We've all had the misfortune of having to deal with lousy neighbors, those self-absorbed morons that never stop to consider how their ill-advised actions affect others living around them.  It's bad enough if you are dealing with it in a neighborhood or subdivision, but it takes on a whole new level of grief when it occurs in an apartment building or other closed in setting.

When you live in an apartment, it's almost like being back in your college dorm;  you are literally right on top of, or beside, or under your nearest neighbor.  A certain amount of noise is unavoidable, and should be expected, within reason of course.  Your dog may bark, which is expected.  However, if your dog barks incessantly every night around 3AM, that is unacceptable.   Believe it or not, there are those who are so completely clueless that they think nothing of having loud conversations, or arguments, or other "interactions" that make noise (if you get my meaning) without ever stopping to consider that their neighbors have no interest in listening to any of it.

It is annoying, particularly in the wee hours of the night when you're trying to sleep and the people upstairs are up for their nightly running of the bulls (or so it sounds).  So what do you do?  Confrontation is a touchy matter even on a good day, especially in a situation where we feel our rights are being trampled on.  If you confront in a hostile manner, the situation is only going to get worse.  Rapidly.

The best way to approach any potential conflict is to be polite.  Be civil but firm with your neighbor, and explain to them about the noise and how it is affecting you.  There is always the very real possibility that your neighbor simply doesn't get it, he will appreciate your telling him, and work to keep things quiet, or at least less noisy.  If you aren't exactly enthusiastic about the idea of a face to face confrontation, a well written letter detailing the problem may correct the matter.  Make copies of any letters you send, as well as the dates sent, along with records of any confrontations.  This may prove very beneficial if you have to take further steps.

If the polite approach doesn't work, you may have to take a stronger stand.  Look at your leasing agreement, which every tenant must sign before they move in.  Most will have some restrictions on noise levels during certain hours.  Point this out to your neighbor.  Hopefully he will recognize that he has some measure of responsibility here and work towards a solution.  Now be advised, this doesn't always work.  I tried this approach with a neighbor and his response was to go out of his way to make even more noise and basically dare me to so something about it.  If that turns out to be the case, then you move on to Plan C.

Take it up to a higher authority….your landlord or rental office.  You should be able to explain the problem as well as offer substantial proof that you have taken all reasonable steps to address it.  You may also want to speak with other neighbors to see if anyone else has or have had similar complaints with this person.  Some people are just not comfortable with the idea of coming forward alone. The landlord has much greater influence over the troublemaker than you will; specificall, he can evict him at any time.

Remember  you can always call the police if none of these options have any effect, and many apartment complexes have courtesy officers on duty that can be reached after hours by calling the main office number and speaking with the answering service.

Your final option, while not ideal, is to admit defeat and look for a new place to live.  It is a time consuming and troublesome task, but at the end of the day, being able to live in relative peace is a worthwhile goal.