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Upstairs neighbor stomping: what you can do

Updated 2026-10-17

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Heavy footsteps from the unit above are one of the most common apartment complaints, and one of the hardest to fix. The person upstairs often has no idea how loud they are, because footsteps sound very different from below. And unlike a loud stereo, there's no volume knob.

This guide follows the order most people try things in. First a conversation, then the landlord or HOA. Last, what you can change on your own side of the ceiling.

Why footsteps carry so far

Footsteps are impact noise: something striking the floor and making the whole floor-ceiling structure vibrate. A 1967 Federal Housing Administration guide to noise control in apartment buildings explains why this is so hard to fix from below. Impact on a floor sets it vibrating and "sound is radiated from both sides," and the guide notes that noise "transmitted from the apartment above is usually more disturbing than the airborne noise transmitted from the apartment next door."

The same guide says "the amount of noise generated by impact on a floor is highly dependent upon the type of surface covering." That's why the most useful fixes happen upstairs, not in your ceiling.

Start with a conversation

A friendly, specific conversation fixes more stomping problems than anything else, because the neighbor usually doesn't know. Portland's Noise Program, on its complaint page, recommends giving a neighbor a chance to resolve the problem before filing.

Some things that make the talk go better:

If you'd rather not knock, a short note works too. Our noise complaint letter guide has a friendly first-note template.

Going to the landlord or HOA

If talking doesn't work, the next step in a rental is the landlord or property manager. In a condo, it's usually the HOA or management company.

Before you write, read your own documents. In a rental, look through your lease for any section about noise, "quiet enjoyment" or floor coverings. In a condo, the HOA's governing documents and rules may say something about noise or flooring. If there's a specific rule, quote it. If there isn't, describe the problem and ask what they can do.

People often mention "quiet enjoyment" here. It's a real legal idea, but its reach depends on your state and your lease. California's statute is a good example of how narrow the wording can be: Civil Code § 1927 says a landlord must secure to the tenant "the quiet possession of the thing hired during the term of the hiring, against all persons lawfully claiming the same." Does that, or a similar rule in your state, make a landlord act on another tenant's footsteps? That is a question for a local tenant group or lawyer. The answer is not always yes.

Whatever you send, include dates and times. A few weeks of notes makes a request much easier to act on. Our guide on how to document noise from neighbors covers what to write down.

What city noise codes cover

Calling the city about footsteps rarely goes anywhere, and it helps to know why before you try. Most city noise codes we've read for our city pages are written around amplified sound, machinery and decibel limits measured at a property line. Oklahoma City's rule about sound plainly audible inside another home, for example, applies to radios, TVs, instruments and similar devices (§ 34-4(a)(6)). Portland's Noise Program says it usually can't enforce things like non-amplified human voices or children at play.

Some codes have broad language that could in theory reach any noise. Memphis, for example, bans "any unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise" (§ 9-68-1). But ordinary walking is hard to fit into rules like that. Check your own city's page for the rules where you live, and save city complaints for things like late-night music.

What helps on your side of the ceiling

The FHA guide says the most logical way to control impact noise is to "cushion the impact by means of soft resilient surfacing materials," meaning at the floor upstairs. It also says that ceilings hung on resilient channels or hangers, the usual soundproofing fix from below, are "quite often ineffectual against impact noise" in real buildings, because the vibration travels into the walls and around the new ceiling. In a rental, you usually can't rebuild the ceiling anyway.

So the realistic options split into helping the neighbor quiet the floor, and masking what still gets through.

If the neighbor is willing, offering to help with a rug and pad for their busiest walking path can be a good-faith gesture. A thick pad cushions impact as much as the rug. A rug on its own does less. You can browse rug pads on Amazon or area rugs.

For your own space, masking won't remove the thumps, but steady background sound can make them less jarring, especially for sleep:

These are search links for general product types, not recommendations of a particular brand. Read reviews and return policies before you buy.

Keep a record either way

Whether you end up talking to the neighbor, the landlord or the HOA, notes help. The Noisy Neighbor iPhone app has a vibration detector for thumps you feel through the floor or ceiling, and a decibel meter. It logs each incident with the date, time and length, and exports a PDF report or complaint letter. Its readings are estimates, but a log of "6:10 a.m., 22 minutes, kitchen" over two weeks says more than "they stomp all the time."

Write a complaint letter · Incident log · Quiet hours in 60 cities

Sources

More guides

Look up your city's noise rules

Not legal advice. Rules depend on your city, your lease and your HOA's documents.