'AITA for shutting off my WiFi at night even though I let my neighbor use it?' UPDATED 3X

"AITA for shutting off my WiFi at night?"

So let’s begin from the beginning, I moved into my new apartment in July of last year and no one lived below me for a couple of months. After a couple months a guy moved in. The first thing I have experienced from him was blasting his music so loudly that it sounded like it was coming from my apartment as well as vibrating my floors and walls.

I had never met him before this and after that I asked him to just try to keep quiet after 11 PM at that is around the time I go to bed. Very frequently he does not shut it off after 11 and I get woken up at 3 AM to it. There was even a time where I had to miss four hours of my scheduled hours at work because he played it until 4 in the morning and I couldn’t sleep and had to get up at 5:30 for a 12 hour shift.

I have had minimal contact with him for the occasional neighbor stuff like “can you grab my package off the porch so it doesn’t get stolen” etc. Well, a couple days ago he asked me to use my WiFi for a couple of days until he can pay his own WiFi. I allow him to use it for free of charge because I know we are all struggling in this economy.

However, I have this deep fear of a fire happening at my house, so I unplug everything at night that is not being used. WiFi being one of them as I do not need it when I am sleeping. I woke up this morning to messages from the neighbor that are so disrespectful about the WiFi not being on. AITA?

The internet had OP's back all the way.

annotatedkate wrote:

NTA but you are a little dumb! You had a perfect bargaining chip and you threw it away! "You can use my wifi if you stop being noisy between the hours of 11 pm and 8 am."

It is weird that you unplug your wifi at night but ultimately you can do whatever you please with it because it's yours. I have a hard time believing that you're actually questioning this. Like what am I missing? The guy can pound sand; beggars can't be choosers.

OP responded:

I mean you aren’t wrong, I did have the perfect bargaining chip. I mean I guess it is weird but I grew up in a household where we unplugged everything not being used so it was less of a chance of a fire. I grew up in firefighting home where their worst fear was a fire starting at our home.

So I guess I just got use to it and have been doing it into adulthood. I mean I’m technically not questioning it per se. I would like to say I’m not the asshole but I could be biased with my thinking as it about me so I wanted to get outside opinions.

drloctopus wrote:

Ya NTA but this reminds me of stuff my grandad used to do. Used to unplug wifi/cable/computer (which never got turned on to begin with) because he didn't want "the extra costs" at night. This man used to flip his furnace breaker at night because "the pilot flame burned too much gas" then got upset when his igniter started to fail. Great memories, miss you grandad.

Kaiisim wrote:

NTA, but you need therapy if you are this easy to walk over!

OP responded:

Currently in therapy and working through my people pleasing tendencies!

LythisNZ wrote:

Technically, NTA In practice, YTA to YOURSELF. The guy treats you like a doormat, and when he comes to you, you lay even flatter for him to brush his shoes on you another time!? Seriously!??? Change the WiFi password, reply that his messages revoked his access permanently, and start calling noise control (or the landlord, or the cops) every time he blasts music past 10pm. You're an adult. Act like it.

After receiving spirited feedback, OP jumped on with an update.

Update: Thank you all for your replies. I have decided to change my WiFi password and not allow him to use it. A little more background though on a couple of things though. So the apartment I live in is more of a duplex so there is only me upstairs and the downstairs neighbor who live here.

As for the noise complaint I have called the authorities and the only thing that happens is he will turn the music off when they come but the next day it is back to being on. I have learned there is some battles worth fighting and this one isn’t worth my battle as it is never going to change no matter who I go to about it.

As for the whole letting him use the Wifi thing is that I don’t want to cause issues while I’m living here and I want to keep the peace as to not make things worse then they are. However at this point I have done everything to keep the peace and none of it does not seem to be working so I might as well just be an “a-hole."

And not long after, OP shared yet another update.

Update #2: The WiFi password has been changed and WiFi name has been changed. I don’t think he appreciated that because he blew my phone up while I was in class then just texted me Bet when I did not answer. I’m pretty sure he has his own WiFi now as his music is once again blaring.

I’m also pretty sure he is planning something because I was just outside with my dog and girlfriend and he was recording us through the window on his phone. Im not really sure where to go from here as I cannot move just yet so I think I am gonna talk to some people to see what I can do from this point forward.

The internet had plenty of thoughts.

popular-idea-7508 wrote:

Honey there are so many ways to mess with your neighbor, I don't understand why you're not even trying.

For instance, the next time you have an early morning shift, regardless of whether or not he turned things off at a reasonable time the night before, take your speakers, crank them the hell up, and blast Baby Shark on a loop for 12 hours. Tell him this is what you'll do every time he's obnoxious last 11pm. Guarantee you that's the last time!

OP responded:

There was one time that I was apparently loud in the morning and he texted me "I'm not gonna lie you are being mad loud right now like that s--t is mad disrespectful" That text made me want to do stuff like that.

ruralny wrote:

Your landlord is responsible for enforcing peace and quiet at your place, IMO.

CandylandCanada wrote:

Wait, what? You rewarded his bad behaviour AND set yourself up for trouble? Have you heard the phrase "You teach people how to treat you"? I'm guessing that you consider yourself a people-pleaser. I hope that you gave him a secondary password, not the main. If you didn't, then change the main immediately.

If you choose to respond to the text, then tell him that you've cut off his access, and that you don't need a lecture from him or anyone else on disrespectful behaviour. ESH. His transgressions are obvious, but you should seriously consider why you gave access to *anyone*, but especially this piece of work.

NALALIDgaf20 wrote:

NTA. You may have stumbled upon a great temporary solution to your problem. But its not a permanent one. You need to start reporting him when he does this. This is affecting your livelihood.

As things progressed, OP jumped on with yet another short update.

Update #3: I contacted the company that deals with my rental and let them know everything that has been happening. They said that only thing they can do is give him a warning and from there they cannot do anything and the p*lice had to be called every time.

The comments kept coming.

lurker2358 wrote:

Some people don't seem to understand that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Rental company says they can't do anything? I bet they come up with something when you call them everyday.

Start calling inspectors on every other issue that comes up. Can't do anything unless the p*lice are called? Call them every...single...day. Someone will figure out it's with their time to help you to get you to leave them alone.

Brainjacker wrote:

Homie asks this neighbor to pick up their packages but can’t request the music be turned down after 11??

feraxks wrote:

"They said that only thing they can do is give him a warning and from there they cannot do anything."

Bulls--t. They can evict TA for violating his lease agreement. F-king company just doesn't want to do the work of evicting someone and then finding a new tenant.