Thursday, December 19, 2013

Fostering A Positive Relationship With Fellow Renters

By Don Gleisner


As it seems to be the case with everything in life, there are upsides and downsides to living in a rented apartment. Of the potential issues a renter will face, one of the most likely will be an incidence of a dispute with a neighbor. While issues with neighbors in neighborhoods with houses aren't exactly uncommon, living in the close proximity of an apartment complex can have a tendency to build tension faster. If you've never lived in an apartment or condo before, what are some issues you should be prepared to face?

Most new apartment complexes have decent insulation in the walls. But still, since you'll be sharing at least one wall with one or more neighbors, there's a good chance you will be dealing with noise pollution at some point. Over time, it could grate on you if they consistently have the TV or music volume too loud, have rowdy parties or have loud "discussions". On the flipside, you can do your part to be a courteous and exemplary neighbor by doing your best to avoid making noise when others are likely to be sleeping.

Speaking of being courteous, having a positive relationship with the neighbors will make apartment dwelling more pleasant for all involved. When neighbors are willing to calmly discuss issues and compromise, apartment life can be so much easier. Granted, not everyone can be reasoned with, but you can at least say you did your part.

Parties can be fun, but if they get out of hand, they can cause a lot of problems. As a renter, you assume responsibility for the actions of your guests should decide to throw a party in your unit. It pays to be a responsible host and make sure the party doesn't disturb or offend the other tenants.

If you work an odd schedule, such as a night shift, and sleep during the day, you should be aware that it can be hard adjusting to life in an apartment. If you sleep during the day, you will likely be exposed to much more noise than while trying to get some shuteye, since the other renters will likely assume that everyone sleeps at around the same time.

Telling the other tenants about your schedule might help, but you can't expect them to go out of their way to accommodate you. They'll likely do their loudest activities when most of the other tenants are awake or out of the apartment. Unfortunately for night-workers, that time is often when they'll be sleeping.

That means you will probably be the one that has to adapt to the situation. You could probably invest in earplugs, or a machine to generate white noise to drown out noise pollution. Additionally, so that neighbors don't have reason to complain about you, it would be wise to avoid being overly noisy at the hours when the majority of people sleep. Doing your part to be courteous to other apartment residents can make the entire thing more livable for everyone.




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