18 Stories That Prove Living in an Apartment Is Like Having a Front-Row Seat to a Comedy Show

Many of us have probably heard people fighting through the wall or had a neighbor with an unusual pet, or maybe even encountered something worse. Especially if you live in a high-rise building where dramas and comedies happen every single day.

In this article, we put together 18 true stories taken from community chatrooms and personal diaries, which once again prove: we all truly live in the wittiest series called “life.” Scroll down to find out what’s happening behind your neighbors’ doors!

• The neighbor loved to talk very loudly. He would tell everything in detail, so I knew his life better than my own. Once, I came home tired, and there he was, buzzing again. I shouted, “Just be quiet already!” — and there was silence.
  Then footsteps, a knock on the door—I’m trembling, I open it, and there he stands, looking at me, and calmly says, “Miss, you could have said it more politely. But I appreciate your boldness.”
• We recently moved into a brand-new house; it goes without saying that everyone will be drilling and hammering for another 6 months after the house is finished, if not more. We finished in 1.5 months, quietly sitting with my husband during the day.
  Then a guy comes over with a shoehorn in hand, and this dialog follows:
  — Are you drilling?!
  — No, not us.
  — Then who is drilling?!
  — I don’t know, not our business. It’s a new house; everyone is doing renovations.
  — I couldn’t care less who’s doing what!
  And he shuts our front door right in our faces.
  Well, sorry, dude... © anastassss / Pikabu

A neighbor caused so many issues that they are not allowed back into their flat. So a steel door was put up. It was then given an upgrade.

“They froze the neighbor in carbonite?” © Starwarsmusicanalyze / Reddit

• Yesterday, my neighbor started banging on my door. I was just getting into the bath, got scared, quickly got dressed, and opened the door. And she was like, “Come to my place; there’s something we need to do.” I was taken aback and followed her.
  When we got there, she plopped down in a chair and in a commanding tone said, “Full name!” I gave it to her, then asked why she needed that information (given she’s not the apartment owner). And really, is she going to knock on my door like this every day now? “Get out!” she said.
  She started calling the owner, telling him if he doesn’t evict me, she’ll go to the tax authorities, write to the president and that she knows so many people. He calls me and says, “You have a week to move out.” He said, not that he’s against me, but he just doesn’t want problems because of her. © moanaaa1801 / Threads
• In our building, they added another floor with 4 apartments—2 stories each, expensive ones. The residents decided not to bother taking out the trash to the dumpster, which was a minute from the entrance, and started throwing their bags into an open square hatch leading to the basement.
  Summer came, and the bags began to rot, bringing cats, fleas, and flies into the basement. My mom snapped, put on gloves, and went to clean it all up. She spent the whole day sorting it out, and I helped carry things. The neighbors called us slobs, and not a single person said thank you. © Overheard / Ideer

Neighbor moved out, and now there’s a non-stop stream of cockroaches from his apartment. Management refuses to do anything.

• Our strange neighbor got a rooster. And not an ordinary one that crows in the morning and then walks around the yard pecking at whatever it can find, but a hoarse and crazy one. It can crow for an hour straight. At 4 a.m., then at 8, then at 11. It seems it doesn’t care at all when to crow.
  And the voice! It’s so hoarse that it doesn’t even sound much like a rooster. It’s only from the window that you can see it's a plump white rooster. © patanjanechka / Threads
• Moved into a new house. You can literally hear everything through the walls.
  The neighbor upstairs blew his nose, and the neighbor downstairs yelled, "Learn how to blow your nose! The whole house can hear it!" And the response was a profanity, and they started bickering. Unbelievable! © Overheard / Ideer

Just moved into a new apartment. I must admit, the neighbors here are interesting.

• Went for a walk with my girlfriend. It was late, so I walked her home. There was some old lady sitting near the entrance to the building. After my girlfriend went inside, the old lady called me over and said, “You, young man, don’t hang around with her; every single day a different guy walks her home.”
  After that I immediately called my girlfriend, and when I asked her about it, she explained that the lady lives right below her and about 6 years ago, her parents accidentally flooded the lady’s apartment. Now the lady seeks revenge in this way. © Overheard / Ideer
• Our neighbor made 3 hammer strikes between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Maybe something came loose, who knows. What erupted in the building’s group chat... it’s indescribable!
  I agree; you can warn about major work being done, but to grill someone over a few hammer strikes is over the top! © dariatru / Pikabu

The neighbors leaving their trash in the shared hallway for 4 days during a heatwave

• 2 years ago, I moved out from my parents’ place. I returned to the apartment where I grew up. A lot of time has passed since we left it, yet the old ladies by the entrance are still the same, except they no longer recognize me.
  It was amusing to hear from these women, who used to greet my family warmly, that the neighbors downstairs are complaining about me and that I’m wildly disturbing them. All would be fine, except I live on the first floor. © Overheard / Ideer
• I remember, back in the mid-2000s, I temporarily moved in with my grandma (from a house to an apartment). I hear someone drilling from below.
  Me: Is it the neighbor downstairs?
  Grandma: Yes. Doing renovations.
  Me: For a long time?
  Grandma: No, not really. Since about 1985.
  I laughed, thinking grandma’s teasing me.
  15 years have passed—and he’s still doing it. © itsouchtime / Pikabu

Our hallway neighbor loves to treat it as an extension of their own apartment!

• A man who worked shifts liked to wind down by doing star jumps, flips, and running around his bedroom. In the flat above mine. At 2 a.m. © Unknown author / Reddit
• I was sorting through spoiled potatoes the other day and found one that already had maggots. I screamed so loud out of fear and disgust that my husband and neighbors from 4 adjacent apartments came running! And they say people are indifferent these days, and you can’t count on help. © Overheard / Ideer
• Was in the hospital for 3 weeks, and we needed someone to help my husband with the kid during this time. My sister offered to help. When I got home, all the neighbors started glancing at me sideways and whispering. Under strong pressure, the janitor cracked.
  It turned out that my husband was bringing some woman to our home and even left the kid with her. I laughed because the long-legged beauty turned out to be my sister. The neighbors just didn’t know her. © Overheard / Ideer

Well, we’ve laughed together, been horrified by these neighbors’ antics, and, most importantly, made sure it’s never boring with them. Now, it’s your turn to share your stories with us! Tell us in the comments: what’s the most absurd or shocking incident that happened in your building?

And here are more stories about neighbors.