Sorry for the long post but I need help.
My husband(33m) and I(32f) moved into our apartment about a year ago and very recently, a neighbor (M – late twenties to mid thirties) moved into the unit above us.
For the first few weeks, everything was normal—just the usual sounds of apartment living. But things changed as soon as our upstairs neighbor moved in.
One Saturday morning, I was cleaning and listening to music. My husband was still asleep after working a night shift. The music wasn’t excessively loud, but the bass was audible. Suddenly, I heard four loud, targeted bangs, one from each corner of our apartment. It sounded like a bowling ball had been dropped with force. The noise was so jarring that both my dogs and I were shaking, and it even woke my husband from a deep sleep. We felt threatened, as if the bangs were a message.
Later that day, we decided to try and speak with our neighbor directly. The leasing office was closed, so we went upstairs, hoping to introduce ourselves and resolve the issue amicably. He didn’t answer the door. We decided not to push it, hoping that if we kept quiet, the problem would go away.
A few weeks later, the situation escalated. I had just woken up and was simply brushing my teeth in the bathroom. A massive bang came from above me, followed by the upstairs neighbor shouting, “Shut the f*** up! Turn the f***ing bass off!” I was shaken again, my dogs were terrified, and my husband was woken up once more. We went to the office, but it was another Saturday, so it was closed again. Feeling defeated, we decided to just keep to ourselves and try to be the best neighbors possible.
The true nightmare began another week later, on a Thursday morning. My husband got home from work around 2 a.m. He took our dogs out and came back inside to lie down. I was in a deep sleep when a deafening bang shook our apartment. My dogs were terrified, and my husband, who had just laid down, was furious. He went upstairs to politely ask if everything was okay.
When our neighbor opened the door, he had a knife. He flicked it open menacingly. My husband, shocked, put his hands up and said, “Whoa, what is going on?” The neighbor replied, “You know what’s going on.” My husband, genuinely confused, explained that he had just gotten home from work and that I had been asleep. The neighbor became more aggressive, complaining about a “vibrating” noise that he needed to stop. My husband reiterated that nothing was on, and the neighbor, without another word, slammed the door in his face, holding the knife in a threatening manner.
We went to the office on a weekday and we’re finally able to talk to leasing management. They heard and understood our concern and recommended we call the police to report it.
We did call the police to report the incident, but the cops gave us options that seem to take too long for anything to actually happen to this guy. We’re both busy with our new careers and we’re newly Weds sooooo following up in a court system in LA County seems like a dragged out process. Especially because I feel unsafe now.
Our leasing manger emailed us to follow up, mentioning that they have been in contact with their legal department and they are doing what they can to have him ‘removed’. It’s a bit vague.
As I mentioned my husband works nights.
I do have a medium sized dog and a small dog, which a great for alerting me, but I still don’t feel safe. I work from home so am there most of the time, and not by choice.
I try to go out to run errands or work from coffee shops because I’d rather not be home.
It also seems as if the noise level from upstairs has gone up after our complaint.
I will take ANY advice… Or even stories to relate.
Thanks!
Comments
Did you just spell “careers” are “coureers”?
Lol yes, thank you for the proof read. Do you have any advice on the matter?
🚨 Immediate Threat & Safety Measures
Do not confront him again: Never go upstairs alone or as a couple—he’s already escalated to a knife, which counts as brandishing a weapon in California (CA Penal Code §417 🔪).
Keep a record: Write down every single incident (dates, times, what was said/done). Save emails with leasing office. Video/audio (if legal in CA—California is a two-party consent state for audio, so only film/video in common spaces or record noises).
Secure your apartment: Add extra locks, doorbell camera, peephole camera, or wedge locks for sliding doors. Even inexpensive alarms for doors/windows can give peace of mind.
Neighbors: If you have other tenants nearby, discreetly ask if they’ve had issues—it strengthens your case if multiple complaints exist.
⚖️ Legal Pathways (Los Angeles County Specific)
Re-contact LAPD/Sheriff’s Office, specifically reference the knife incident.
Ask to file a criminal threat / assault with a deadly weapon report (Penal Code §245).
Insist on a case number for future reference.
You can file for a Civil Harassment Restraining Order in LA County Superior Court (CA Courts info 📜).
This doesn’t require criminal charges, only a credible threat. It can force him to stop contact or face arrest.
Under California Civil Code §1941.1, landlords must provide tenants with a habitable and safe environment.
If they fail to remove a threatening tenant, they risk liability.
Document their responses—if they stall, you can use this for leverage (up to constructive eviction claim if you need to break lease safely).
🏠 Tenant Strategy Options
Short-Term:
Ask management if they’ll let you transfer to another unit while they pursue eviction.
If not, ask if they’ll let you terminate the lease early without penalty due to safety concerns.
Medium-Term:
If eviction drags on, weigh whether peace of mind > apartment. In LA, moving is a hassle, but sometimes safer than waiting out a violent neighbor.
Keep receipts for moving—sometimes you can recover costs if landlord failed to act.
🧠 Coping & Practical Steps
Carry pepper spray/taser (legal in CA with restrictions).
Let trusted friends/family know about the situation—create a “check-in system” when home alone.
Dogs are a great deterrent—lean into that, but make sure they’re not your only safety net.
If you hear more bangs/threats, don’t hesitate: call 911 immediately—a history of police responses helps your case.
🔍 Relatable Stories
Many tenants report “upstairs noise escalation” after complaints—sometimes it’s just passive-aggression, but when weapons are involved, it shifts from annoying neighbor → potentially criminal threat.
A similar LA case in 2022 involved a neighbor brandishing a weapon; the victim’s quick police report + restraining order led to immediate arrest and landlord eviction within 2 months.
Bottom line: these cases do resolve, but they often move faster when tenants push both the legal system (restraining order/police) AND landlord liability angle.
✅ Best Next Steps (actionable list):
Write a timeline of every incident so far.
Call LAPD non-emergency (or 911 if escalates) to follow up on the knife threat.
File for a Civil Harassment Restraining Order.
Press leasing office for either transfer or safe release from lease.
Add home security (camera/locks) immediately.
This is the answer from Chatgpt..
Cameras with sound recording capabilities inside your apartment.
Also, reinstall the door latch and deadbolt strike plates (the metal bits that are on the door frame not the door itself) with 4″ screws, to get through the door jamb all the way to the stud, that way if he tries to bust down your door he shouldn’t be able to (many contractors use smaller screws, most strike plates come with wimpy 1″ screws that will fail with enough force).