the man upstairs

When I first saw the thread title I thought it should have been under Religion/Spirituality.

My flat was built in the 1980's and I must admit the sound of people going to the loo upstairs has been a constant annoyance, especially at night. The echoing sound of a golden retriever wagging it's tail against the radiator of the lounge was also an interesting one for a couple of years. I don't think there's anything you can do except be grateful it's not loud music making the floors and walls reverberate - 3 years of that one while my daughter was studying was nearly enough to push me over the edge.

Play Status Quo very loudly at every opportunity.

At least your neighbour hasn't got prostate problems!!

How can you ask the person upstairs to flush the toilet when you are viewing a flat ?

Didn't you go and check out the noise before you moved? Ive always made a point of calling round to places before I move to test out traffic , noise etc?

Noise cancelling headphones are the way to go :-)

At one time I had 6 men living in the flat upstairs. Mornings sounded like Niagara falls, complete with accompanying farts.

Poor chap can’t help his bladder- perhaps he can hear you? Carpets won’t help that problem either, it’s to do with the plumbing. If you have only lived there a few months you haven’t had enough time to tune out unfamiliar sounds. Give it a while and you will get used to them. Alternatively, find a newer flat, which will be better insulated. I live in a modern flat and I can’t hear a thing from the neighbours.

Can you change the rooms around so that your bedroom becomes a livingroom and you sleep in another room? If moving the furniture is too much for you, ask for his help! While chatting, you might be able to hint at why you are shifting things around - or even tell him outright. He probably has no idea that his smallest move is audible to you, in fact he could be mortified enough to get some carpets.

I'd guess he doesn't have carpets, so yes you hear every noise, it's one of the many things I dislike about flats.

I heard the same things when my son lived in a flat - not very nice. I slept on a fold-out bed in the living room and frequently heard the chap upstairs clomping about; often the noisy walking would end with an equally noisy visit to the loo. I assumed a) that he had solid flooring not carpets and b) lived alone so that he didn't close the bathroom door. My son couldn't hear so much from the bedroom.

Oh dear, I do sympathise with you. However, I understand from my brother (his wife snores) that you can get some really good earplugs now so that might be a thought for when you go to bed at night.

Agree with MissA

I bet that’s it, Anja, no carpets. We’ve taken ours up downstairs and if we’re down in the cellar we can hear everything going on above us. We decided to leave the upstairs carpets alone.

I don't think there is too much you can do about the noise of someone simply going about the business of living in their home.
My flat is the same; I can hear everything that goes on upstairs.

PS if you really can hearing him weeing then that’s not his fault. Suggested the place needs better sound proofing. Strange cos old houses usually quite solid.

Try and find out if he has carpet in his flat as that might absorb the noise,

Get a long-handled brush and bang on the ceiling ?