Updated about 3 years ago on . Most recent reply
new to house hacking
So curious if anyone has some good ideas. I bought a up/down duplex with a small efficiency that was added in the basement in St. Paul. Recently moved in when the top unit opened up. The tenant in the middle complained about the previous tenant and the one below them for being "too loud". When I didn't live here I essentially told them they needed to figure it out.. and that ended in the unit I'm in asking to move out early. Due to me selling my house and moving after 19yrs, I didn't have the energy to ALSO find new tenants so let them renew. (i know probably rookie mistake!)
Here's where I could use some ideas.. the tenant in the middle has now complained to me 2x about the other tenant in the efficiency (below them). There is a drop ceiling in the efficiency (and I'm actually looking at next yr adding a layer of drywall or sonopam to the ceiling) however, I explained to them that with the cold and a 120 yr old house that ambient noise can be a little more in the winter.
He texted me today to ask the person downstairs if they could wear their headphones (insert eyeroll on my part) since he's not sure he's the desired audience and sent me an audio clip of something he was hearing... Mind you - I can't hear anything in my unit and it was like 5pm. I responded "I can't require him to wear headphones in his home. I think there are a couple things that could help. You're hearing ambient noise that will come through any holes or cracks and sound louster. 1.) If there are certain places you are hearing it more loudly, like by your radiator or the entry way I can help you put the rug pad I bought under your rug to help muffle some of it where it seems loudest and 2.) I do have a small access panel I took down to get access to a pipe we can also put back up and that may not hep a ton but a bit."
Anyone deal with these types of things when you've house hacked? Help me with some other ideas.. I'm just getting more and more annoyed and their lease goes through halloween so short of just offering the nearest snowbank... any other ideas or others that have gone through this as a new house hacker?