Neighbor makes my apartment smell like a 1950's working mans club. What can I do?

Question

I live in England/UK. My new neighbor seems to spend her day going into every room in her apartment and smoking up a storm. I live upstairs from her and every room in my apartment stinks, as she opens her widow and patio door most of the time when I open my window more smoke drifts in. There is just no relief from it. I don't want to go & speak to her in case I get involved in a face to face argument with her, she is smoking her ciggies in her home which is hardly illegal. I don't know what I can do. I don't have large reserves of cash, to buy & run air purification equipment. The Local Council own our apartment. Can I make them do something to our flooring to seal it off, (her flat is privately owned & newly let to her through an agency, about a month ago).It cant be healthy for me, my kids or even our pets. Please help/advise.

Answer 1

Deal with it. It's a free country. If she wants to smoke in her own home then let her. Get some Febreeze or something.

Answer 2

unpleasent neighbors is a bad thing. The best thing to do is possibly move if you can. She's not going to stop smoking, especially at her home. Or just keep your windows shut and only open them at night??? Sorry i cant help much, I hate cigarette smoke also.

Answer 3

Move.

Answer 4

I would start cooking with lots of garlic. Let's see, liver and onions. Maybe installing a smoke detector in the hall way would send a message?

Answer 5

Is it honestly THAT bad?

Answer 6

In what capacity do you know a lot about 1950,s working mans clubs ? Or should I not ask ?!!!

To answer your question,if the only pollutant that's coming in to your flat is cigarette smoke then you are a very lucky person indeed. All that I can suggest is>

1-Move

2-Stop complaining

3-Wear a mask

Answer 7

The only thing I can suggest is that you get a few plug-in air fresheners and place them around your apartment to help with the odour=]

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Answer 8

I agree with you ...smoke is not healthy for anyone and secondary smoke causes cancer too.

Your in a bad situation and i'm sorry they don't have a smoke free invironment law there to protect people in common areas of multi-dwellings like here in my State in the U.S. I have a small sugestion that might help at not to great a cost. The thing I would do, is try and put a small positive pressure into your apartment. if you have a window or opening somwhere on a side of your apartment that she does not open hers, then you can install a fresh air window fan (designed to mount in any window} which pull in fresh air through a filter. The filter can be changed. If fresh air is pumped in, it places a positive pressure on your apartment and cancels out her air entering. It isn't perfect , because sometimes you open your door but most of the time you will have a positive pressure and it will help. A simple test is to use one of those box fans with about three speeds which only cost a couple of pounds and stick it in a window with it set to blow into your apartment. Seal around it with something like chipboard and tape.  Good luck.

Blessing too,

Rangefinder

Answer 9

move cause she has the right to smoke her ciggies. not much anybody can do.

http://www.treasuretrooper.com/201433

Answer 10

It can't really be as bad as you say. You don't complain about any cooking smells coming into your flat. We have really strong winds in this country which should be carrying the smell away in any case. You mention that you have kids and pets. Have you thought that you may be causing a noise nuisance to her? Live and let live.

Answer 11

It sounds like you tend to over exaggerate just a tad.

Now to answer your question. Some have suggested it, but you can always move, but you'll always run into this problem no matter where you go. So it's better you deal with it now, before you make your kids and yourself really schitzo.