"The Sound of Showering Is Worse Than Kids Running Around"... Apartment Notice Sparks Outrage

"Please Refrain from Using Water After 10 p.m."
Opinions Split: "Excessive Demand" vs. "Consideration"
Bathroom Water Supply and Drainage Noise Excluded from Inter-Floor Noise

Online debate has erupted over a notice from an apartment resident asking neighbors to refrain from showering or using washing machines after 10 p.m.

"Water noises continued until dawn; please refrain," resident writes

A post by an apartment resident asking neighbors to refrain from showering or using washing machines after 10 p.m. has gone viral on Threads.

On November 9, a photo of a notice about inter-floor noise, believed to have been written recently by an apartment resident, spread on social media. The author said they could hear the sound of water being used in washing machines, showers, and sinks from 10 p.m. until midnight, and even at 2 or 3 a.m., and pleaded with neighbors to refrain from using them.

The author wrote, "If it weren't late at night, I could put up with it even if it went on for a long time. It's normal to wash up and tidy things away at the end of the day." They added, "In the middle of the night, the sound of water is an enormous noise to neighbors, like a waterfall." They continued, "Compared with these water noises, the sound of young children running around in the early evening seems almost cute," and explained, "This is an apartment where inter-floor noise is easily heard, and even noises you don't want to know about are broadcast in real time, so the point is for everyone to be considerate of one another."

Some people who saw the notice said the request was excessive, responding, "Can't you even wash up however you want in your own home?", "Are people who get off work in the early hours not supposed to wash up?", and "If you're this sensitive, don't live in an apartment." Others said, "They must be having a really hard time if they went so far as to put up a notice," "People who make noise do it out of habit and don't realize they're doing anything wrong," "They didn't swear or threaten anyone; they're just asking for consideration," and "It's unfortunate that residents are fighting among themselves over a problem caused by the construction company."

Later, a resident believed to have written the notice clarified in a comment, "I'm not saying people shouldn't shower." They claimed, "The upstairs neighbors make thumping sounds as they walk all day long, scrape chairs across the floor, and argue," and, "Throughout the day and evening, and until 3 a.m., they keep turning the water on and off with a clatter in the bathroom, so I keep waking up." They added, "I can't tell them not to do it, but it's really tormenting the people downstairs."

A string of requests to "refrain," over bathroom use, blenders, and even snoring

A view of an apartment complex to help readers understand the article. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Inter-floor noise continues to be a source of conflict between neighbors. From January through August 2026, the Korea Environment Corporation's Noise Complaint Center received 26,852 phone consultations, or about 110 per day on average. Of the 90,937 on-site assessments received from 2016 through August 2026, only 4.6% led to actual noise measurements. The "Rules on the Scope and Standards for Inter-Floor Noise in Multi-Unit Housing" define direct impact noise, such as the sounds of running or walking, and airborne noise from televisions and audio equipment as inter-floor noise, while excluding noise caused by water supply and drainage in bathrooms, toilets, and utility rooms.

Meanwhile, in June 2026, a photo of a handwritten letter from a downstairs resident was posted on X, formerly Twitter. The downstairs resident, who said they were raising a 2-month-old baby, wrote, "Since we have a 2-month-old newborn, please refrain from using the bathroom between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m." The upstairs resident who received the letter took it as a demand rather than a request, and some people criticized it as excessive, saying, "What's so special about having a baby?"

In March 2026, a notice was posted in an apartment elevator asking residents to avoid using appliances early in the morning. It read, "For the past few weeks, loud noises from appliances like blenders have repeatedly woken me up at around 6:30 a.m." In April 2026, an apartment management office drew attention after posting an official notice that said, "We have continued to receive complaints about disturbances caused by snoring during nighttime and early morning hours (11 p.m. to 7:20 a.m.)."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.