I guess it was bound to happen.

It seems to be the trend at the Jefferson and the odds are against you.
The vacant apartment unit next door is no longer vacant. New tenants moved in a week or so ago and my evenings have been noisy ever since. The woman in this unit can be heard from down the hall. She speaks on the phone very loudly! Like the classic Spinal Tap line "This one goes to eleven."

I'm not sure what she was watching last night on their home theater but I'm pretty sure it was a heart-warming saga about a truckload of bricks being delivered. My evening from about 8:00PM to midnight was punctuated every three minutes or so by a thundering thud somewhat akin to a Steinway being dropped from the roof.

In all fairness I'm sure they have no idea how their electronics sound in my apartment because the walls here betray even the slightest sounds, however the way this building is marketed it seems that no one over 28 is considered for a unit which encourages clueless and inconsiderate behavior.

I really would like to stay at the Jeff, but it has so many annoying features. The first and foremost annoyance are the knuckleheads that the leasing office rents to. They should screen prospective tenants for the slightest sign of intellect. A minimum IQ equivalent to a bag of pork rinds would be good.

Here are some suggestions on how to deal with noisy neighbors from ehow.com. Think I'm going to try this soon!

Step1: Be direct. If the neighbors are too loud, just knock on their door and politely tell them that the noise is bothering you and why. Most people will understand and curb the noise. It helps if you've already built a rapport with the neighbors, but if not, now's the time to be friendly but firm. Next time you see them in the neighborhood, smile and say hi.

Step 2: Keep a log. If the noise continues or worsens despite the direct approach, keep written documentation detailing the time and date of each occurrence and how you handled it.

Step 3: Write a note to your neighbors and leave it on the door asking them one last time to keep the noise down and informing them that you'll be contacting the landlord and possibly the police if it continues. This way they won't feel like you're going behind their back or telling on them.

Step 4: Report them to your apartment manager and make a verbal complaint. If nothing changes, mail a formal written complaint. Be sure to continue keeping detailed documentation and copies of all letters. Also, record video of the incidents if you can.

Step 5: Call the police if the loud neighbors keep up the disruptive behavior. File a report. Keep filing them if you have to. They may be fined for disruptive noise.

Step 6: Pull out the big guns. If not even the police can deter your noisy neighbors, take them to court. The detailed documentation you've been keeping all this time will help prove your case.

Step 7: Move if you have to. Check your lease for "quiet enjoyment" clauses and check tenant rights associations to find out if you can get out of your lease. Get to a place with some peace and quiet, and be sure to talk to your new landlord to find out up front how strictly they handle noise complaints so that you don't end up in the same situation again.