r/Glasgow Tools

It's a bad answer but if you are renting then just move as soon as you can.

It feels like a lottery with flats as to whether there will be any soundproofing and what kind of neighbours you'll get.

I lived below a flat and I could hear every aspect of their life as they had wood floors and no soundprooding. Walking (sounded like stomping as they wore shoes indoors), full conversations, dog running around and barking, sex (only once a month), shitting, pissing., guitar playing..It drove me mental and I was out of work so couldn't move out. I actually did lose it once and bang on the ceiling but then tried to speak to them about the noise. They were kind of sympathetic but what were they going to do, stop living their lives, the landlord should have put down carpets of soundproofing but he wasn't going to pay for that.

If you are willing to discuss with your neighbour then that is the most you can do but if he isn't willing to talk or is in anyway threatening you could go to the police and contact the council but any action could take years by which time you probably won't be living there anymore.

If you are renting then speak with your landlord as he most likely knew about any problems with the downstairs neighbours. You could perhaps persuade them to let you out of your lease early if they didn't disclose this (this is what I did as the landlord knew about the problems and hadn't told me when I viewed the flat.)

If not renting then invest in some carpets and you'll find the noise both ways will reduce greatly.

The trend to wood floors looks great but plays havoc with any soundproofing. A carpet with a thick underlay actually works miracles.