September 28, 2026 at 6:35 am

Upstairs Neighbors Are So Loud The Ceiling Rattles Downstairs — Now The Tenant Is Considering A Lawyer

by Jayne Elliott

couple upset with noisy upstairs neighbors

Shutterstock

Imagine living peacefully in your apartment for quite awhile, but then the upstairs neighbors move out and new neighbors move in. What would you do if these neighbors were so loud that your ceiling rattled?

In this story, one renter is in this situation, and she’s thinking about suing. However, she’s not sure if it’s worth the time, money and effort.

She doesn’t really want to move. She just wants to live in peace and get the excessive noise to stop!

Keep reading for all the details.

I think I have a case for a lawsuit, what next?

We got new upstairs neighbors the same month we renewed our lease for another 12 months.

It’s been 2 months of absolute hell with no help from the leasing office.

The prior year we only heard occasional noise.

This is awful!

The stomping starts from 6-6:30 a.m. and goes until at 10-12pm.

Half the time it’s so heavy that it rattles our ceiling.

I don’t know if it’s our fixtures or our ductwork but it is a metallic rattling that is literally impossible to ignore.

My life is noisy, I can block out moderate footsteps but this is beyond that.

She’s trying to gather evidence.

I’ve been gathering video evidence but it’s been difficult. My security camera only picks up the louder rattling which according to the event log happens at least 5-10 times an hour. It doesn’t pick up the mild rattling or heavy footsteps, which is obviously more frequent.

I can occasionally catch it with my cell phone, but my apartment has to be completely silent for that to happen. Even the most subtle background noise like the fridge or a fan will drown it out when I’m trying to catch it.

The times I do catch it, it’s hard to get a point of reference of how loud it actually is.

I’m going to modify one of our wise cams with a hardwired muc to get better evidence but I do have several hours of their egregious nonsense so far.

She wants to hire a lawyer.

I’ve tried calling two local lawyers that’s supposedly work with tenancy problems but they have yet to return my call so I don’t know who I should be calling or how to start this.

I have SO MANY QUESTIONS.

I’m wondering if this is worth taking somebody to court. We can break our lease with a nominal fee but this has stressed me out so much that I’m out for blood.

These people are inconsiderate and the leasing office is gaslighting me and it’s ticking me off.

It’s affecting her mental health.

My anxiety from trying to ignore what i can and trying to record what I can’t ignore when it happens is just sending my mental health spiraling.

It’s even making our sweet dog anxious, which makes me want to go scorched earth.

If anyone has any advice whether it’s who to call or what equipment to use to get better recordings or ways to strengthen my case I would greatly appreciate it.

She needs advice.

I would especially love to hear from anyone who has successfully sued.

I’m not expecting some big payout but if I’m going to go through this hassle I want it to be worth the effort.

I can’t handle another 10 months of this.

I also don’t think it’s fair to have to move to get away from inconsiderate jerks and shoddy construction. If I’m going to be so inconvenienced, I want it to hurt their pockets.

The timing is awful here. Renewing your lease at the same time new neighbors move in means a whole year of this nonsense unless she breaks her lease or finds a solution to make the noise stop.

Let’s see what advice Reddit has to offer.

This person offers steps to follow.

2026 09 23 at 2.47.34 PM Upstairs Neighbors Are So Loud The Ceiling Rattles Downstairs — Now The Tenant Is Considering A Lawyer

Another person has a question.

2026 09 23 at 2.47.41 PM Upstairs Neighbors Are So Loud The Ceiling Rattles Downstairs — Now The Tenant Is Considering A Lawyer

This person knows why the lawyers aren’t calling back.

2026 09 23 at 2.47.51 PM Upstairs Neighbors Are So Loud The Ceiling Rattles Downstairs — Now The Tenant Is Considering A Lawyer

But this person would move.

2026 09 23 at 2.48.13 PM Upstairs Neighbors Are So Loud The Ceiling Rattles Downstairs — Now The Tenant Is Considering A Lawyer

Moving sounds like the least dramatic and least stressful option. No, it’s not ideal. It may feel like the landlord and awful tenants won, but does it really matter? Isn’t peace of mind and protecting your mental health worth it?

Time to look for a new place to live.

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Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

Follow Jayne's adventures and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.