If you live in an apartment, condo, or townhome with shared walls, you can expect to hear some noise from your neighbors. How much noise you hear depends on how noisy they are and how thin the walls and floors are.

In this story, one renter has had a couple of really noisy neighbors, but what’s currently bothering her about her neighbor is the sound of footsteps. She didn’t think it was too much to ask for the neighbor to wear slippers, but the neighbor is unwilling to cooperate.

After talking to the landlord, she’s even more fed up, so she has decided that it might be time to retaliate.

Keep reading for the whole story.

Neighbor above causes disturbance, landlord condones it.

Neighbor upstairs walks around barefooted. Kindly asked her whether she could wear slippers some weeks ago and she apologized and said she would be careful.

Unfortunately, the footstep sounds have continued since then.

Today I went upstairs again, but this time when I rang her doorbell, she called the landlord (I could hear her).

The landlord immediately came over in half a minute, and told me that he would handle it.

Her landlord took sides.

So, I went back to my room, and soon after he visited me. He basically told me that she doesn’t have to wear slippers.

Told him that it is disturbing to hear footsteps all the time, even when I am trying to sleep.

Was told that I shouldn’t be sensitive and that this is a shared apartment, so such noises are normal.

Was I being unreasonable by asking the person upstairs about wearing slippers to reduce the footstep sounds?

She’s pretty frustrated.

I am more saddened by my landlord, than the person above, though.

The landlord’s tone, body language and sarcastic laughs were condescending to say the least. As if my question was so stupid.

When it comes to reparations, he’s a reliable person, but when it comes to issues with other tenants, he is really dropping the ball, imo.

This is even worse than footsteps!

1 year ago there was a male tenant next to me who would hammer for 30~45m non-stop everyday around 8~10pm for 4~5 weeks, despite the contract saying that we, the tenants, are not allowed to do home reparations ourselves.

Sent my landlord repeated messages, and he would write that he would solve it, but the hammering never stopped until the tenant moved out.

It would have taken the landlord only half a minute to come over… anyway, at that time I was also told by the landlord that it is normal, because this is a shared apartment.

Really? So everything goes?

Moving is probably the best solution.

Well, I have come to a point where I feel that being kind and considerate are not important in this apartment, and you only end up being on the receiving end if you try to do so.

After seeing my landlord’s behavior, I will definitely move out when my contract ends in the summer, because I don’t want to give my money to such a person.

Just the thought alone gives me anxiety, but I am afraid that I cannot do anything else but to retaliate, because I am so sick and fed up of always being patient.

I am already playing brown noise and wearing a headphone, but sounds like footsteps and hammering are still getting through. What right does the person above have to cause me disturbance when I have done nothing to her?

She might be out for revenge.

For now, I will wait for a few days and see what the person above will do.

If she is kind and considerate enough to wear slippers, I won’t retaliate. But if the footsteps continue, then I guess I have no other option but to relatiate until I move out.

And if she complains, I will cite that this is a shared apartment.

She’s not sure how to get revenge.

Please tell me what you would recommend me to do. I am still a bit shocked and probably thinking more emotionally than rationally now.

If you think I have the right to retaliate, how would I go about that? Just bang the ceiling with a broomstick?

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It would be obvious to her by this point that I am doing this out of retaliation (and I wouldn’t be surprised if the landlord would come over in under half a minute to tell me to stop…), but I am mentally almost done and ready to go this route, just to give her a piece of her own medicine.

Please advise on how I should proceed from now on.

Let’s see if Reddit has any revenge ideas.

This person thinks OP is the problem.

Another person is on the neighbor’s side.

Someone who walks around barefoot weighs in.

I hope she doesn’t move to another apartment.

The comments definitely didn’t go the way OP expected! Instead of advice for revenge, she was told to back off.

Some noise is to be expected. Noise from walking seems like noise you have to expect. If the ceiling is so thin that you can hear her footsteps, it is what it is. I don’t think slippers would make much of a difference.

What does she want the landlord to do, tell the neighbor to stop walking? That would be insane.

Maybe slippers aren’t too much to ask, but it probably wouldn’t even make a difference.