Neighbor Complains About Treadmill - What do I do now?

Stop leaving notes. Go round there and talk like normal people, learn to communicate properly.

Face to face with a genuine discussion, I'm sure you will figure it out. Stop leaving stupid notes like a 2 year old (not that they do that :), but feels very immature).

I think making noise when you have neighbors is not considerate. You probably are not going to get much ground on the dog or anything. I usually think moving and observing the two-way street of respect is important. You cannot make noise and must observe rules, and your neighbors do, too.

Mencken1976 wrote:

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.

The thread was fine until this post. Really, this is pathetic. Just go out of your front door and start running like we all do.

Take a dump on their doormat.

I bet this guy is a zwifter.

Punisher Of Toilets wrote:

Take a dump on their doormat.

Or make annoying loud rhythmic noises when taking a dump. Like "uh-ah-uh-ah" at exactly 180 peristaltic convulsions per minute, which is the Holy Grail of pooping efficiency

inconsiderate wrote:

I think making noise when you have neighbors is not considerate. You probably are not going to get much ground on the dog or anything. I usually think moving and observing the two-way street of respect is important. You cannot make noise and must observe rules, and your neighbors do, too.

I totally agree with you, but only up to a point. We can't expect total silence from our neighbors at all times. It sounds like OP is willing to have treadmill noise for only 45 minutes per week, at a time of their choosing. To me, that seems awfully reasonable.

If he lived in a neighborhood of detached homes, there would be rules spelling out what noises could happen when. His lawn mower, leafblower, roof repair, etc, could all be louder than a treadmill in the apartment above you and nobody would think twice.

I think we have a responsibility to try to be considerate and as quiet as reasonable possible for our neighbors. But the key word is "reasonable." They have a right for their dogs to "sometimes" get excited and let out a bark. If they had a toddler, the toddler is going to sometimes jump off the couch squealing loudly. He wants to use his treadmill once per week. It seems consistent with apartment living, to me.

I second this. Buying a treadmill when you live in an above ground floor apartment was a ridiculous idea. You should’ve known there’d always be a possibility that the people below would move and you wouldn’t be able to use it anymore. If I lived below someone who pounded on a treadmill, I’d be pretty pissed off.

Offer to run outside with their dog for $25 / hour.

Sorry, if I was living under you I would be pissed as hell.

Run longer and faster.

Apartment dwellers who own dogs are ignorant a holes. If they have money to own a stupid ugly POS dog, they have enough money to move to a bigger place. Go to hell dog losers. Run more on the treadmill. Make THEM move out.

Yeah, I agree that I'd be pissed off - and this is from someone who had a treadmill on a 1st floor apartment. I'd try to get friendly, exchange phone numbers and have them text you if you're on the treadmill and bothering them.

Mencken1976 wrote:

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.

Ah. Found your problem. You live in a sheethole,, currently known as any city in the US. Move to the country, run, eat a lot of peaches.

You’re good man. You’re doing the best you can to work with them, it’s all you can do.

You could preemptively contact the HOA to give them a heads up that you’re trying to work something out but they are being unresponsive so you’re worried about a noise complaint. Maybe they offer some guidance.

You’re being reasonable by offering to run whenever is best for them.

Buy some really loud speakers and blast the noisiest sex videos you can find. When they complain, explain that you run in order to take your mind off of your porn addiction.

second this wrote:

I second this. Buying a treadmill when you live in an above ground floor apartment was a ridiculous idea. You should’ve known there’d always be a possibility that the people below would move and you wouldn’t be able to use it anymore. If I lived below someone who pounded on a treadmill, I’d be pretty pissed off.

Normally I would agree with this as I live on a 1st floor apartment and can sometimes hear the person above me. So if I heard a person running on a treadmill everyday, I would probably get annoyed. BUT, if I was gone or at work, I wouldn’t care at all! It sounds like the OP has tried to figure out a time they are not there. I mean maybe they work from home, so that would be different but if my neighbor came down as asked me if he/she could run at a time I wasn’t there, it wouldn’t bother me. And it’s 45 min, so even if I was there I’m sure I could deal with it for 45 min. I guess I don’t think it’s unreasonable if he has talked to his neighbors and tried to figure out a schedule.

Yeah I get that. I just think that you don't have a right to run on a treadmill in an above-ground apartment, especially when you could just go outside to run. They might work unpredictable schedules, and not know what to say to OP about when they're (both) not there.

back woods wrote:

In this story, the jerk is you.

Another lame post trying to further the imaginary self hatred all runners are supposed to possess.

Dogs in apartments bark a lot because they don't get out enough to run. You get complaints because you don't get out enough to run. Talk to your neighbors about the dog and you can get the perfect setup. You go on runs with their dog. The dog's tired from running, so doesn't bark. Your neighbors are happy with the quiet and with the fact that you're exercising their dog.