Apartment Living: 3 Tips For Getting Along With Any Neighbor

This article originally appeared on the Springs "You're Home Blog."

Living among friends, acquaintances and strangers – as we all do when living in an apartment community – is a great experience residents treasure years after they move on. Yet it can also present some challenges related to our individual expectations of what’s appropriate and what’s not; when it comes to music, for example, one person’s “loud” is another person’s “barely audible.”

Ninety-nine percent of people living together get along quite nicely and never have an issue but occasionally, because we’re all human, another resident might do something that bothers you.

What do you do then? What’s the best course of action? How do you prevent a small issue from becoming a big one? 

The Springs management team put together some simple tips that can help prevent or resolve issues you might encounter with apartment living. Of course, we’re always here to help and give guidance, too, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

#1: Be aware.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” as they say, and this is certainly the first step in avoiding any issues with neighbors. Take a look at your activities to determine if there’s perhaps something you do that could potentially upset others. Understand what’s commonly expected – things like removing your trash regularly so it doesn’t cause odors, keeping TV and music at an “inside” noise level, respecting the grounds, and tidying up after you’ve used a common area like the pool or laundry areas.

#2: Get to know your neighbor.

Something about your neighbor causing you stress? It could be because they’re a stranger to you. It’s human nature that, once we’ve been introduced to someone, we’re less likely to take offense at some action…and more likely that we’ll try to understand it and give that person the benefit of the doubt. Say hello and take a few minutes to chat with your neighbors. You’ll undoubtedly find that they’re nice people…who may not realize that they’re doing something that’s bothersome to you. And that leads to… 

#3: Make proper assumptions.

If something bothers you, start by assuming that person doesn’t realize they’re in the wrong. We’ve all had our TV too loud – perhaps we turned it on and left the room, not realizing that it the sound was carrying. Don’t immediately assume the person doesn’t care or, worse, is trying to upset his or her neighbors. A good first step, should you decide you want to address the issue directly with the neighbor, is to pleasantly and positively approach him or her, keeping in mind that accusations or anger only work to worsen most situations. If you don’t get the resolution you want, call or stop by our office and we can talk about a next step.

Of course the management team at Springs is always available to help you sort out any issues that might come about with a neighbor, so please stop in and talk to us if you want our assistance!