Headphones, earplugs, white noise machine. Maybe she would be willing to try a thick rubber insulation mat, especially if you were willing/able to spring for it. Try at least one and then yes, management. Good luck!

Is there a window of time you could ask her not to use it, or can you let her know times where you are not around to try and contain her use to? Hopefully, she just gets sick of it once the initial blow of the cost wears off and it ends up in the corner.

Yikes, I'd be afraid that the floors can't support it if its making that much noise. If you can't settle it nicely between the two of you, definitely bring in management, she might not even be allowed to have it.

I can't imagine she's on the treadmill for more than 30-60 minutes per day. Maybe you could chat with her about a schedule for using the treadmill or at least agree to "no treadmill before 6am or after 9pm" (or something like that) . Also, I'd definitely ask her if she wouldn't mind getting the rubber mats that go under workout machines to help reduce the noise. Not only will it help keep the noise down, but it will protect her floor and her apartment as well. If your walls are shaking, hers are too. She'll want to limit the noise and vibration just as much as you do. If all else fails, talk to the management company. They have a vested interest in keeping all of their tenants happy. You're not the only one who hears the noise or feels the vibration. They may also require her to put down rubber mats to protect the floor.

I've dealt with this kind of person before, and I don't think there are any compromises to be had with this person. Her defensiveness means that she definitely has no intention of putting others above herself.

My suggestion is to eventually go to the management company. But before you do, you need to make sure that you've done all you can to resolve the situation. It makes you come off as the reasonable one, and you can actually say (and prove) that you have talked to the other tenant.

Type a very polite letter outlining your issues with the noises and the treadmill and potential solutions, like hours in which she can run on her treadmill, whether she could put a foam mat or a rug under the treadmill to dampen the noise, and whether she can move her treadmill somewhere else in the apartment. Tell her that you are not asking her to stop completely, but to compromise because both of you pay to live there.

Date the letter, make three copies and sign each one. Put one at her door and wait. If she doesn't approach you within a week and she keeps making noise, keep one copy of the letter for yourself and take the other one to the management company.

Do NOT just leave the letter; schedule a meeting and explain the situation. Present the letter and ask the management person to come hear the noise for themselves. When a person in charge hears the noise that the upstairs tenant is making, he or she will see how unreasonable it is.

Do you have a landlord or an HOA? I would talk to them and say that you've talked to her about it but were not able to reach a resolution. If its bothering you, it must be bothering somebody else. Maybe you can bring up the rubber insulation mat idea to them or maybe they will be able to say that there are certain hours she can use it

@ecochic - I think the only reason that wouldn't work is because they both work the same hours. The OP said she couldn't hear her TV over the thumping. It's probable that she's getting home and hopping on the treadmill before or after dinner. She's not making noise during sleeping hours; she's making noise during a time when people are watching TV or otherwise trying to relax from a day of work.

I had this problem in a past apartment -- except with a Wii! Is there possibly a different room in the apartment that she could use the treadmill in that might not be right above your main living space? Or maybe if you guys can work out a kind of schedule where she uses the machine (over your living room presumably?) during a set hour-long window or something? That way, at least you know when to expect it and when it will end? Maybe it will be during a time when you can be browsing online/not interested in a tv show?

In conclusion, that sucks and I feel your pain! good luck!
(also she probably will stop using it eventually...or at least in the spring? :/ )

If you cannot watch tv and things get knocked askew on the walls she's too loud. It sounds like the insulation between your apartments is horrible. Could you ask her to come down to yours and listen when you use her machine? She probably has no idea how loud it is.

I'd suggest that you go to the landlord together, has them come in and listen while she's at it and then ask them to pay for better insulation - whether that is carpeting or something else. If they refuse you can then ask that she is more considerate and if that doesn't happen - complain. Consideration goes both ways.

I think I should clarify my posts. I don't think asking her to set a schedule is a solution because there's still noise, BUT it should be included in the letter for the purposes of proving to the management company that you have tried everything in your power to offer a compromise (even setting a schedule and gritting your teeth while you tolerate the thumping). It sets you up to be the bigger person.

@alyse - she says she's in a studio, so I don't think so. I mentioned other "area" in the room as maybe a compromise so the OP didn't hear the noise as much, but on second thought, I don't think that will work at all. Studios are very small to begin with and people tend to lay them out in the same way because of space constraints. So her putting her machine in the "living room" doesn't help the OP because they're both in studio apartments.

I think Pi's advice is perfect! I like the idea of the letters, and also asking someone from management to come hear the noise for themselves. I can identify with your situation. Years ago, when my daughter was a baby, we lived upstairs in an apartment that that paper-thin walls and floors. We could hear EVERYTHING in the unit below, and they could hear us, too. One night the husband came upstairs and knocked on our door. "What in the HELL is that noise?" he asked. I was perplexed because all I was doing was rocking the baby...LOL ...I had no idea the creaking noise made by the rocker was magnified and driving them crazy! I can't remember what we did. I think we put an area rug under the rocker or something. I've been on both sides of the noise dilemma. I hope you can find a good, workable solution for both of you.

Depending on city codes, here in NYC it's about 70-80% of floor must be covered by rugs/ carpeting. If you are fine with her other noise you could always play this card.

Do not try and set someones schedule. No one likes to be told when they can have permission to do what they want when they really don't need it.

Tell her the noise is a problem and the vibrations are causing some small damage to items in your apartment. Offer to buy or pick out a thick rug or insulation mat to put under the treadmill. It will klll the soundwaves from the machine going down and virtually cut all the vibration to the apartment. Not only will it cut off the noise pollution in your apartment but hers will go down as well. It will really benefit her more than you.

Treadmills really shouldn't be used anywhere but on the first floor... damaged the floor to our house using it upstairs.

Forget about trying with her anymore. You've tried. Talk to management ASAP. Don't ASK if there are rules against gym equipment use at home - tell them in no uncertain terms that it is loud, inappropriate, interfering with your use of your home, and that they need to tell her it can't be used at home. Period. There's a reaons for gyms - equipment belongs there.

Unfortunately, this is common. I had some friends who did this to their neighbors. I was appalled. They padded and agreed to to start using their three big pieces of gym equipment above their neighbors bed before something like 6 a.m. When I suggested that if the use of the gym equipment was noisy to their neighbors, maybe it means it didn't work out well in their old building, and should use a gym instead, they were incredulous. I was appalled. People are selfish.

Stop being nice - go ballistic - she isn't listening to you - maybe she will listen to management, if you can them to take it seriously and enforce the ban. I haven't had this particular noise problem, but I have had neighbors who did incredibly ridiculous noise things that caused me sleep issues, and their attitude was the same. They don't listen to nice or reasonable complaints. At least you have a management company you can get involved here. Stay on them - they have a responsibility to you to deal with this.

I think Pi has pretty much covered it and I recommend following her/his suggestions. I would add that a loud exercise machine is not that much different than loud music and that is an acceptable grievance. Noise is noise and her expense does not justify disturbing you.

My mini washer creates a version of this problem. I have made attempts to muffle the sound and vibration and try to do laundry when she is not home. Not always possible but I never do late night laundry. Why do I try to accommodate my neighbor? It's just the right thing to do. And someday I might need something from her.

My fiancee used to run on a treadmill in an upstairs bedroom, and the noise is unbelievable! And the shaking, etc. We got rid of it because I really was afraid the damn floor would cave in one day - it's a HUGE amount of pressure and weight.

The other commenters are right about getting the management involved (you already tried to talk to the neighbor), and about being as rational-sounding and courteous in your letter as possible.

I'd add one thing, though - stress the fact that you are afraid it is damaging their building, and that treadmills are only meant to be used on ground floors. THAT is going to go way farther with them than your being bothered by the noise. Schedule a time when they can witness it in all its awful glory, and put something precious where you know it will get knocked over with the vibrations. And during that visit, stress not just the noise, but the vibrations, shaking floors and walls, question whether the ceilings are specified to bear that type of load repeatedly, etc. Raise the specter of how costly a disaster it would be if it ended up damaging the structure. Make them very uneasy about letting their tenant do that to their building! :D

It's a bummer for the neighbor, but I've heard that noise in my own house, and it's just not within the realm of acceptable noise to subject your neighbors to.

whoops, I meant to say something PRECARIOUS! definitely not precious! :P

Could you also talk to the other adjacent neighbors and see if they can also hear/feel the machine? I'd think it would help when dealing with the offender and management.

I used to have an upstairs neighbor that started doing jumping jacks at 3am before going to do her morning paper route. That was when I said I would never live in an apartment again--fortunately I live where houses are as available as apartments.

Our neighbour has a heavy bag. He goes many rounds when he's in the mood. It's against our wall. I feel your pain. Agree about thick insulation mat, and talking to management, especially about potential damage to the building and even risk of injury.

I am with @textiles -- get management involved and don't ask - tell them - treadmill has to go.

I've had a similar situation, except my neighbor upstairs worked a different work schedule. He would come home around 11-12 midnight and starts watching tv and play loud music. I heard his footsteps, his chair rocking, his cell phone going off, and him talking. At one point, he even had people over 2 in the morning to watch soccer and purposely played loud music to irk me even more! I even called the police to file a neighborhood disturbance and they never showed up. The neighbor upstairs even poured water on my door carpet the next morning so I slip down the stairs! I got the landlord involved but he didn't do anything about it. Sadly, to my conclusion, I had to move out!

Sorry, ear plugs don't help, even if you buy the plugs construction workers use. They will fall out.

She had to of known that it would be loud when she purchased it. Obviously, she doesn't care. I really don't understand people like this.

I'm the upstairs neighbor. I try to be courteous as possible. I'd love to do some of those high-intensity workout videos, but I don't because I'm sure the noise below would be substantial.

Go to the management company.

This happened to me when I was in college. Move out when you're lease is up, lesson learned, never live in the downstairs unit of a two or three story complex again :)

What in inconsiderate %$@#&!!! How in the world could anyone think it is ok to have a treadmill in an upstairs apartment?

This is ridiculous, fitness is a priority, as is your sanity, treadmill going is a silly statement.

Thick mats and agreeing to a time or something could be a workaround. Additionally, invite her into your home to hear the sound it makes with someone running.

If she says no, then I'd recommend a tape-recorder in your apartment to record how loud it is.

Document all that you do to try to resolve, then go to the management company if you must, but remember that she can make your life really unpleasant.

I would be VERY surprised if they can make a treadmill forbidden, but maybe under the guise of flooring they can insist it has a padded mat. If it was a very expensive treadmill, she should want to protect it with a mat to prolong its use.

Good luck, very frustrating.

Of course they can forbid it. Think of the weight of the treadmill itself and then the additional weight/force of a 100+-pound body. Shouldn't be anywhere but the ground floor.

Go to management or your super (in my case, that's who i end up bugging). I have a neighbor below who like to use a power drill, or hammer during the hours of 1 and 3 am. The upstairs neighbor has 2 cats who chase each other and knock things down between 5 to 8 am. It's been hell. I have given up being nice, and just complain to management or the super and it seems to have helped.

I think it's ridiculous to ask the downstairs neighbor to buy a mat/rug for the upstairs neighbor. If you are buying noisy exercise equiptment and live in an apartment building, you should be responsible for any accessories to minimize noise as well.

I would go to the landlord/management company. If you tried to compromise with her once and it did not work, I doubt a second attempt would be effective. As others have said, it could be a damage-to-the-building issue, which would definitely concern the landlord.

I live in an old brownstone. A couple of years ago my upstairs neighbor started jumping rope every date - everything would vibrate. The building really couldn't take it. I don't know if it was related but around the same time a huge plaster medallion fell from the ceiling narrowly missing my husband and taking out the top of a file cabinet and a window ac. I talked to the neighbor and he stopped immediately.

There's another older frame building around the corner that has a gym on the second floor. The treadmills there make deafening sounds and vibrate the bottles in the grocery below.

Involving the management company sounds like a good idea. Depending on the age of structure and the periodic frequency of the vibrations caused by the treadmill, they may wish to prohibit the use of treadmills.

We bought an elliptical this summer, and got a thicmk rubber mat for aobut $30. They are affordable. (Our machine is in the finished basement on concrete slab, so we got it to protect the carpet from wear and sweat.) I'd ask your neighbor to get one of those first, and if it matters enough to you, offer to pay for it or even present her with it and help her get it under the treadmill.

After that, I endorse Pi's plan.

@textiles, hostile behavior such as you suggest can lead to revenge. If the OP is reasonable, tries to find compromises, and eventually goes to management, it's less likely to lead to sabotage by the irate treadmiller than otherwise. Treadmills are expensive, and once purchased, should be used. One always hopes one's neighbors will be considerate, but being belligerant, even if you feel justified, is almost only going to lead to defensiveness and more anger -- and superglued doorframes or keyed car paint.

And ultimately, I also agree with trying to find apartments without such problems whenever possible.

I was a downstairs neighbor for years, and I shared your attitude that there was a certain amount of noise that is just part of living in an apartment building. But there's a flip side to that too, one which as a top-floor neighbor I'm now very aware of: living in an apartment building means there are certain things you just can't do because it's rude to other people. It's not a matter of doing them between certain hours or with notice or whatever; they're just off the table entirely, end of story. As much as some people say that you chose to live in a downstairs apartment and you have to live with the consequences, it's equally true that your upstairs neighbor chose to live in an upstairs apartment and has to live with the consequences of that too. One of the consequences is that she gave up her right to do inescapably noisy, disruptive things like running on a treadmill that causes that much commotion. Go straight to management.
I know that in situations like these, my concern is always whether I'm being unreasonable. I hope that the responses here are enough to persuade you that you're being perfectly reasonable, and what you're asking for is reasonable.
Good luck!

I feel your pain. I had the same problem and it sounded like the floor was going to give way. The good news is that most people lose interest in the treadmill soon after getting it.

My upstairs neighbor still has it but never uses it. It's possible that you might have the same luck I did.

That said, if she's just an all around bitch I would do the letter to her and then to the landlord/management. If you think she might be a reasonable person I would approach her and see if she's willing to come into your space and experience the horror herself. A normal person would take you up on your offer and would realize the noise is unreasonable.

It is more than reasonable to ask her to place a heavy duty mat under her treadmill - I say this as both an upstairs and downstairs neighbour since I'm living like the filling in a sandwich. I also exercise in my apartment, although not on a treadmill as that seems a bit over the top imposing for the neighbours.

I exercise on a rug that I then cover with heavy duty exercise mats. Finally, I try to only do it when my neighbour is out, or as early as possible in the evening. I also try to mix in some lower impact activities, like yoga, to give him a bit of a break. There really is no reason she can't work with you on the noise and still exercise in her apartment.

The part of this that concerns me is that the vibrations of the treadmill are knocking things askew. That's not good. I would be terrified the ceiling is going to collapse above me. Spending a ton of money on a treadmill when you live in a small apartment, especially one that's not on the ground floor, doesn't seem sensible to me. That money would be much better spent on a gym membership. I would definitely tell her, in writing, that the treadmill has to go and if she's still rude about it, go to management.

I would definitely NOT be hostile. Keep this all in perspective. You're the reasonable one and you aren't asking for much, just for the noise to stop. Being hostile does nothing but show that you're not better than her, and you're willing to be passive aggressive just like she could be. She would still be running on her treadmill and you'd still be annoyed.

Hello,
In my many years as a tennant I have experienced many situations with inconsiderate neighbors ranging from noise to granbage and pet waste. The landlord or managment company may be able to move you to a similar unit or insulate her floor. In some cases there is not much you can do about noise and the stability of the apartment you have chosen to live in. If your landlord has no solution then I would do my best to accept the imperfections of the individual you live below or move. The stress of being unhappy in your home and with the people who surround you will do you more damage then a few hundred dollars on a moving company.
Good luck

Invite your building manager over at a time when you know the treadmill will be used. The heavy pounding isn't good for the structure so you will be doing management a favor by letting them protect their investment. A treadmill needs to be on the ground floor, IF permitted at all. Maybe they could arrange an amicable trade with another resident, or with you if you are on the ground floor. On of the things you pay for when you rent is the concept of "quiet enjoyment" of your home. You aren't getting that, so even if you have a lease, you could probably move if you have to.

I agree with all the proactive people.
You are just a paying tenant as much as anyone else.
Remove emotion out of this situation entirely.
You approached her kindly, she was not. Next move, management. It's not mean its not harsh...its warranted. She would do the same to you.

Move on and get your relaxation time back asap. And maybe throw a party with some techno beats for a few fridays in row :)

I agree - do NOT be hostile. In my case, even being polite and apologetic about asking my new neighbors to be aware of their volume resulted in retaliation noise. Plus, if you do need to go to your landlord, you want to know that you were the better person in this. I would also look at your lease and see what it says about exercise equipment and/or noise. Mine actually doesn't say that we can't have fitness equipment, but my landlord is pretty laid-back. If your lease says that they can't have this, or if it says anything about noise levels, then that is something you can take to them.

In regards to the comments encouraging HELP! to look for future apartments that are on the top floor, being on the top floor doesn't always keep you out of these issues. I'm in a top floor apartment of a three-flat and for almost two years I never heard my downstairs neighbor unless she was having a party (which she always let me know about a head of time). She moved out over the summer and I hear my new neighbors almost every night. Sometimes it's a loud party, sometimes it's banging around, but even their conversations are loud enough that I can hear the whole thing. And it tends to be loudest as I'm going to bed. They even woke me up at 3:00 in the morning on a week night! I'm sure that they can hear my walking around some, so I've only asked them to keep it down twice when it was REALLY loud (the first time was a raucus party the night before our marathon). The second time that I talked to them the girl cursed at me (not to my face, I could hear their conversation when I got back upstairs), and then they got even louder. So, now they've gotten their way and I will no longer ask them to be aware of their volume, since that only made things worse. If it gets really bad, I will try Pi's letter advice, and then take it to my landlord, but at this point I'm resrving that for if it gets REALLY bad. I just put on music to fall asleep to. Besides, now when I have to be up for an early flight I no longer feel guilty about moving around at 4:00 in the morning! With my old neighbor I would tiptoe around my apartment and try to avoid the squeeky floor boards on those mornings, but now I feel like I can just walk like a normal person.

I know someone mentioned that she had to know how loud the treadmill would be when she bought it, but I will say that I would not have thought of that. I work out at a gym and don't notice any floor shaking from the equipment. If she was used to exercising on solid floors, it might not have occurred to her. Obviously her response was still rude, but I think her original purchase was more thoughtless than malicious. I was actually considering cancelling my gym membership and buying a used treadmill, but this has definitely steered me away from that!

I would go with a mix of the advice.

1) Send her a nice letter (so you have it in writing) saying that the noise and vibration is magnified in your apartment and you would like to discuss some mutually agreeable solutions.

2) Invite her to conduct an experiment in which you use her treadmill while she sees the effect in your place.

3) Come up with some solutions... e.g. a mat under her treadmill (research them online and offer to chip in for it) and/or acceptable hours for workouts (like ecochic said, unless she's a marathoner, there's no way she's running for longer than an hour a day).

4) IF she still refuses to talk with you, then go to Stage 2 - look in your contract... it may stipulate that no large items can be on the second floor (many apartments in California prohibit waterbeds and other heavy items above the ground floor); look at the local laws, and forward the letter to your manager with a note saying that she has refused to talk with you and you're genuinely worried about the integrity of the ceiling since her constant running is shaking things off your walls. Trust me - your manager will get involved ASAP if he/she thinks there's a chance of structural damage or lawsuits.

Good luck... and try to keep a level head. If you lose your cool or blow this out of proportion, it will be much harder for you to win your case.

Actually, I'd check out my contract now so you know your options.
PS.. I had a friend who dealt with the noise level issues by playing his stereo reallly loud in the morning when he got up to get ready to go to work... with the speakers face down on the floor so his annoying neighbors got the full effect..

Oh boy, have I been here. I lived on the top floor of a two story building. The people that lived below me when I moved in were very quiet. I heard some noise, but nothing to get upset over. And then they moved out. In came captain douchebag who liked to kick it dorm style. From the first night, the music was unbearable. Still, I tried to go the friendly route. It worked for a while, and then it didn't. Bringing him upstairs to hear the noise had no effect. So I finally went to management. That resulted in getting my car keyed twice. It is my number one complaint about the world. Inconsiderate people. Hooray for me, to hell with you. That's the attitude of so many people in this world. Unfortunately, the only REAL solution is to not live in an apartment. I realize this is not possible for many and I sincerely feel for you. I lived in that apartment for 8 years. I finally left when the building got bedbugs. But that's another story...

Good luck with this. She sounds unreasonable and very inconsiderate. :(

Record the sound, then use it to your advantage. You will have an undeniable record of what the sound is like - it can be played as evidence when dealing with both your super and neighbour.

I agree that she's an inconsiderate neighbour. We have downstairs neighbours and I don't do any kind of exercise that requires jumping out of respect for their right to peace and quiet.

Also, are you the only one affected by the noise? I imagine others in the building may be just as annoyed as you are? There's strength/safety in numbers. You could speak with other downstairs neighbours and go to your super together. This was you're not on the pin by yourself.

@funstraw You just made that up. There's zero "code" in NYC that you have to have 70-80% of your floors covered with rug. That just flat out doesn't exist. Can't understand why you'd make that up.

Have you even looked at real estate listings in NYC? They overwhelmingly have wooden parquet floors.

I had an upstairs neighbour who one day stopped me in the stairwell. She was concerned about whether or not I could hear her on her exercise machines. I could but she was very nice about it and I said it didn't bother me.

However, given your neighbours reaction to your request for compromise, I think you should spend at least as much on a drum set as she did on her treadmill.

Good drummers are hard to find. Practice a lot, preferably at 8 AM (or whenever quiet time legally ends) on a Saturday morning.

Agree with gooddog for starters, get the mgr & or super in to hear the noise; then at least you have a more objective aural witness so to speak. Also then you can gague said mgr/supers attitude whether they'll try to help you or have a 'don't care' attitude.

I certainly don't feel you should have to chip in any for rubber mats or other. Hope some remedy comes your way.

I should add, maybe check with your management company about the drum set. I would be a shame for you to get into trouble.

As an alternative, headphones might be a good idea. I have a set that attenuate outside noise by 32 dB, sound great, and weren't very expensive at all.

The concern I would have is your belongings shaking off the walls if your neighbour is running on her treadmill. That's unacceptable and I'd talk to the management company just out of concern for the building.

my building found a space in the basement where all occupants could put their gym equipment and work out there. No one under them so they could work out at any hour, with any amount of thumping!

I have a decibel meter on my phone. I have used it to prove noise complaints.
A video of objects moving on the walls, with sound and a dB reading should help,with management.

I'd like to add that if you do choose to send your neighbor a letter - don't leave it on her doorstep. Use certified mail. That way you can PROVE that she got it.

Um, call the landlord? Or your HOA? I had an upstairs neighbor who did the same thing. When I asked her not to use it after 8:00 PM, she got really mad at me. So what? They're the ones using a freaking treadmill in an apartment building.

i've unfortunately no pleasant advice, but my husband and i are in an almost identical situation and i have immense sympathy for what you're going through. we were told that our only neighbor in this building was an old single woman who rarely lived here...well.. turns out it was a middle aged mom with two incredibly noisy toddlers that pound up and down in their apartment, and play in the shared stairwell. our neighbor was incredibly defiant and defensive against us (the few times we brazened up to stand in our open doorframe and knock), so our only option is to pack up and move.......even before our lease ended.... but we decided we'd rather sacrifice the cash of temporarily renting 2 places and skip christmas this year if it meant we could live without the quaking. obviously not everyone can budget something that nuts, but if your lease is up or coming up soon, really ask yourself if this location is worth that much to you, or if a month of moving pain could save many months of headache down the road.

If things are being knocked from the walls, it means that the building itself has some problems. Just noise would not knock things around. The Impact of her on her treadmill is vibrating and shaking the floor and being transmitted to the walls. Add the sound of the thumping resonating through the floor and I see misery. The problem is that most floor joist spacing is designed around economy of building, not sound transmission. The common spacing of 16" on center is just right for maximum force and noise transmission! The only physical way (short of reframing the floor) is a impact absorbing padding, like Sorbathane. Expensive, but effective.

If you hear when she walks and is in the bathroom, she probably also hears every word coming out of your TV, but she hasn't said anything about that. She can't possibly be running for more than an hour a day, whereas your TV is probably on longer than that. I think you just need to put up with it. Maybe ask her to put a pad under the treadmill....I can totally understand that a woman would rather work out in the safety of her own home rather than running on the street. And a treadmill is probably no noisier than if she were doing zumba in her living room along with a DVD.

Check your lease terms! I work for a property management company and most places have noise violation terms in the lease. Whether it's quite hours to observe or fines. Some places don't (like the place I work at now), so check your lease and see if she is really violating something. If not, there is really nothing management can do. Someone posted earlier about offering to help purchase a rug or floor mat for under the machine to give some kind of noise buffer. If she's not into that...then give her hell! But whatever hell you give her, make sure it's not in violation of anything in your lease :)

I am also dealing with a loud, inconsiderate (downstairs) neighbor. Speaking with my neighbors did not work, and eventually they stopped answering their door when I came down. I had to speak to management multiple times and it wasn't until I let management know that I would be contacting the police from now on until the issue was resolved that things finally started to get better.

Before I had this problem myself I thought it would be very selfish to go to the landlord but after a while the noise/banging will fry your nerves. Your home deserves to be a place you can go and relax and not a place you dread being in because of such issues. If the problem does not improve within 1-2 weeks of contacting management let them know that you will be calling the police until the issue is resolved. If the noise is bad enough that you can hear it over TV and feel vibrations all over your space (same story with my neighbors who had their bass going all day and night) then the police should be able to come out.

It was really hard for me to do, as I consider myself to be a really nice person who doesn't like to make waves, but it sounds like contacting management is the best way to go.

"As much as some people say that you chose to live in a downstairs apartment and you have to live with the consequences, it's equally true that your upstairs neighbor chose to live in an upstairs apartment and has to live with the consequences of that too. One of the consequences is that she gave up her right to do inescapably noisy, disruptive things like running on a treadmill that causes that much commotion."

AMEN

"As much as some people say that you chose to live in a downstairs apartment and you have to live with the consequences, it's equally true that your upstairs neighbor chose to live in an upstairs apartment and has to live with the consequences of that too. One of the consequences is that she gave up her right to do inescapably noisy, disruptive things like running on a treadmill that causes that much commotion."

AMEN

This neighbor is infringing on your right to the quiet enjoyment of your home. Check your lease. My suggestion is to write a letter to your landlord stating this since it is a breach of your lease agreement. I wouldn't approach your neighbor again. I've lived in an apartment my entire life and this is one for the management company. Good luck!

You have the right to the "quiet enjoyment" of your leased premises regardless of whether your rental agreement specifically says it or not. Your neighbor may construe any further contact with her as harassment (infringing on her right to "quiet enjoyment"), therefore have the management company mediate the situation.

Before you go to management, talk to her about getting mats. They exist-- my father has a treadmill and he has them underneath. They not only help absorb noise but help cushion the bounce for the user, so perhaps you could frame it positively? Only if she is still uncooperative would I go the the MC. Usually better to work these things out yourself.

I would just go to the management company. If she had been the slightest bit apologetic when you first approached her, that would have been a sign that she's willing to do something about the noise. Since her response was defensive, she did, and will continue to, ignore your complaints. I'm dealing with a similar situation with some of my neighbors. Get the management company involved, and if the situation doesn't improve, continue to complain.

Apartment living does mean that one should expect to hear the noises of neighbors. It also means being respectful of others and mindful of how the noises in our apartments affect others. You've tried reasoning with her and she obviously does not care what her behavior is doing to your quality of life. I'd contact management and let them know specifics of what is going on. In most states your lease specifically addresses the need to be considerate of your neighbors...and if she doesn't care enough to be a good neighbor, maybe she will at least care enough to obey the lease and not get evicted.

So much good advice! I like the part where you have the manager in your place while she's on the treadmill... and also inviting her to be in your place while you run on her treadmill, to learn what it does.

There are laws in NYC use them. My neighbors are loud and annoying. Each summer they all migrate to the apartment above from the south. I have counted maybe 20 people at one time. They are rude loud and obnoxious. I pray they all get lost on the subway and cant find their way back to the apartment. But when most annoyed I use the broom to bang on the ceiling. Maybe I will call 311 and use the NYC laws...soon summer will be here soon.

What a cow. She could have got a stair stepper. I have no doubt she lived in a downstairs apartment before and now feels entitled. Rejoice in the fact that with every step she gets more wrinkles. (Runners get wrinkles).

Buying a full size treadmill to keep in a studio apartment seems bizarre. Unless, of course, your neighbor is a hamster.

@Rob Ungar

Can't imagine why you'd accuse @funstraw of being a liar when they were probably just mistaken about it actually being "code" when it is merely common practice. Even in a backwater town like Philly, it's normal for leases to require that some large percentage of hardwood floor be covered by rugs.

In either case, that most real estate listings in NYC feature wooden parquet floors wouldn't prove your point anyway, since the assumption would be that they will covered with rugs.

If the upstairs neighbor won't agree to using a thick mat or carpet section under her treadmill, either have the property mgr come over when she's using the treadmill OR if the property mgr won't do that (or you don't luck out on the timing), make a video of the noise and shaking on your phone and send that to the manager.

I had a similar issue with an upstairs neighbor who was on an exercise regimen some yrs ago. .. I couldn't tell what he was using, but I could hear what sounded like someone rubbing a balloon and making high-pitched squeak-squeak noises on it that were so loud I could hear them each morning, one floor down, all the way down the hallway and through 2 walls, into my bedroom. It totally unnerved my 2 cats, too.

When I asked him what it was (via email), he said it was his Wii exercise thingamajig (you can tell I don't know what they look like, LOL!) and I never heard the noise again. (He was a very nice guy. Since moved out to buy a larger place... unfortunately, he rented the upstairs place to a tenant with barky dogs. And now I think the guy's taken up a Wii, too -- but at least it doesn't make the same high-pitched nails-on-blackboard, squeaky balloon sound, so I just live with the vibrations and thumping for about 20 mins at a time on days when I work from home. Meh.)

I just want to ad that I wouldn't retaliate with loud noise of your own. Not only does that weaken your argument against your upstairs neighbor, but you don't want to be the one disturbing your other neighbors.

Um, realty? It's like an unspoken rule that you DON'T get a treadmill if you live above someone. Pretty sure this why the elliptical was invented. I would be a jerk and complain to the landlord/building management and make a fuss. Especially if things are getting wonky on your walls. What a turd.

"add" not "ad" - I really can't seem to type today!

@SkylarkMelody

The headphones I use are Sennheiser HD 280 Pro.

I live in an apartment building, and in order to avoid neighbor complaints, I have a rubber mat under my washing machine. Might sound strange, but this is a really think rubber (mixed with fabric) mat, that reduces noise and vibrations. Plus, I think it is pretty popular, because the guys at the store knew exactly what I wanted when I tried to explain...

Good luck!

@Rob Ungar
I'm sorry that I clearly upset you.
Yes it is just urban legend, but it is written into standard apartment leases. Since the lease is a legal document it might not be law but it is something of legal note. The participants have legal obligation to follow their lease.
I didn't just make it up, it's just common stuff up here. It's not written into the housing code but it is binding in most leases.

I once had a neighbor who lived beneath me who was a bar tender, so she would get home late (around 1:00 or 2:00 AM) and then stay up until mid morning. The building was very, very old and had extremely thin walls and her bedroom was right below mine and I would wake up to things like her coughing, etc in the middle of the night. This wasn't preferable, but also really that big of a deal until she found a new boyfriend and then.... you can imagine that it wasn't just her coughing that woke me up at 3:00, 4:00 and 6:00 in the morning every.single.night. It got to a point where I approached her and left a very awkward letter asking her that, if she was going to get busy, to at least be quiet and/or find a different time, room, etc.

It didn't work.

After a few more months, we finally had to go to our landlord to see if he could enforce some quiet time. He did.

It didn't work.

This was just a slew of issues we had with her (smoking outside of our open window, parking in our spot, not cleaning up her dog's mess in the parking lot, the list goes on), but what I learned from this experience is that, unfortunately, as much as someone is in the wrong, rude and thoughtless people will generally stay that way, no matter how many rules and regulations are imposed. I would most certainly try to work things out with the management; however, unfortunately, it may come down to you having to move if she is unwilling to be reasonable. That's what happened to me and I left an apartment that I loved but, in the end, that's life for you.

Whenever I read posts about apartment noise on Apt Therapy, I always scratch my head at the following two solutions/thoughts:

1) Move
2) Living downstairs means you don't have to be as aware of the noise you make as the one living above you.

Move - what if you move into another dysfunctional situation?
Downstairs - where are all these two story apartment buildings is what I'd like to know?? Just because you have an obnoxious upstairs neighbor, does not mean you are not yourself an upstairs neighbor to someone else.

id grab your super/owner/management into your place when shes on the damn thing. let him/her see it for themselves and explain youve tried to be nice. they will fix it. good luck!!