MANY of us count our blessings when we have neighbours who are friendly, considerate, or simply keep to themselves. Good neighbours can make a neighbourhood pleasant. Bad neighbours, however, can make life miserable.
While we can choose how we behave and whom we associate with, we often have little choice over who lives next door, nearby, or above us. Some neighbours seem oblivious to the inconvenience they cause others.
Their domestic quarrels can be loud enough to disturb an entire street. Others blast music or karaoke at full volume without regard for those trying to rest.
Some modify the exhaust systems of their cars or motorcycles to announce their arrival and departure, regardless of whether they wake up an entire neighbourhood in the middle of the night.
Parking can be another source of friction. Vehicles left carelessly can obstruct access and inconvenience others.
Apartment living presents its own challenges. Many first-time apartment dwellers do not realise how easily noise travels between units. Dragging furniture, dropping heavy objects, or allowing children to run across hard floors can produce surprisingly loud sounds for those living below.
This becomes particularly noticeable late at night when the surrounding environment is quiet. A sudden thud from the unit above can wake sleeping residents or prevent others from falling asleep. Those deprived of rest can become understandably frustrated and irritable.
Then there are neighbours who hang dripping wet clothes, mops or floor mats over the edge of balconies. Water trickling onto units below can be a major annoyance, especially when residents are drying pillows, cushions or laundry in the sun.
When purchasing or renting a property, most people focus on location, price, size and condition. Few consider the quality of their neighbours, partly because it is difficult to assess beforehand. Yet neighbours can have a significant impact on one’s quality of life.
Many years ago, I bought a top-floor unit in a low-rise apartment. After a few years, the roof began leaking and rats found their way into the ceiling space, moving freely between adjoining units. Despite having a higher ceiling than the apartments below, the unit was also noticeably warmer during the day.
Later, I purchased a condominium unit near the city centre. Located just below the top floor, it was a corner unit separated from neighbouring units by a staircase and a large air well. In many ways, it felt like living in a bungalow in the sky.
I have lived there for more than 19 years and have seen several changes of tenants in the unit above.
The first was a local family. Soon after they moved in, I went upstairs to ask them not to drag furniture across the floor. The request was not well received.
Another family regularly placed dripping mops and floor mats over the balcony railing to dry, allowing water to drip onto the units below. When I raised the issue, it was denied despite the evidence being plainly visible.
A later tenant had a young boy who enjoyed playing with glass marbles on the floor. The constant clatter became so disruptive that I eventually had to complain several times before it stopped.
The current occupants used to drag something heavy across the floor at regular intervals. Fortunately, that practice appears to have ceased.
Interestingly, I previously lived in two older apartment buildings, City Tower in Jalan Alor, completed in 1965, and City One in Jalan Munshi Abdullah, completed in 1997.
Both were built with solid clay brick walls and floors that provided excellent sound insulation. I rarely heard noise from adjoining or upper units.
Perhaps construction methods have changed over the years. Whatever the reason, they certainly do not build them like that anymore. ‒ June 22, 2026
YS Chan is a tourism, transport and training consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: Pexels/Dar Cat
