Neighbor Complains About Treadmill - What do I do now?

Keep running as much as you want and let them tell you when they won’t be home. Put the onus on them. If they wont tell you then keep running whenever you want. What more can you do? Seems like they will tell you eventually.

You are being too nice. I would probably be acting the same way, so can't put you down.

However, enough is enough. You have done your part and tried many times. Do not let them force you to stop using your own apartment and equipment.

Move on and stop worrying. If they voice some compliant to the complex, you can show that you have tried on many occasions to work it out.

Gobble Gobble

Can they make a legitimate complaint to a landlord? What can they really do about your treadmill running?

Like you said, I wouldn’t try to use their dog as leverage but if they ever say they will make a complaint or actually do you should whip that out on them.

Well...just how disturbing is it from your neighbors perspective? If it is loud & annoying to the other residents why did you decide to get a treadmill for your residence? Doesn't make a lot of sense if it is going to disturb other people. ?

This is why I run on treadmill at a nice gym just down the street (I live in a condo with other residents above & below me). The motivation factor is much higher to run at the gym and the sights & sounds are much better also (if you know what I mean ?).

And you should complain on your neighbor's barking dog. I've got a neighbor below me with a loud, annoying barking dog and a neighbor above me who taps dance to "Fred Astaire" late at night. ? I've filed complaints on them through local authorities - us condo dwellers are entitled to peace & quiet!

I got a treadmill because I was casual friends with 1st neighbor, he told me make all the noise you want when he is out to work and commuting (8-6). He left. 2nd neighbor I worked out a similar arrangement, no problem.

As to motivation, I run with 10-60 people all over the world virtually, it's extremely addictive and some of us livestream as well. Gyms cost money and you're still running alone. Outdoors is ok but the only groups out there are just once a week.

So you think running just once a week and asking the neighbors when they aren't home isn't reasonable? I find it hard to believe that two people in their 20's are not working at some point, I have seen them leave.

try running outside like a normal person

They could complain to the HOA. I just don't get why they won't communicate with me unless I actually go down there and knock. There's also the fact that I was mislead, "you can run before x p.m., we aren't home", I did and they complained again. I can run at 8 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., whenever I don't care.

Bad Wigins wrote:

try running outside like a normal person

Or live in a detached house.

Or both

Lol. I do run outside once a week with a group but not on a regular basis because:

1. It means a 10-30 minute drive each way.

2. Treadmill has soft surface, running on concrete or trails all the time results in injuries for me.

3. Neighborhood is dense with many street crossings and a lot of fast moving traffic (one road is 8 lanes).

4. Driving to run takes time and requires more motivation, just easier at home.

5. Tried high school tracks but they have events that aren't scheduled, even at 9-10 p.m. there are sports events going on.

Learn how to run softly. If you’re pounding on the treadmill enough to annoy the downstairs neighbors then your form is terrible. That also explains why you can’t run outside without injuring yourself. Your form sucks. Fix that and everything else will fall into place. My initial guess is over striding. Shorten your stride and increase foot turnover, more steps per minute.

Co-Flounder wrote:

Learn how to run softly. If you’re pounding on the treadmill enough to annoy the downstairs neighbors then your form is terrible. That also explains why you can’t run outside without injuring yourself. Your form sucks. Fix that and everything else will fall into place. My initial guess is over striding. Shorten your stride and increase foot turnover, more steps per minute.

That sounds like baby stepping?

If you live in a complex, it is ridiculous to continue to do things that bother the neighbors. Running on a treadmill in an apartment or other attached dwelling is inconsiderate. Run outside or join a gym. Not everything is about you.

In this story, the jerk is you.

I see and hear a lot of newer runners at the gym who think that running faster means extending their stride. I can tell because it sounds like they are stomping with every step on the treadmill. An efficient runner barely makes any noise and is moving their feet quickly with a natural stride. Increased speed is generally obtained with faster turn over. Stride length increases without effort and should never be forced. Otherwise injury will often occur.

Mencken1976 wrote:

P.S. My neighbor has a dog that barks often for many hours during the day, I never complained and didn't want to use that as leverage.

You don't have to use it as leverage, but I would most definitely tell them about it.

Neglected, barking dogs are extremely annoying.

Co-Flounder wrote:

Learn how to run softly. If you’re pounding on the treadmill enough to annoy the downstairs neighbors then your form is terrible. That also explains why you can’t run outside without injuring yourself. Your form sucks. Fix that and everything else will fall into place. My initial guess is over striding. Shorten your stride and increase foot turnover, more steps per minute.

Doing this soothes the treadmill motor into having an attitude of complacency, which therefore causes it to be quiet.

Soothes the treadmill motor....

LMFAO

mods please merge this thread with the bartholomew maxwell noisy upstairs neighbors threads. They could gain much insight from each other.

The op seems like he is trying hard to be considerate. Wanting to run on a treadmill is not unreasonable. He has asked for times they'll be gone. I think he has the right to use a treadmill at home at least occasionally.

OP, does your HOA rules ban all noise? Only during certain hours? I guess what I mean is: could you just do your best to be considerate and say F 'em if they're still not happy?

You might get your treadmill quieter by changing the approach to how you muffle it. Try putting a sheet of plywood on top of your dampening attempts, then the treadmill on top of that. What you really need is as much mass as possible for the treadmill to ride on with a gap between that and the floor.

If it's against your HOA rules and you cant work it out, definitely report their dog. Sticklers for rules need to live by the same rules.