My girlfriend bought an upstairs flat that is in a 4 in a block style building 2 years ago, her downstairs neighbour is in his late 50's early 60's and he does not own his flat, he rents to council or housing not sure which,

I do not stay with my girlfriend permanent, just stay over now and again, I also have a well behaved border collie who is very quiet and does not bark unless the door goes, and we make sure he does not make excess noise also, ie running around or playing etc he is very well behaved. So when i stay with her, the dog does too,

Me and my girlfriend are a quiet couple, we do not have party's or friends in her flat, the tv is always down after a certain time and we are considerate of our neighbours.

The first time i noticed a problem was late one night, her downstairs neighbour came home drunk approached his front door and the dog barked once as he does when a starnger walks up the stairs, her window was open and I heard him shout " shut up f=;@kin dog" or along those lines, he defo used the f word, we have heard from other neighbours that he has been known to have a drink problem, anyway that i ignored because he was drunk.

So a few months later he chapped my girlfriends door when she was at her work, when i answered the door, he explained to me that he is getting no sleep because in his words " He can hear us walking around the flat late at night" and that was wakening him up.

Now my girlfriend has carpets and underlay, and as i said we are considerate with tv volume etc, but me and my girlfriend tend to goto bed late, so obviously we will walk to the toilet or to the kitchen or the bedroom after midnight,

I asked him what he would like us to do about it? and basically never got anywhere with him, so i told him that i will tell my partner as it is her house, when my girlfriend got home i explained to her, and she chapped his door and told him that she pays alot for her mortgage and we are considerate and that she or me would not be tip toeing around her house.

So after that her neighbour has taken about himself to thump and bang around his house making excess noise, and especially when I stay with her. He isnt doing it during the night mostly during the day and evening,

I would like some other peoples point of view, or opinion on what we should do, I just feel that complaining about someone walking to the toiletor whereever is waking you up and causing him to not get any sleep, is a bit over the top, and that he is making alot more noise on purpose because we wont tip toe, or not walk around, I mean are we suppose to goto bed when he does? lol

We have heard from other neighbours he has had problems with prevoius residents in the flat before us,

Am i doing something wrong here, and what can be done about his behavouir, I have lived in flats all my life and you have to accept that you will hear people below or above you, but this man obviously expects silence, and he obviously doesnt like the dog( which i dont know why, he is qiuet as can be, unless the door goes as i said,

I guess i am worried about my girlfiend when im not staying with her, i believe this man is not right in the head, and when he drinks obviously turns into a nasty person, so i am worried for her or what he is capable of etc

When he complained he told me that he is not in the best of health, so maybe this has something to do with why he is having problems sleeping, or being woken up easily,

I stay in a flat myself and have a noisy neighbour who likes a drink above me, i hear them walking around, and more, during the night, but it does not affect my sleep, and i have never complained because it doesnt bother me,

I think some people just have nothing better to do with there time other than complain,

Am i over reacting here? does he have a valid complaint? what can be done to resolve this as i said he is thumping and banging doors furniture now alot, and i am worried about his state of mind, and that he has bad feeling towards us?

I would like some of your views and opinions, or suggestions on where to go from here, we have been civil to each other when he complains, there has been no shouting or swearing matches, just the abuse he shouted one night when he was drunk about the dog towards our window.

The funny thing is with that happening, we also can hear him coughing all night long, and we do hear noises from his flat during the night, but we dont complain, but know he is just thumping and banging about just to try and annoy us i think, which we do not rise too and find quite funny because he must be out of breath and causing himself alot of stress,

Sorry for going on but i wanted you to know all the facts,