the man upstairs

I think if he put some toilet paper in the loo first it would be quieter.

Good luck with asking him to do that.

I really don’t think confronting the elderly gentleman could possibly help. The next phone conversation you overhear may be along the lines of “ Ther’s a weird lady downstairs suggesting I don’t walk, talk or pee”
In my early twenties I lived in a flat below a deaf gentleman. Eventually I tuned the constant noises out. Although the theme tune to Starsky and Hutch still makes me wince. He used to come home from the pub and switch his TV (Video?) on at a very loud volume, usually five minutes after I’d dropped off to sleep.

Presumably you chose the flat because it suited your needs and you like the area. It would be cheaper to install soundproofing than move (that's if you own it).

I had a really noisy family living above me for a good few years.
It was awful, but it wasn't deliberate; they just were loud people, with loud voices, who liked loud music and played loud games with their loud toddler (who didn't sleep at night)
I have the quietest couple ever now. Even their baby cries in a subdued manner.

It sounds as if the problem is less your neighbour and more the building and its lack of sound insulation. Whilst some noise would be muffled by carpets, that's never going to sort out that you can hear him peeing (carpet in a loo - eew).

If the noise is intolerable, you're looking at either installing sound insulation or moving. Sorry.

Some people are noisy, some people are quiet. Problems arise when you get a noisy person living close to a quiet one. I live in a flat, and I can hear constant banging from downstairs.. every time they open a cupboard or drawer, they bang it...every time they walk through a door, they bang it. They have carpets and so do I but it doesn't seem to help. I have lived next to people who played loud music all day, so I'm just grateful they don't do that!

How I sympathise with you. I live in a first floor apartment in a modern block of 23 . When I first moved in a young couple upstairs complained that my TV was too loud and away stopping them sitting in their living room above mine. I moved my TV away from the window,as they said that was how the noise was disturbing them. If the y thought it too loud they did bang on their floor.Thankfully they have moved on and a very nice lady lives there. I still hear a lot of noise from there because there is no soundproofing. If her washer is on it sounds almost as loud as when mine is on. This was also a problem from the start. I can hear every move across the floor ,but thankfully not too much from the bathrooms. I hope you are able to sort out your problem as it sounds even worse than usual in flats.

Welcome to the reality of living in a flat!

If he were holding weekly loud parties I would complain but it's not his fault the building hasn't got sufficient sound proofing so his everyday activities are heard.

You have some choices I guess. Earplugs. Move. If you own the property and can afford it, get some soundproofing. If it's rented you could ask the landlord if they will pay for soundproofing.

I wouldn't speak to him though. Think how you would feel if you were made to feel uncomfortable about your everyday life in your own home. He has to use the toilet, he has to walk about and he has to talk to people and put his tv on.

I've been told that flat conversions in old houses are the worst for noise; certainly my previous flat (the basement of an Edwardian house) was far worse (I could even hear objects being dropped on the floor above me) than the 1960 maisonette I now live in (touch wood! - it may just be that I've been lucky with the upstairs tenants).

Soundproofing regs came in a few years ago for new-builds, the drawback is that the room height will be much reduced to allow for this.

It is obviously normal noise and not deliberate. I don't see what you can do except use ear plugs. The poor man can't stop using the toilet.

Blzzle it sounds from your description that he has a good stream. It could be worse if he was up and down all night with dribbles ?

I can hear my neighbour's phlemn clearance each morning; I'm sure they can hear my farts...

dbDB77 don’t dismiss a flat. Mine is a purpose- built ten year old flat with excellent insulation and soundproofing. I live on the corner of two main roads, and am never disturbed by traffic noise. I don’t hear my neighbours either. I moved here because I wanted something future- proof. There is a lift if I don’t want to use the stairs, a walk- in shower in one of the bathrooms, a secure entry, and 24 hour concierge service. I have never felt so comfortable and so safe!

Earplugs?

There really cannot be any dispute if a person is making normal household noises, which he is.
It works on a live and let live basis.

Soundproofing is worth investigating - old houses often have high ceilings & room for a suspended ceiling packed with soundproofing material.
It must be very difficult & you won't want to cause dispute. This thread has made me rethink my vague plan for when/if I can't manage stairs & need to move - I'd thought a flat would be a good idea - but reading posts I'm not so sure now.

Erm...........he isn't peeing on the floor, is he?

blzlle
Sometimes I hear building work.i turn on the radio and listen to it.it can mask really annoying noise.

If you own the flat it might be worth considering insulating the ceilings. We did it to our house - used insulated plasterboard to do it - and the improvement in warmth as well as quietness was very good.

By the way I have lived in houses and I don't think it is any quieter, especially in a terraced or semi, as you can hear a lot through the walls. Outside people drive cars, rev up motorbikes, and talk loudly.
Unless you live in a desert you have to expect some sort of noise.

I live in a large old ground floor flat. I can hear people walking upstairs and flushing the loo, but no actual peeing etc. Their bedroom is above my living room/lounge/sitting room and their living room/l/s/ is above my kitchen. They only moved in a few days ago so I can hear furniture being moved about, but they do have carpets and things may get noisier, but as my flat is on the market I don't really care. I am up until well after midnight and its possible they may already be in bed while I am listening to the TV, so they may be disturbed by that.

When we were in the kitchen of the house I grew up in we could hear everything that went on in the bathroom directly above. I was so used to it I didn't notice. It was only when my brother brought his girlfriend home and she commented on the embarrassing noises that I became aware. As for your man upstairs I would say nothing. He would be embarrassed I'm sure.

I used to live in a unit with a shared wall between me and the old gentleman next door. While we could hear him on the phone we knew he was alright. One time we didn't hear him for a few days and my children who were young teenagers at the time were positive they could smell an unusual smell. Ended up ringing up his son and it turned out he was on holidays. After that he used to tell us if he was going away.

Find another place to live asap. That sort of thing can become a living nightmare.