How to soundproof a ceiling in a rental
Landlords forbid major construction like drywalling, leaving renters with no way to fix the lack of insulation in the ceiling. As a result, airborne and impact noise like conversations and nighttime bathroom trips travel freely, waking people up constantly.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
How to soundproof a ceiling in a rental
- 1Live with the noise.Did this help you?
- 2Install a removable sweep and weatherstripping on the door between the basement and upstairs.Did this help you?
- 3Use foam ceiling tiles to reduce echo inside the room.Did this help you?
- 4White noise machine helps a little bit.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“What would be the best solution to soundproof the ceiling so that noise doesn’t go up? Landlord does not care about us doing minor construction like nails and screws but nothing big like drywalling or anything of the sort”source ↗
“Both airborne and impact noise are very noticeable, we can hear the content of the conversation if we pay attention/ listen closely.”source ↗
“It wakes my parents up basically every time they wake up to go to bathroom or coughing or talking in the night time.”source ↗
“There exists no renter-friendly solution that does not deal with the lack of insulation in the ceiling.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Can you soundproof a basement room for loud power tools?
- 6Why is my attic apartment so hot in summer and cold in winter?
- 8How to stop mice and bugs from coming through attic ceiling vents
- 3How to fix an exposed HVAC duct after removing a drop ceiling
- 5How do I fix a warped or bulging ceiling in a bathroom?
- 2Should I DIY basement drywall and insulation?