Noise wars: does the tenant A not belong in a MF or is tenant B really loud?

[Colleen F.]

What would you do?   Tenant A  is  coming from a SF home rental loved the 1st floor apartment but keeps complaining tenant B on the second floor is walking in the morning too loudly and shutting the door loud.  Tenant B , is an adult working 10 hr a day who gets up for work in the morning at about 6 am and walks in the apartment to get ready for work.  I have told them we can support less noise in whatever way we can (door closer etc) but they need to figure out between them the noise issue. In general this is the only noise complaint I am getting after doing some door planing. Thoughts?  Just let them fight it out?

[Jean Bolger]

If it's just "walking around noise" then there's nothing you can do, really. Can't tell the tenant not to walk! My guess is that this new tenant is just super sensitive to noise. I sympathize- I'm that way myself, but that doesn't stop my neighbor next door who owns a lawncare business and has a love affair with his leaf blower. every. single. day :(

You might consider offering to let her out of her lease with no penalty. She might go, she might stay; but it will at least make her think hard about whether her fondness for the apartment outweighs the inconvenience of the noise. And if she chooses to stay then she has chosen to live with the noise, not been forced to. Something you've chosen to endure can be far less unpleasant than something imposed upon you.