. . . the noise we've had to put up with for the past 2-3 months so far (with no end in sight). Right now, I'm not really liking our living environment thanks to the construction noise and inconveniences going on next door.
We're the second unit in an apartment complex. Think of a loaf of bread that is cut into four thick slices. The first 
slice faces the street and we're the second slice. The construction is going on in that "first slice" and we're not talking about just installing new carpet (although that is in the scope). Right now, the next door unit has been gutted to the wall studs (in some cases, the entire wall and studs are gone) and floor rafters. So far we've endured sledgehammers knocking down drywall, jigsaws cutting 2x4's, banging on pipes for removal, metal cutting tools on cast-iron pipes, and jack hammers for four days straight (for several hours at a time). The noises get so loud that Air Boss can't carry on a phone conversation and with him working remotely, he relies on the phone like a teen relies on text messaging. Lolli was sitting IN MY LAP as I was reading a story and she couldn't hear a word I was saying. She started wigging out when the guys next door started cutting the sewage pipe. I'm only guessing it was the sewage pipe because we couldn't use our toilets or sinks for a couple of hours (with one whole hour for advance notice).
In these 2-3 months of work, there has been no communication with us with regards to the potential disturbances or anything else remotely related to the construction. What's even worse is that the "contractor" for this job is some family member so the work is long and drawn out. I had emailed the landlady for some sort of idea of how long we have to put up with this (not in so many words). I wanted "to know how to re-adjust our expectations" in light of this construction process. No response. She didn't respond until after I got Air Boss to write a second email. I was ready to let her know that if she wasn't willing/able to communicate with us, I would have to resort to finding answers myself by going to City Hall to see what the construction schedule was (incidentally, I don't see a construction permit displayed in any windows so my guess is that City Hall doesn't have any records of this project).
I want to know what are my rights as a tenant? The landlord knows fully well that we have young kids, my husband works from home, and the noise is so loud we can't even "get away" from it (our unit is only 15 feet wide). Air Boss and I often take the kids out of the house with no where to go. We just need to get out just to get out.
At this point, I am not asking for monetary compensation for the inconveniences. I am simply asking for some sort of communication as to how long this will continue and what the working hours are (right now, anything goes). The landlady finally responded to Air Boss' email with a "Teflon" reply. It's not her project so talk to her brothers about it. In my first email, I had explicitly stated that if she is not the point person, she would need to let me know who that person is and his/her contact info. Apparently, it is up to us to track down these brothers and find out the answers ourselves. If this continues, I may think of asking for monetary compensation or simply withholding rent.
Am I simply acting like a person short on sleep or do I have some tenant's right to know what's going on?
slice faces the street and we're the second slice. The construction is going on in that "first slice" and we're not talking about just installing new carpet (although that is in the scope). Right now, the next door unit has been gutted to the wall studs (in some cases, the entire wall and studs are gone) and floor rafters. So far we've endured sledgehammers knocking down drywall, jigsaws cutting 2x4's, banging on pipes for removal, metal cutting tools on cast-iron pipes, and jack hammers for four days straight (for several hours at a time). The noises get so loud that Air Boss can't carry on a phone conversation and with him working remotely, he relies on the phone like a teen relies on text messaging. Lolli was sitting IN MY LAP as I was reading a story and she couldn't hear a word I was saying. She started wigging out when the guys next door started cutting the sewage pipe. I'm only guessing it was the sewage pipe because we couldn't use our toilets or sinks for a couple of hours (with one whole hour for advance notice).In these 2-3 months of work, there has been no communication with us with regards to the potential disturbances or anything else remotely related to the construction. What's even worse is that the "contractor" for this job is some family member so the work is long and drawn out. I had emailed the landlady for some sort of idea of how long we have to put up with this (not in so many words). I wanted "to know how to re-adjust our expectations" in light of this construction process. No response. She didn't respond until after I got Air Boss to write a second email. I was ready to let her know that if she wasn't willing/able to communicate with us, I would have to resort to finding answers myself by going to City Hall to see what the construction schedule was (incidentally, I don't see a construction permit displayed in any windows so my guess is that City Hall doesn't have any records of this project).
I want to know what are my rights as a tenant? The landlord knows fully well that we have young kids, my husband works from home, and the noise is so loud we can't even "get away" from it (our unit is only 15 feet wide). Air Boss and I often take the kids out of the house with no where to go. We just need to get out just to get out.
At this point, I am not asking for monetary compensation for the inconveniences. I am simply asking for some sort of communication as to how long this will continue and what the working hours are (right now, anything goes). The landlady finally responded to Air Boss' email with a "Teflon" reply. It's not her project so talk to her brothers about it. In my first email, I had explicitly stated that if she is not the point person, she would need to let me know who that person is and his/her contact info. Apparently, it is up to us to track down these brothers and find out the answers ourselves. If this continues, I may think of asking for monetary compensation or simply withholding rent.
Am I simply acting like a person short on sleep or do I have some tenant's right to know what's going on?
2 comments:
since it does not sound like they are doing the construction during ungodly hours (like between 8PM and 6AM), it's a hard call to make. Common courtesy would have them be in good communication with you but not sure if they are obligated to.
If the landlord had exercised "common courtesy," most of this would be moot. It's amazing how far common courtsey can get you. I don't understand why people can't take 5 minutes to do something that can maintain good relationship and avoid difficult situations.
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