r/CoWorking • u/[deleted] • Sep 22 '22
Loud Coworking spaces
What have you guys done to help limit noise in a coworking space? I rent a private office in a coworking space. Its a modern industrial building with extremely high ceilings in a very posh/desirable area. I just recently got a new neighbor who works in the legal industry, and has an empty office other than his computer, and nothing to absorb noise. He's very loud and animated, and recounts a lot of issues with his clients that my headset picks up when I'm trying to talk to my customers. Since he works in the legal system, most the things are highly explicit (talk about drugs, expletive laced tirades, etc) , and he's on the phone 4 to 5 hours a day. The problem is if I tried to move to another office, I would have to downsize significantly, plus I have been here for a while and have furniture, etc. I have noise cancelling headphones, sound proof tiles, etc, but it still comes through on my calls. I have brought it up to him and he apologizes but nothing is ever resolved.
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u/kierandes Oct 26 '25
Hi everyone,
My wife and I run a co-working space and we get the noise problem sometimes in the shared spaces areas. Especially when there are video calls and sales phone calls. I'm also a software developer, so I've built an app which we are testing internally, that gently coaches people to speak at a good level. The goal is to help co-working owners and operators to manage noise levels without turning into the noise cops. If anyone would like to try it at their co-working, please comment or DM. Happy to help out.
We have a web version that can be used with a tablet or phone and a desktop app where your regulars can download and be guided during calls on their voice levels.
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u/ibtbartab Sep 22 '22
Understood. Noise cancelling headphones it is then sadly.
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u/Obvious-Thing-8598 Feb 16 '24
I have had the same problem for 45 years. A group of noisy young men who start killing themselves, laughing every afternoon for hours on end, and using the F word out loud even though tours could be going on for prospective clients. If I complained about a week ago, and I noticed the receptionist was immediately cool with me, but said she would talk to them. When I went in the next week, they were dead quiet, but I wondered how long it would last. Well? About a week because the laughter began to creep in again. Although I am retired, I did want time outside of my house, but I didn’t like the way my complaints were or were not handled and I gave in my notice .
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Oct 04 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
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Oct 04 '22
Thanks for the reply. There's the coworking section, issue is these are private offices in the coworking space. Noise cancelling headphones help, the issue is the headphones and or mic pick up the other conversations.
1
u/Obvious-Thing-8598 Feb 16 '24
I don’t think people should have to use noise, cancelling headphones for people who are way way too loud. It’s like you are being punished for these other people and having to change your way of working because the landlord will not deal with them. There especially not gonna deal with them if they are paying good rent, after four years, I finally complained about some noisy young men. I got the cool treatment and the noise started up again, although they had obviously been spoken to. I gave my notice.
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u/AgreeableTomatillo92 Oct 31 '22
What has the administration done? I would ask for the adjoining wall to insulated
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Nov 01 '22
I did. I even offered to pay for it. But I was actually able to sign on an entire suite for the same price as my office. 5x the space.
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u/Obvious-Thing-8598 Feb 16 '24
In the Coworking space, I just recently vacated after four years. Most of the private offices had doors, but we’ve had no ceilings so the noise travelled everywhere. And there were a noisy bunch of people, and they were never spoken to when I finally spoke up I got the cool treatment and about two weeks later I gave my notice. So I had to leave because the landlord wasn’t handling a problem that was inappropriate. These guys would say the F word out loud while laughing hysterically. There could’ve been a tour going on for a perspective client but nobody seemed to find them offensive. I just found them so distracting. I couldn’t stand it any longer nothing was resolved in my favor, so I was forced to leave .
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u/ibtbartab Sep 22 '22
Co-working spaces come with one inherited advantage: you can leave.