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If you rent your apartment, you cannot legally do any significant soundproofing of the type that attaches to or permanently modifies the premises. Most effective soundproofing treatments are of this type, despite what you will read on the Web from companies who make all sorts of amazing claims for "do-it-yourself" materials. Your landlord should do the soundproofing. We suggest:
1. Contact the landlord by certified mail return receipt, stating in one sentence that you have a noise problem and need it fixed right away so you can enjoy your apartment properly. You might state that if nothing is done, you expect to be reimbursed for fixing the problem yourself. Request that the problem be properly analyzed by an acoustic consultant, rather than simply having a contractor start building things based on pure guesswork. You can suggest he contact Acoustilog.
2. If that doesn't work, call an attorney. We can recommend several who have noise experience.
3. The attorney may suggest that objective decibel readings be taken. That's where we can help. We can take in-person or automated sound level measurements to properly help prove that there is a problem. These readings can be during the day or late at night if necessary.
4. Some clients go to Small Claims Court with our report, to recover the cost of our fee, or they simply deduct it from the rent and forward the report to the landlord.
