Living in an apartment building can be a strange experience. You technically share a home with dozens, or perhaps even hundreds, of other people. But you might not know any of their names or even say hello to them in the stairwell.
Regardless of how little you interact with your neighbors, though, it’s always a good idea to be considerate towards them. One woman learned this lesson the hard way after hogging her building’s washing machine for hours. After getting into an altercation, her neighbor reached out to Reddit to share the full story. Keep reading to find out how this situation escalated, as well as some of the replies invested readers left the author.
Sharing a laundry room with your entire building isn’t always easy
Image credits: YuriArcursPeopleimages/Envato (not the actual photo)
When this man called out his neighbor for hogging the washing machine, she did not respond well to his criticism
Image credits: kryzhov/Enavto (not the actual photo)
Later, the author shared more details about the situation
Image credits: macniak/Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: NoFly-Zone
Over 36 million Americans live in apartments
We all know that it’s not easy to purchase a home in this economy. Many Millennials can’t own their own homes until they’re nearly 40, and Gen Z is expected to have to wait even longer. So it’s no surprise that a large percentage of Americans are simply choosing to live in apartments.
In fact, in 2022, 36.8 million Americans were living in apartment complexes. And to meet the growing demand for apartment housing, the United States will need to build 4.3 million new apartment units before 2035.
Image credits: Luke van Zyl/Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Now, most people have been sold the idea that purchasing a home as soon as possible should be their ultimate goal. But there are definitely some benefits to renting or living in an apartment first. According to SOBHA, choosing to live in an apartment can be a great way to save up for a future home.
Houses are always going to be expensive, but if you can manage to make your life work in a smaller space for a while, you can save hundreds of dollars every month. Plus, apartments offer the benefit of a low-maintenance lifestyle.
You won’t have a yard to take care of, and you won’t need to hire your own plumber when issues arise in your home. Simply contact your landlord or building manager, and they’ll promptly fix any issues you encounter. Plus, if you’re a person who travels often, for work or pleasure, you can easily leave your place for a few days with minimal hassle.
It’s important to be respectful towards your fellow building tenants
Another benefit of apartment buildings is that you won’t be in charge of your own safety and security. The building will likely have its own security system, CCTV, and surveillance. It’s very unlikely that anyone would be able to get in or out of the building without being noticed.
However, there are certainly some downsides to living in an apartment complex as well. One of the biggest cons is, unsurprisingly, the inherent lack of privacy. You might encounter neighbors every time you step outside your door; they might even be able to hear your conversations through the walls.
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection/Freepik (not the actual photo)
Another potential issue may be the rules and restrictions imposed on tenants. You won’t be able to renovate your home, and you probably can’t paint the walls or pierce the walls with nails. There might be limitations on where you can park, and being dependent on a landlord or building manager can be frustrating if they’re not very efficient.
And, of course, you might have to live in close proximity to people that you don’t get along with. It’s important to follow apartment etiquette if you don’t want to end up on your neighbors’ bad side. Respect quiet hours, and keep shared spaces clean. Be considerate of other tenants’ privacy, and when you do communicate with them, do so respectfully. Overall, it’s crucial that you follow the rules of the building if you don’t want to make any enemies.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this man went too far by calling out his neighbor, or was he justified? Feel free to weigh in, and then, you can find another Bored Panda article discussing similar tenant drama right here.
Many readers assured the man that he had every right to call out his neighbor
However, some thought that the author was in the wrong
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