Imagine renting your first place out of college. It might be an exciting time, or it could be kind of stressful living on your own in your first real place as an adult.
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In this story, one young woman is in this situation, and she doesn’t seem to have any trouble adjusting to adulting except for one thing. She’s dealing with downstairs neighbors who think she’s way too loud.

She doesn’t think she’s being very loud, but the neighbors are so fed up with her that they have the HOA’s lawyer send her a letter.

Now, she’s scared and not sure what to do. Keep reading for all the details and to see if you think she really is being too loud or if the neighbors are overreacting.

Just got served a letter from the HOA lawfirm courtesy of my downstairs neighbor…..for walking in my rented condo.

I’ve been renting this 1 br condo sinch March. Two floor building, I’m on the top. Downstairs neighbors moved in around early May. They own the condo.

I was courteous since move in — I know the building is old with wooden floors.

I was having friends over for a get together (rare, I don’t normally entertain at my place since it is small) and so I left a note on their door with my # letting them know to text/call if there were issues.

Their complaint seemed reasonable.

They never seemed to have any problems that night and I never heard from them, but a few weeks later in late May I was moving furniture around in my bedroom at about 10 pm (probably not courteous, but it was a saturday and I wasn’t really thinking).

They sent me a rude text telling me to “stop whatever I’m doing over their bedroom”

So I apologized and stopped for the night.

One night, OP was up extra late.

In August I had two friends over and we were up late hanging and drinking in my unit. We weren’t being loud though.

I usually go to bed at 10:30/11, so my neighbors might have been surprised to hear me moving around in the unit at 3 am.

This was one time, in August.

They were probably louder than they thought.

They texted me and told me to stop “pounding around up there” lmao.

We quieted down and ended up just going to bed. Never heard from the neighbor since.

These were isolated incidents. I can’t even think of a time other than that where I was up past 12 AM in my apartment.

That escalated quickly!

It’s December now. I got a letter from a lawfirm that represents the HOA stating that my unit is breaching the bylaws of the condo association by distrupting the peaceful living situation for the unit below me “by banging and stomping on an ongoing nature and at all hours of the day, often as late at 3 am.”

I had no idea this was an ongoing issue??

I live alone, go to sleep early everyday, and I weigh about 100 lbs so I’m not throwing my weight around.

Here’s some more context about OP’s daily habits.

I do work from home here, but I’m mostly sitting at my desk.

I listen to music through my airpods only and tv is quiet.

Sometimes I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, so maybe that is the part referenced in the “ongoing issue” portion, but even if it wasn’t, I’m just going about my life?

So what if I had guests over once or twice. We weren’t tapdancing on the floor or anything.

OP needs advice.

I’m just worried that I’m not going to have enough evidence to dispute this and I’m going to face legal trouble/fines/etc.

I don’t really know how this works, this is my first rented unit after college.

Has anyone dealt with anything similar? Any advice, anyone know what to expect when dealing with an HOA law firm (did not expect that??)

Talking to the neighbors doesn’t seem to be an option.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the people below me don’t seem to be interested in talking to me.

They ignore me when I say hi to them in the halls, and seem to prefer to go through management for everything now after lodging their first two complaints through texts months ago.

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It’s fine, they don’t have to talk to me but I have been doing my best to be nice to them.

Well that’s unneighborly! Honestly, it does sound like OP has been loud several times really late at night, and getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night might be loud enough to bother the downstairs neighbors, not that that’s an issue OP can do anything about.

Let’s see what Reddit suggests.

This is true.

This person offers some advice.

Another person suggests gathering evidence.

I agree that the letter should’ve gone to the landlord not OP. The landlord could then contact OP about the issue, but she shouldn’t have to deal with this letter, the HOA or their lawyer.

Gathering evidence about the downstairs neighbors sounds like a good idea, and maybe get an area rug or something in the bedroom to try to soften the sound when she needs to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

I can understand being annoyed at noise at 3am, but the claim that it’s an ongoing issue is over the top.

If I were her, I’d reach out to the landlord and explain the situation.