【Take Soundproofing Measures in Rental Apartments!】 Live Your Life with Peace of Mind.

This time, let’s talk about noise from neighbors, which is often a problem with rental apartments.

This has been a constant problem from ancient times.

If we find a place that is suitable in every way but a noise problem crops up, there will be no way to live in peace.

Therefore, in this article, we will discuss how to [Take Soundproofing Measures in Rental Apartments!] so that you can live a comfortable life with peace of mind.

First, what are the most typical problems in rental apartments? Let’s look at the data.

No. 1 Noise 45.9%

No. 2 Greetings 25.9%

No. 3 Cars and Use of the Parking Lot 21.5%

No. 4 Manners Regarding Smoking 19.3%

No. 5 Manners Regarding Keeping Pets 14.8%

No. 6 Sorting and Disposing of Garbage 13.3%

No. 7 Use of Common Areas such as the Hallways and Doors 12.6%

No. 8 Odors Apart from Smoking 8.1%

No. 9 Peeping and Harassment 5.9%

No. 10 Plants on Balconies etc. and Use of Common Garden Areas 5.2%

It’s clear from looking at these results that most complaints are from noise problems, as expected.

Although noise is listed as the problem, there are all kinds of noises.

For example, music from neighbors or footsteps and harsh voices from the upper floor.

Rather than intentionally making noise in return,

it’s important to think about how to get along pleasantly with the neighbors, understanding that living in close quarters, everyone is responsible to show consideration and make concessions for others.

However, as with any issue involving humans, when problems do occur things can become quite emotional, and if a large problem develops, subsequent smaller problems can also spark a fire, so to speak. Therefore, it’s best to take preventative measures immediately with “compromise” and “manners for living in close quarters” in mind.

When it comes to this age-old problem, people are always talking about “what to do about it?” Thanks to this high demand, there are many rental apartments with good sound insulation on the market, however, people still have problems because of noise.

For those who have problems with this, we’d like to provide information on various items and methods to prevent making noise yourself and also to shield your apartment from outside noise.

★ Check Where the Noise Comes From ★

In order to take soundproofing measures, you first need to know what kind of noises you are hearing and from where.

There are many kinds of sounds, so the measures to take will differ depending on the type of sound, how it is transmitted and heard.

①: When you can hear daily life noises from your neighbors

If you feel that the noise made by the neighbors is coming through the walls too loud, the easiest thing to do is to change the placement of your furniture.

Specifically, place large pieces of furniture such as bookcases or shelves (items that can cover the wall) alongside the wall where the sound comes in.

Most daily life noises are “air-borne sounds” transmitted through the air.

Materials with density, weight, and thickness are highly effective against air-borne sounds, so give such items a try.

If you are still concerned, you can purchase equipment to be mounted on the wall, one item called the “sound insulating wall” is available for sale and highly effective.

It suppresses vibrations in the air, which not only stops the noise from your neighbors coming through, but also stops the noise from your home being transmitted to the neighbors.

Depending on the thickness and size, it costs between 20,000 to 30,000 yen, and is sold in musical instruments shops and shops specializing in soundproofing, so you might need to look around a bit.

②: When your downstairs neighbors complain about the sound of footsteps

The “thud thud” sound that occurs when a person walks is a “structure-borne sound”.

In the past, I have also been bothered by footsteps from above.

Once it becomes an irritation, even minor sounds start to bother you.

The stress from this kind of noise can become a serious burden.

Most of the sounds transmitted below are noises caused by “sound propagation through solid material” such as concrete or metal.

The sound of people walking, dropping heavy things, dragging a chair across the floor, etc. is a phenomenon in which vibration is transmitted directly to flooring and concrete and then to the room below.

The measures to take against these sounds requires “suppressing vibration”.

Specifically, measures can be taken such as laying a well cushioned rug on the floor.

By suppressing the vibrations that are transmitted directly onto the hard floor, you can suppress them from going to the room below.

A well cushioned rug could, for example, be a cork mat.

A similar effect can be gained by laying noise absorption / soundproof carpet, rubber sheets, tatami mats and the like.

③: When you can hear train / car noises from outside

Noises from the outside such as a trains, cars, and motorbikes are “air-borne sounds” mostly heard through the window.

The easiest way to dampen this kind of noise is to devise a curtain.

Just installing a thick soundproof curtain can reduce much of this noise.

Generally, by installing a soundproof curtain, it is possible to reduce sound to about “10 – 15 db.”

Since “10 – 15 db.” is about how much noise falling leaves make, you can consider this a kind of peaceful background noise.

Recently, there seems to be curtains available that are quite soundproof, but we recommend that you contact the curtain seller directly for details.

Like the curtain, there are “noise absorption blinds” that have the same effect.

These soundproof curtains etc. are generally said to be effective for “high pitched noises”.

Unfortunately, they are not very effective for “low pitched noises”.

In case of loud noises that can’t be handled with a curtain, attaching a soundproof sash to the window may be the best solution.

However, a soundproof sash is fairly expensive.

Costing from 10,000 to 100,000-yen, double windows or a soundproof sash can have a good soundproofing effect, and outside noise can be considerably reduced.

When looking for a rental apartment with good soundproofing measures, we recommend that you inquire with the agent of the real estate company about the quality of the windows.

Products like the ones already mentioned can be bought in “DIY shops” etc., and are relatively inexpensive, so please take a look.

The soundproofing measures mentioned in this article today are only a few of the options out there, so why not give some soundproofing ideas a try?

By using soundproofing goods, even rental apartments can easily be soundproofed.

If you have issues with noise in your current home, you can try them out now.

However, as was mentioned in the beginning of this article, living sounds are a constant problem when living in close quarters with other people, so it is vital to be able to live in harmony by helping out and making concessions for our neighbors.

Even among rental apartments, some have superior soundproofing than others due to structure.

If you are experiencing noise problems, please feel free to contact us with any questions.

It is important for us as a real estate company to offer the most suitable rental apartment for our clients.

It is our honor and privilege to provide housing that is safe and comfortable for our clients.