Florida condo laws: What to do about wood floors causing noise complaints?

Joe Adams, Attorney, Becker & Poliakoff, P.A., special to The News-Press

Q: I recently had new flooring installed in my condominium unit. The board president approached me, saying that they have reports from owners of the units below mine complaining they can now hear my family’s footsteps throughout the day. However, I think it is normal to hear footsteps in a condominium, given how close we all live to each other. I am not convinced that soundproofing is necessary. Is the board president overreacting about this? (J.D., via e-mail)

A: Disputes involving the transmission of noise are common in condominiums. Many sets of older condominium documents I have reviewed were written to require wall to wall carpet in all portions of the unit except areas where carpeting is not appropriate, such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Over the past couple of decades, various types of hard flooring (tile, wood, and various synthetic products) have become an alternative to carpet desired by many homeowners, including condominium dwellers. However, the noise from foot traffic, moving chairs, and other noises associated with day-to-day living often result in complaints from the owner living below.

While some associations still require carpeting throughout most of the unit, the modern trend is to permit hard flooring alternatives subject to an approval process by the association, which usually requires proof of the installation of some type of sound deadening barrier beneath the flooring. There are a number of products used in the flooring industry that are specifically designed for this purpose.

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