A fed-up neighbour has ignited a heated debate online after leaving a blistering handwritten note for the tenants upstairs, accusing them of partying through the night, taking a brief break, then starting all over again before sunrise.
The note, shared on Reddit, was taped to the neighbours’ door after yet another weekend of thumping music and late-night noise that the downstairs resident said had finally pushed them over the edge.
‘I cannot fathom why people can be as inconsiderate towards their neighbours like you have been,’ the note read.
‘Partying until 2am then taking a four-hour break before starting to party again is diabolical.’
The neighbour went on to explain that their fiancé works second shift and desperately needs sleep, saying the early-morning music was ‘not only inconsiderate, it’s rude and disrespectful’.
‘You are NOT the only people who live in this apartment building,’ the note continued.
‘If you want to keep partying like this I suggest renting or buying a house. If this keeps happening I will be contacting our landlord. Take your party elsewhere!’
In a final, uncomfortable detail, the neighbour added that after a previous ‘rager’ they could hear one of the partygoers vomiting through the bathroom vents, pointing out that ‘the walls are very thin’ and ‘we can hear everything’.
A fed-up neighbour has ignited a heated debate online after leaving a blistering handwritten note for the tenants upstairs, accusing them of partying through the night
The author later explained online that the upstairs tenants had been hosting loud parties every weekend at strange hours, with the most recent stretch running until 2.30am before restarting at 7am the same morning.
The following day, the music allegedly kicked off again at 6am.
‘I don’t like being THAT neighbour,’ they wrote.
‘I understand apartment living comes with issues you can’t always control, but beginning to party before the sun rises is crazy.’
While some readers sympathised with the exhaustion and frustration, many warned the note may only make things worse.
‘Don’t threaten to go to the landlord – just go to the landlord with documented dates and times,’ one person advised.
‘That note is just going to encourage them to be even louder. You’re better off going straight to building management,’ another added.
Several commenters warned that written confrontations can escalate tensions in apartment buildings.
The neighbour went on to explain that their fiancé works second shift and desperately needs sleep, saying the early-morning music was ‘not only inconsiderate, it’s rude and disrespectful’
‘If I got this note, I’d assume you were nuts.’
Others suggested skipping notes altogether and lodging formal complaints or noise reports instead, arguing that angry messages often backfire and invite retaliation.
The viral debate has struck a nerve with Australians, many of whom are living closer together in apartments and townhouses as housing costs soar.
Noise complaints are among the most common disputes in shared living environments, particularly around weekends, parties, and early-morning disruptions.
In Australia, noise rules vary slightly by state and council, but most follow similar principles.
In general, loud music and party noise is restricted between 10pm and 7am on weekdays, and 12am to 8am on weekends. In apartment buildings, strata by-laws often impose even stricter quiet hours and can prohibit excessive noise at any time if it unreasonably interferes with another resident’s peace.
Councils and state Environment Protection Authorities encourage residents to keep a record of disturbances, including dates, times and duration, before escalating matters to landlords, strata managers or local authorities.
In some cases, police can issue noise abatement directions if parties continue during restricted hours.
Experts say while it’s natural to feel angry after repeated sleep disruption, direct confrontation can be risky.
Formal complaints, clear documentation and letting building management handle it usually leads to better outcomes.
For many renters, the situation highlights an uncomfortable reality of apartment living – balancing personal freedom with shared responsibility, and navigating conflict without making an already stressful living situation even worse.
