- A neighbour was debating whether to leave a note to the person upstairs
- Read more: Tenant sparks feud with landlord over neighbour’s complaint
A neighbour has faced backlash from hundreds online after debating whether to leave a note in their noisy neighbour’s letterbox.
A Reddit post quickly caught the attention of users as one apartment dweller shared their dilemma: whether or not to leave a note asking their upstairs neighbour to vacuum a little later in the day.
The vacuuming typically occurs at 9am and the noise disrupts the person’s ability to rest after working late shifts.
‘I work from 2.30-10.30pm so I don’t wake up until about 11am or 12pm. Hearing a vacuum at 9am is an amazing alarm clock if I wanted it to be,’ the Redditor wrote.
‘I tried knocking on her door and ringing her door bell a couple times but she didn’t want to answer so I’m gonna leave this note.
‘Who thinks I’m being too much with the note and who thinks I should make adjustments?’
While the handwritten note was polite and reasonable, some argued whether it read as passive-aggressive.
Others were more sceptical of whether the vacuuming time needed to be adjusted at all, with some commenting that 9am is a reasonable time to vacuum.
The full-page note detailed the context and politely asked if the vacuuming could be done later in the day.
‘I wanted to ask if you could keep us in mind when you are vacuuming (9am). I do work later shifts so that means I wake up a bit later than most people,’ the note read.
‘If you can please vacuum a little later in the day I would greatly appreciate it. These cleanings and floors are very thin so I understand if there are a few loud noises coming from above. The vacuum just sounds like a tornado going through my room at 9am.
‘Again, just please keep us in mind and if we are ever too loud then let us know.
‘Sometimes I wonder how well you can hear us; so definitely let us know when we are too loud. Hope you guys have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.’
Some thought the note was completely unnecessary.
‘I mean honestly, it’s outside of quiet time. It sounds harsh but she shouldn’t have to adjust her schedule outside of quiet hours because it works with your schedule better,’ one wrote.
‘This is the kind of reason people generally don’t work night shifts, because unfortunately it’s harder to sleep in the day. Personally I’d suck it up and put earplugs in if you need to,’ another added.
‘It’s not like it’s 3am. People are so entitled,’ a third wrote.
‘9am is acceptable in most places. I’ve worked 2:30-10:30pm and currently work 10:30pm-6:30am and wouldn’t do this over someone cleaning at 9am,’ another wrote.
Others argued that leaving a note was a perfectly civil approach to resolving the issue without escalating tension.
However, others suggested that a simple face-to-face conversation might be more effective and personal than a note.
‘I would make it shorter like someone else suggested, but if I found out my neighbour works nights and I was keeping him up vacuuming I’d definitely pick a different time to do that,’ one wrote.
‘Living in an apartment does mean hearing other people sometimes, but it also means making compromises when it’s reasonable on how much noise you make. This is entirely reasonable.’
Another said: ‘Notes generally come off as passive aggressive and maybe their own schedule only accommodates these times for cleaning.’
One person suggested living with the noise.
‘I think you should not send that note. My upstairs neighbour cleaned and vacuumed every Saturday morning and blasted her music while she cleaned her entire apartment beginning at 8am. It was one day a week. Was it on one of my only days off yes. Was I thrilled? No. Is it part of living in an apartment building? Yes.’
Read more
- Can a handwritten note solve the chaos of living below noisy neighbors? Discover the woman’s polite yet dramatic plea to quiet the ‘frightening’ upstairs havoc!
- Are polite notes to noisy neighbours a futile effort or a necessary first step?
- Did this apartment resident take parking complaints too far with an aggressively worded note to his neighbour?
- Battling relentless noise from inconsiderate neighbors? Uncover why experts warn against writing notes and find out the best way to take action!
- Is a handwritten note enough, or did this tenant’s ‘passive-aggressive’ message cross a line?
