New co-op owners. Downstairs neighbor sensitive to dog noise.

Hi all,

Need to vent a little, but looking for advice as well. We just moved into our UES co-op that we spent the last months thoughtfully renovating. We left a familiar neighborhood and renting behind for what we thought would be a big step forward for us.

Our very first night in the apt, our downstairs neighbor complained about dogs barking. FTR, we have family in the building; they came over with their dog around 8pm. We have a 10lb senior dog. The dogs greeted each other with a few barks lasting maybe 3-4 seconds. We quieted them quickly. Immediately, a member of the staff knocked on our door and told us our downstairs neighbor complained.

Since then, he has complained multiple times to the building staff, who have been knocking on our door or calling our intercom whenever our dog lets out a bark. I believe this is outside the protocol of the building for handling noise complaints, but I’ll come back to that.

This neighbor also complained that our (brand new) doors squeak, which they do not.

This is taking a toll on us. We are reasonable people, and we don’t let our dog bark for hours or even minutes on end. We have lived with this dog in 4 apartments, and have never had a prior complaint. She is a normal dog who is adjusting to a new space and new sounds, which she occasionally barks at. One of us now has to be home at all times to ensure our dog doesn’t bark at all, and we feel like we are walking on eggshells. It’s a horrible feeling to have put so much into this home and not feel comfortable in it because of a neighbor who is so sensitive to noise. FWIW, we installed 10mm underlayment sound barrier throughout the apt which satisfies the building’s requirement for soundproofing. We have some rugs down and more on the way as well as window treatments. But we aren’t counting on any of that to improve the situation.

I emailed the mgmt company just to get some clarity: how are noise violations supposed to be handled, and what is considered reasonable noise as it pertains to dog barking in a dog-friendly building. I spoke with a more senior staff member of the building, who informed me on-duty staff are not supposed to contact residents to relay noise complaints, so at a minimum, that should not be happening. IMO, if he is bothered by a noise, he can come talk to us, like a normal neighbor. We are considering going to talk to him, but want to have clarity from the management company regarding policy and procedure first.

I would love perspective from those with experience in this type of situation: what did you do and how was the outcome?