Noisy Upstairs Neighbors With Kids - What Can I Do?

[r_beau]

If it matters, I live in the state of North Dakota.

At the end of August of this year, I moved into a 3-level apartment complex. I am in a 3-bedroom layout with two other roommates. We live on the ground floor.

Directly above us (also a 3-bedroom) is lived in by a family with 4-5 YOUNG children. These children are constantly (not exagerating either) running, jumping on the floor, falling down, screaming, and everything else in the book.

I have noticed that these apartments are NOT insulated very well and all this ruckus above us is VERY loud. When I have visitors over, they can't believe how we stand the noise.

They are always up well before 6:00 in the morning. The *supposedly* go to bed at 8:00 at night but I have heard them running around more than a few times after that.

I have spoken twice with the parents; once in person and once with a note. They pretty much said "We will not discipline our children for being happy and healthy" and have done nothing. I'm not as concerned about daytime hours (as kids will be kids) but I really stressed that they control them before 8:00 in the morning out of respect for me trying to sleep.

Meanwhile, I have been woken up in the morning 20+ times now from their noise.

Our apartment building does have a designated quiet hour time after 10:00 PM. I have been trying to get a hold of a manager today to see if there is designated morning quiet hours. And also to inform them of this problem since I have just about had it.

Is there any legal action I can take?? I don't know how much more I can stand this and my lease isn't up until April. And there is RARELY an open apartment, much less a 3-bedroom.

Help????

[Mr. Knowitall]

Talk to your landlord about the possibility of transferring into a different unit. I doubt that this is going to stop, even if the landlord tries to 'crack the whip' with the upstairs family.