Woman slipped a note under her neighbor’s door about his TV blaring at 11 p.m. — three days later, his reply left her in tears
Apartment life can test patience, especially when personal habits collide with others’ comfort. One woman’s quiet attempt to solve a late-night noise issue became an emotional reminder of how simple communication can change the tone between strangers. After weeks of disturbed sleep, she chose to politely complain by slipping a note under her neighbor’s door. Three days later, she received a response that left her in tears. The story was shared on Reddit by a user who goes by u/Basus_Isloe on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
My downstairs neighbor left a note under my door after i complained about noise and i genuinely did not expect what it said
by u/Basus_Isloe in revengestories
The post was titled, "My downstairs neighbor left a note under my door after I complained about noise, and I genuinely did not expect what it said." The note explained the man's hearing issue and also thanked her, leaving her emotional. In the post, she mentioned in detail how she had moved into her second-floor apartment about eight months earlier. Within the first few weeks, she started noticing steady noise from the unit below. It was not parties or shouting. Instead, the television was turned up loud enough that she could clearly hear specific dialogue through her floor.
Around 11 p.m., there were also regular sounds that seemed like furniture being dragged across the room. She admitted, "I'm not a confrontational person, and I really hate the idea of being that neighbor." Because of that, she chose to stay quiet at first and tried to ignore the disturbance. But after one sleepless night before an early workday, she realized she needed to speak up. Instead of knocking on the door, she decided writing would be easier. "After a particularly bad Tuesday night where I had work early and genuinely couldn't sleep, I wrote a note."
She kept the tone calm and respectful, explaining that she was not sure if he realized how much sound was traveling upstairs. In her note, she mentioned the television volume clearly and asked if they could find a solution. She slipped it under his door and returned to her apartment, expecting little in return. She felt like she would either be ignored or receive a bad reaction. For three days, nothing changed, and she assumed the situation would remain the same. Then on Friday morning, she noticed a folded piece of paper under her own door. "He had written back." The reply was not defensive or angry. Instead, her neighbor apologized and explained that he was hard of hearing in one ear.
He said he genuinely had no idea how loud the television had been through the floor. He also shared that he had ordered a soundbar that would allow him to use headphones at night. At the bottom of the note, he added that he appreciated her coming to him directly instead of reporting the issue to building management. She said, "I stood in my hallway reading it twice." The noise problem was resolved soon after. The dragging sounds stopped, and the television could no longer be heard upstairs. She ended her post by writing, "Sometimes being the person who leaves the polite note actually just works and I forget that."