Apartment living comes with an unwritten agreement: you’re going to hear your neighbors occasionally, and they’re going to hear you. Unless someone has discovered how to make an entire building soundproof, a little everyday noise is simply part of the deal.

But one pregnant woman says her upstairs neighbor seems determined to turn even the most ordinary household activities into a major disturbance.

She and her husband moved into their apartment about six months ago, hoping to settle into their new home before welcoming their baby.

Instead, they’ve encountered some rather unusual complaints.

One neighbor initially seemed convinced they weren’t supposed to be living there. Fortunately, that misunderstanding was resolved.

Another neighbor, however, has apparently made a habit of yelling about the couple’s supposed noise violations, even when they’re doing little more than relaxing at home.

And his complaints have become increasingly personal.

From reporting the woman’s pregnancy-related vomiting to accusing her husband of smoking inside the apartment, the neighbor has left her wondering what he’ll find objectionable next.

With a newborn on the way, she’s understandably concerned that the situation could get considerably worse.

Upstairs neighbor seems unhinged

Moved about six months ago and some of our neighbors have been super weird.

There was this one old guy upstairs who we could hear yelling about us, saying stuff like “they’re not supposed to be here!” I guess he thought we were squatters?

Idk what his deal was but we worked it out with him.

Hmm, off to a strange start…

This other one though. We live on the ground floor in a pretty large (if dumpy) apartment. He is also on the floor right above us, just in a different apartment than the old guy.

We can hear him screaming about how we’re loud during times that we’re quite literally just relaxing and ready to go to sleep.

I’m pregnant and one time I puked so violently that I pissed myself a little, and my landlord immediately texted asking if I was okay because he complained to her about hearing me puke (I do not think that went over well with the landlord as she’s a friend and a sweet person with multiple kids).

Oof.

It was like 3pm too so not an unreasonable time to be puking, if such a time exists.

But now the neighbor has been yelling about how my husband is “smoking something down there” and how it’s dangerous because I’m pregnant. He is not smoking in here!

This is especially concerning to me because what if he calls CPS or something once the baby is born? Also I cannot imagine how emotional he’s going to become over normal newborn and toddler sounds. And again, we are downstairs from him, so whatever he is hearing can’t be that terrible, if it’s even coming from us.

Now lies are involved!

We’ve had other issues, like someone calling code enforcement over illegal construction over minor home improvement stuff.

My husband built several pieces of furniture for us, so yeah there were occasional little projects happening, but the only tool used was a drill, and it was always during the day.

The neighbor has started doing things like running a vacuum at midnight or later, which doesn’t bother us because we are usually up late, but it’s clear that he’s trying to disturb us.

How painfully annoying.

I moved here from a neighborhood known for nightlife and it was loud as hell. Parties on the weekends in several units and a train line right outside all of our windows. No one was ever complaining about noise, so this is new for me.

I swear to god I’m not being loud. I haven’t even played music in here once since moving in, I haven’t had friends over, I don’t have a dog, like I have no idea what to do to be quieter.

I’ve also been under a ton of stress due to poor health and being pregnant, so I’m not super active.

Surely you have done nothing wrong.

I’m just wondering if I should go speak to him or something.

But what should I even say? “Sorry for being loud” doesn’t seem right because I don’t feel that I am.

People in this building and neighborhood have been less than welcoming to us so it’s making me nervous. Any advice on how to address this?

The woman’s frustration makes sense, particularly because several of the complaints involve ordinary activities that are difficult, if not impossible, to prevent.

Nobody should have to apologize for getting sick in their own home, and pregnancy-related vomiting certainly isn’t something a person can schedule around a neighbor’s preferences.

The smoking accusation is more concerning. If her husband genuinely isn’t smoking inside the apartment, it’s understandable that she’d worry about false reports once their baby arrives.

However, a neighbor making a complaint doesn’t automatically mean child protective services would take action. The existence of a complaint and evidence of an actual safety concern are two very different things.

It’s also worth acknowledging that sound travels unpredictably through apartment buildings. The neighbor might genuinely hear more than the couple realizes, even if they’re not doing anything unreasonable. And while the late-night vacuuming feels retaliatory, his intentions aren’t certain.

Rather than confronting him while tensions are already high, the woman could start documenting incidents, including the dates, times and nature of the accusations. She should also keep her landlord informed, particularly if the neighbor continues making claims that she believes are false.

A calm conversation might eventually help, but she isn’t obligated to approach someone whose behavior makes her uncomfortable.

The goal shouldn’t be to prove that her household never makes a sound. It should be to establish that ordinary living noises aren’t grounds for constant accusations.

After all, with a baby arriving soon, the couple has enough to prepare for without feeling as though they’re being monitored from the apartment above.

This person has some good advice.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man who finds his parking spot at a hocket game in jeopardy from a rude driver.

This person has a good point.

And this person says to put on a sound machine and call it a day.

The baby’s first cry might be his next formal grievance.