Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask neighbour not to smoke in his own garden?

187 replies

fope · 14/05/2024 09:24

We live in a flat in converted townhouse. We are on the second floor. Neighbour is in the garden flat (not shared garden). Our bedroom is at the back of the house.

As it’s getting hotter, we need to have our bedroom window open all night.

Garden flat neighbour is a heavy smoker. He stands in the french doors of his flat and smokes “out” into the garden (if that makes sense).

The problem is, that the smoke rises up and it makes our bedroom stink. Three mornings in a row we have woken up to a bedroom smelling of cigarette smoke.

AIBU to ask him not to smoke in his garden? Or at least go somewhere else where it won’t rise up into other people’s homes. Other people in our building have also commented on this.

OP posts:
Yellowhammer09 · 14/05/2024 09:49

I don't think you'd be unreasonable to ask if he can smoke at the other end of the garden. Any normal person would understand. Yes, it's a private garden but it affects his neighbours.

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 14/05/2024 09:47

SnoqualmieRiver · 14/05/2024 09:32

Sign him up for lots of stop smoking leaflets etc.

...and free samples of nicotine gum....

SnoqualmieRiver · 14/05/2024 09:32

Sign him up for lots of stop smoking leaflets etc.

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 14/05/2024 09:31

Maybe he could move to a different part of the garden?
If you're otherwise on good terms you could raise it with him?
Maybe he doesn't realise.
Or you could get a giant industrial fan blowing air away from you toward him....surely that's subtle enough....😆
It would annoy me too, smokers are so selfish. They don't have a right to pollute other folk's air even though they think they do.

TTPD · 14/05/2024 09:30

I hate smoking and would happily see it banned. But since it isn't, and he's smoking in his own home, I don't really see what you can do about it.
You could ask him to move further down into the garden, away from the house, but he's entitled to say no.

Spirallingdownwards · 14/05/2024 09:30

Shut your window. You don't need to have it open you choose to have it open. Leave your bedroom door open and open a different window nearby or get a fan.

BlondeFool · 14/05/2024 09:29

I have a fan as I can't have my bedroom window open at night (ground floor and street side).

VivaVivaa · 14/05/2024 09:29

Sorry you are in this situation. We had something similar when living in a flat. It’s disgusting.

I think you can ask him, he might just not have realised. Equally I think it’s perfectly reasonable for him to say no. It’s his garden after all and what he is doing is antisocial at most, but not fundamentally wrong.

MalbecandToast · 14/05/2024 09:29

I get that its gross and I would hate it too, but you really can't dictate what people can/can't do in their garden.

vodkaredbullgirl · 14/05/2024 09:28

You can ask, don't know how well it will go down though.

Pippa12 · 14/05/2024 09:28

I totally understand as I hate cigarette smoke, it makes me gag.

My next door neighbour was a heavy smoker outside, I thought it was unreasonable to ask him to stop smoking on his own land so I sold up and moved (it was the straw that broke the camels back tbf).

BlondeFool · 14/05/2024 09:27

I understand it's awful for you but it's his perogative to smoke in his own garden.