Finns have become more intolerant when it comes to natural sounds associated with communal living, according to Marina Furuhjelm, a lawyer for the Finnish Real Estate Management Federation.
“People demand total silence, which one could expect if living in a detached house. I find this surprising. I’d say if you’re sensitive, and want to live in quiet, you should think about what kind of place is suitable for you. If you can’t stand the sounds of other people or children playing, you should choose a more silent kind of place for yourself,” Furuhjelm comments.
According to the lawyer, there has been lots of discussion about noisy children this past fall. Furuhjelm has been shocked to find that some housing organisations even want to ban children playing.
“Young people and young families are targeted. We can see clear age differences here. Older people feel that younger generations don’t know how to live properly, although the situation was no different when they were young themselves. Maybe these old people have forgotten how people used to live,” Furuhjelm muses.
She advises harassed apartment block dwellers to take a more active role in housing organisations.
“Unfortunately it’s usually only elder people who sit on the boards. Younger residents should also join, and take a stand against others controlling the housing organisation. Everyone has equal rights.”
Noisy living
A person living in an apartment block must tolerate sounds of what others normally do in their homes. These include sounds of pets, children, television and bathing.
“Even if someone takes a shower in the middle of the night, it's not forbidden. Arguing is also a part of life, and an occasional party is also fine,” Furuhjelm says.
“The time of [night] silence varies from one housing organisation to the next. Also, this does not mean total silence. Still, one should keep the television or radio down out of consideration for neighbours.”
Furuhjelm is still astounded by the kinds of things that disturb residents.
“Some are even put off by those sunbathing in bikinis on their balcony, or men without shirts. People’s problems must be really petty if something like this causes them to get upset,” Furuhjelm laughs.
