AITA For Breaking Into Neighbor’s Apartment To Silence His Annoying Stereo Loop?

The faint hum of a neighbor’s music can be a quirky charm of apartment life—until it’s the same song on repeat, rattling your walls for hours. In a rundown triplex, one Redditor faced this exact torment when their neighbor, Warren, left his stereo blaring “Then I Got High” all weekend. Frustration bubbled over, pushing them to take drastic measures. What unfolds is a tale of petty revenge, questionable choices, and a fried iPod clock radio, leaving readers to wonder: was this a justified rebellion or a step too far?

Living in close quarters often tests patience, and for this tenant, the constant noise was a breaking point. With legal options exhausted and sleep slipping away, their late-night mission to silence the music spiraled into a saga of stealth and sabotage. Let’s dive into their story, explore the expert take, and see what the Reddit community thinks about this neighborhood drama.

 

‘AITA For Breaking Into Neighbor’s Apartment To Silence His Annoying Stereo Loop?’

I need to provide some quick background. I live in a pretty s**tty triplex to save some money. I can hear almost everything that my neighbors on both sides can do. One side is a lawyer who has the apartment as one of his outreach offices so he's cool (though I've heard some crazy things about the mindset of petty criminals).

Other side is this dude Warren who was cool at first but we had a falling out a few weeks ago because he's sort of a d**che and I stopped inviting him over. Warren started blasting his music as a way to get revenge on me. Both me and the lawyer have called the cops, called the building owner and Warren always gets a warning then chills for the rest of the day but almost always starts up again about noon the next day.

Last night, I hear Warren's music kick on about 8 but then I heard him leave. After 'Then I got high' played for the 10th time I knew he was f**king with me. I texted him and asked him when he was coming back. He said 'oh s**t sorry man, not coming back until Tuesday. So sorry.'

I called the owner, she said there was nothing she could do, I called the cops and they came over and said there wasn't anything they could do without a warrant. She said she would talk to her supervisor about getting a warrant but I never heard back from her.

I tried to drown out the music with my headphones but couldn't take it anymore. So at like 2AM I hoped over his fence and pulled up his sliding glass door (you can jimmy the non-sliding side on all three units) and went in his apartment,

and non only turned his s**t off, I cut the cord to his 2003 circa ipod clock radio that he using to repeat the song. I then wiped off all my fingerprints as best I could and went home and slept soundly. No fallout yet, but I feel a little guilty and I certainly shouldn't have cut the cord to his ipod player. But am I an a**hole?

Update: I started to feel bad about cutting the cord so I waitied until rhe lawyers secretary left and grabbed my old cord box and jumped the wall and into the door. I found a cord that was pretty close and plugged it in. However I’d didn’t check the polarization and it fried the clock radio. I just left it and I’m sure stupid warren will think he fried his radio by leaving it on.

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Neighbor disputes can turn even the calmest folks into vigilantes, and this Redditor’s stereo-silencing mission is no exception. Caught between a rock and a loud place, they faced a noisy neighbor who wouldn’t quit. The conflict pits personal peace against property lines, with the Redditor’s break-in fueled by desperation, while Warren’s music was a deliberate jab. Both sides dig in—Warren with his petty revenge, the Redditor with a reckless response.

This scenario reflects a broader issue: noise disputes are a leading cause of neighbor conflicts. According to a 2023 study by the National Apartment Association, 60% of tenants report noise as a major issue in multi-unit housing (naahq.org). The Redditor tried legal routes—calling the landlord and police—but hit dead ends, highlighting how slow systems can push people to extremes.

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Dr. John Grohol, a psychologist specializing in interpersonal conflicts, notes, “Unresolved noise issues can escalate stress, leading to impulsive decisions that blur ethical lines” (psychcentral.com). Here, the Redditor’s break-in and cord-cutting were bold but illegal, driven by sleepless frustration. Warren’s provocation doesn’t justify the trespass, but it explains the emotional spiral.

For solutions, experts suggest mediation or noise ordinances before resorting to drastic measures. Documenting disturbances and involving local authorities early can prevent escalation. The Redditor could explore soundproofing or formal complaints to the landlord, avoiding legal risks while addressing the root issue.

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Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

The Reddit hive mind didn’t hold back, dishing out opinions with a side of humor. Here’s a peek at what they had to say:

muddledandbefuddled − ESH- specifically because you cut the cord, instead of just turning it off.

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mujahared − ESH, but you're also probably going to face legal consequences. Come on dude, you're going to get caught and likely charged with breaking and entering since you cut the cord. I hope he has a pet or something that he can blame it on. Even then, cutting the cord makes it obvious who it was and what their intentions were. What were you thinking?

[Reddit User] − NTA. Yes it was against the law but imo it was the right thing to do for you. He was deliberately f**king with you and you tried the legal options first. I also approve of the chord-cutting to teach him a lesson. If he can't prove it was you even if he suspects you: good job. But this might as well end up in a serious neighborhood war. But you didn't start it.

AlphaBreak − NTA, but I'd go chat with your cool lawyer neighbor about things.

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Anti-Anti-Paladin − ESH Also, you realize by cutting the cord you just left evidence of breaking and entering as well as POSTING ABOUT IT ON THE INTERNET YOU DINGUS.

[Reddit User] − Make sure that you fix your sliding door so that he doesn't have access to your place for revenge.

[Reddit User] − ESH but I still salute you for going the extra mile to f**k his day. This guy sounds like a p**ck.

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jolie178923-15423435 − NTA. I then wiped off all my fingerprints as best I could and went home and slept soundly.. I laughed.

Luciditi89 − NTA but it sure as hell was illegal

Fire_Eternity − NTA. I don't think you should have cut the cord, but I also can't stand loud music, so I'd have gone over and shut it off too.

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These hot takes range from cheering the Redditor’s guts to calling out their legal blunder. But do these Reddit roasts hold up in the real world, or are they just internet bravado?

This tale of a rogue stereo shutdown leaves us questioning where to draw the line between peace-seeking and law-breaking. The Redditor’s sneaky mission brought temporary silence but sparked a moral and legal mess. What would you do if stuck in a noise war with no easy fix? Share your thoughts, experiences, or neighborly nightmares—how far would you go to reclaim your quiet?

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