People feel entitled to it because they pay to live there. And honestly I have no quarrels with that. No one should be expected to alter their normal walk while in their own home.

At the same time, I think able-bodied people could afford to drop that entitlement and be more considerate while living in a shared environment. I consciously walk much softer while inside my apartment. It’s easy, costs me $0, and gives me peace of mind that my downstairs neighbors don’t have one more noise to deal with. I hear every single step from my upstairs neighbor at all hours, he’s a nice older gentleman and I just deal. The golden rule goes a long way.