaint.
Noise should mostly be avoided before 10 a.m. during weekends. Thus, it’s completely reasonable to have a calmer atmosphere during that time.
The laws of your local community typically specify periods of peace and quiet, although these could change depending on the day of the week or during holidays. Noise might be classified as a nuisance if it surpasses a certain decibel level. Therefore, it’s worthwhile to check with your local government body to see if these rules apply to your place, also.
Realted Article: Are Landlords Responsible For Soundproofing?
14 Ways to Annoy Your Upstairs Neighbors Into Being Quieter
If you’ve had enough of everything and want to let your upstairs neighbors know to be quiet, don’t worry. We’ve come up with 14 ways you can do just that. It is up to you to choose the one that suits you best.
1. Bouncing Ball
You realize you haven’t spent quality time with your little nephew recently, so you arrange a fun-filled afternoon with them at your place. You suggest they bring along a ball so you can play at a local park, even though you don’t mean to go there.
They show up, eager to dive into the fun. You inspire them to toss the ball on the ceiling as much as possible, turning it into a full-blown contest by motivating them to cheer each time they make score a successful hit.
2. Smelly Home Food
We’ve all been there – that horrific smell of overcooked cabbage that seems to seep into your skin and saturate your kitchen.
First, open your home windows, and grab a few cabbages that are a bit past their prime. Call a few friends and ask them to help you cut the cabbages into pieces, then put all of that in the boiling water. Once some pieces have turned mushy, scoop them out into bowls and place the next batch into the pot.
Remember to keep all windows open so your sound-loving upstairs neighbors can smell that terrible smell in the scent adventure with you. The leftover cabbage mush can be donated to some dog shelters as an addition to their usual food.
For those who didn’t know, durian fruit is famously known for its harsh smell. Purchase one from your nearby market and place it right next to their doors as a surprise greeting.
3. Use Home Speakers
If you have slightly better speakers in your apartment, it’s time to use them and show the neighbors upstair that you too can make noise when needed.
However, you can place a stack of books on the bookshelf where the speakers are located. Place them so they are towards the ceiling, and find some irritating music and play it. Next, turn up the music as much as possible so that even you can hear it through the headphones.
Your entire apartment will start vibrating due to the loud noise, but it works wonders when they promptly lower their music volume.
4. Knock on the Door
If you tried knocking on the neighbors’ door in a decent way but did not see the result, try a different method. One way is to try to knock on their door in the middle of the night when they are probably sleeping because then you will get their attention.
If that doesn’t work either, bring a more solid object with you so that you can use it to knock to be loud. Wrap that object in fabric to ensure it creates a sound but unlikely to inflict any harm. The goal is that your neighbors hear you, but without inviting potential trouble from law enforcement.
Related Article: 5 Best Noise Cancelling Machines
5. Apply Petroleum Jelly
The thought of squeezing superglue onto their lock must have crossed your mind, but that would still be a step too far. Alternatively, applying petroleum jelly instead of superglue is already a much more reasonable solution.
Therefore, make sure to push it deep into the keyhole to prevent the key from latching properly. This creates a slick mess, making it hard for them to open or close the door without their hands smearing in the slippery goo. That way, you can teach them a lesson not to make a lot of noise if they have neighbors around who want peace.
6. Make A Prank Call
One of the ways you can make your neighbors have an unpleasant experience is by calling them in the middle of the night from an unknown (hidden) number and telling them to be quiet if they don’t want to be reported.
If you think they would recognize your voice, you can always ask one of your friends to make the call for you. I’m sure they’ll think about it and not make any more noise like they’ve been making so far.
Related Article: Can Your Neighbors Hear You Through Concrete Walls?
7. Hit the Ceiling
You’ve hit the breaking point and need to find a solution for your raucous upstairs neighbor. By standing on a room couch, you can conveniently tap the ceiling by using some object. There’s a certain satisfaction in establishing a rhythm as you continually strike the ceiling with your improvised ceiling knocker, hopefully causing enough discomfort for your neighbors to take note.
9. Use Frequency Generator App
The human ear can detect sounds in the range from 20Hz to 20kHz, but sound waves at the lower end of this spectrum can potentially affect our well-being. Nonetheless, you can generate low-frequency noise that can irritate your lovely neighbors without inflicting any harm.
Find a playlist on your smartphone that you think will be the right choice for your upstairs neighbors. Next, download a freq. sound generator app with which you will be able to easily determine the volume and frequency on your phone. The low-frequency vibration should permeate their floor, potentially causing enough annoyance to make them aware of their noise and quiet down.
10. Use Electrical Drills
You talked with your parents, who know about the excessive noise upstairs neighbors create. Your dad proposes an ideal solution – using his power tool. You listen to him, find some object you can use to drill, and do that for a while.
Additionally, he loans you some additional tools, such as an electric drill, which you employ to handle a few minor do-it-yourself tasks in your home at very inconvenient times, such as early in the morning. This tactic is bound to irk your clamorous upstairs neighbors.
11. Use a Ceiling Vibrator
If you’re looking for an effective way to disturb your annoy noisy upstairs neighbors, consider investing in a ceiling vibrator (Thumper). This interesting tool is fastened to the ceiling and emits tremors that send vibrating waves to the floor. It features an adjustable rod equipped with a shaking mechanism at one end.
Simply turn it on by plugging it in electricity, adjusting the desirable speed, choosing the setting, and pressing it against your ceiling. The persistent vibrations should start to bother your upstairs neighbors as soon as they feel the disturbing vibrations coming from the floor below.
Related Article: Ceiling Vibrator: A Gadget For Noisy Neighbors
12. Bowling Ball
You must be familiar with the bowling ball from your younger days. If you have one such ball at home, now is the time to use it. You remove the rug from your hardwood hallway and call your friends over, who construct an impromptu pin set using empty beer cans.
You then delight in rolling your bowling ball at the makeshift pins, creating as much racket as you can. The noise created will undoubtedly create an irritating sound through the ceiling, invading the tranquility of your upstairs neighbors’ apartment.
12. Use Steel Barrels
If you have steel barrels in your apartment, you might be able to use them to let your neighbors know that they are making a lot of noise. Simply turn them down and roll them on the floor. They will make such a noise that the neighbors will wonder what you are doing downstairs.
They’ll be left scratching their heads about what you’re up to and may conclude that being loud isn’t a good neighborly trait. Although you lay a plastic sheet to safeguard your floor, the noise is still loud and highly irritating.
13. Tap the Radiator Pipes with a Metal Spoon
An unexpectedly effective yet harmless approach to handle annoy neighbors is by tapping your radiator pipes with a metal spoon. The vibrations can reverberate throughout the entire heating system, producing a distinct, rather unusual noise that can be heard by those residing above you.
This method is not only perfectly legal but also unlikely to cause any real damage. It’s simply a gentle nudge, a reminder for your upstairs neighbors that you can make noise, too, and are seeking a bit of peace and quiet in your own space.
14. Talk With Your Noisy Neighbors
If, after all the tricks and methods you have tried, you still have problems with your noisy neighbors, it is time for the last option. You choose to address them directly, as their constant din has become unbearable. We recommend using a Noise Recording Device to document their incessant noise as proof.
Engaging in a physical altercation is not a plan here, but you want your neighbors to know that you are not some kid who can be pulled by the nose and make it clear that their continuous noise is unacceptable.
This might not promote the best neighborly interactions, but that way, you’ll be sure that you’ve done everything you can to let them know to be quiet.
Final Thoughts
Living under annoying noisy upstair neighbors can turn your everyday life into a nightmare. Sometimes they might be unaware of the amount of noise that they create, while some simply don’t care about the discomfort they inflict on others.
It’s wise to avoid immediately getting into an argument and letting them know that what they are doing is not okay. However, stronger actions might be necessary if normal discussions don’t give results.
In any course of action you take, ensure it’s within legal boundaries, as you want to avoid breaking the law. If nothing else works, you might have to consider moving out and letting someone else manage noisy upstairs neighbors.
