Neighbour has spilled petrol and my whole house stinks

[Heysiriyouknob]

Ok, so my powers of smell are obviously shit and I thought it was a gas leak (in my defence it's the living room that stinks and there is an old gas fire in there we don't use).

Called the "if you smell gas" emergency number they came out within half an hour. He immediately knew it wasn't gas but checked everything. He knocked next door and after much swearing (our next door neighbour is a fucking joy), was told that he had spilled some petrol on his patio.

This was at 11pm. The whole down stairs of my house stinks now.

Am I being stupid about worrying about fire risk from next door? I didn't go to sleep last night worrying there would be a fire next door.

I can't tell you how much my living room stinks. Front windows open all night (another reason for no sleep, we live in a crap area).

A night of no sleep so anxiety is off the scale this morning, always worse on no sleep so I'm not really thinking.

What do I do?

And we are going to have to sleep at the in laws tonight, our bedroom now reeks and I don't want the baby sleeping in there.

Seems very strange to me that you have such a strong smell of petrol around the chimney breast area but ndn says he spilt petrol outside on the patio

I'd put money on him spilling it near his fireplace, I'd go round and ask the question

He so didn't spill that in the garden did he?! He's put something in the fireplace and tried to light it, the prat. Or something similar. It doesn't make sense that it's so strong in the house and not outside otherwise.

He sounds like a total idiot.

Everything is permeated with the smell too. It's all our own furniture. Dh moved the arm chair, rugs and sofa cushions which thankfully have washable covers into the garage on the other side of the house, but the actual sofa frame, fabric blinds all stink.

Landlord is seriously pissed off at the neighbour the carpets and fabric blinds were brand new when we moved here last year.

Oh and to add insult, all our clothes stink! This was never going to be a long term home so we only bought clothes rails abs they were in the alcoves upstairs either side of the bloody chimney!

This is awful. He’s obviously done something in the fireplace and doesn’t want to admit it. Petrol spilt in the garden wouldn’t affect your soft furnishings. It would soak into the ground.

He’s going to be inhaling the fumes too so I imagine he is well aware of what he’s done. I’d be concerned about what he was actually up to.

Can you try the fire brigade again? Say there is petrol inside.

When I spoke to the local fire station this morning they said all I could do if I thought there was naked fuel inside was call 999. Ndn left in his work van v early. If I called 999 they would probably kick his door in.

google non urgent fire brigade contact
or
twitter for local fire service & ask what to do as you are worried about fire risk with neighbours chimney & smell
ditto facebook & message

contact your insurance for advice?????

actually get them to come round to your house & smell fumes & let them decide

So sorry for this OP. @CornishTiger, I read one of your posts as there being a petrol storage club. Sounded like the most boring club ever!

There is something seriously wrong when fumes from something spilled in one house permeate the house next door and in the process severely taint stored clothes and soft furnishings.

It appears to me that when you are reporting it, whoever's listening is absolutely minimising your concerns.

Aren't petrol fumes in a confined space likely to ignite if there's a spark? Thought so,
"petrol is highly flammable; the liquid and "its fumes may cause fire and/or explosions* if they are not handled appropriately"
Source assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/561047/petrol_general_information.pdf

I'd be tempted to call the police, what is your neighbour trying to get rid of

I can't cope with the smell of fuel so I really feel for you.

Right this is ridiculous. Let me get my legal head on.

Exactly what has the landlord done?

If I was landlord I’d request immediate access for emergency health and safety reasons and I’d prepare a 24hr notice letter to in case access not given.

If access granted. Work to assess risk. Fire service really should help if not landlords insurance?

If access not granted court injunction for access. Plus consider what notice are available.

I'd contact your insurance at this stage if it's ruining your furniture. I would also advise the landlord that this now may be a structural issue as if it's affecting your clothes and furniture, it will be permeating the walls as well as carpets and curtains.

Landlord tuned up around half 5 and immediately said he would take over everything and would book us into a hotel as he couldn't have children staying here and sleep at night with a clear conscience. He was horrified at the smell.

We said it was fine, with covid etc we were fine to stay at the in-laws as it's easier with the kids, they are all set up for them.

I always though the LL was a bit of a twat as he is very abrupt but he said he would refund us some rent and to get all our smelly clothes/bedding/sofa covers to a laundrette and to give him the receipt and he'll cover it. He will sort it all out and get the carpets and blinds cleaned and if that's not possible changed ASAP.

We got some stuff together and left - I was already planing on staying at in-laws with the children anyway, they are only 5 mins away so it was just Dh work stuff really. He's going to keep us informed of what happens. Says he will give NDN an hour to get home otherwise he's calling the fire brigade out.

Council environmental health logged my call, addresses etc this morning even though they wouldn't come out so as the homeowner he's going to sort it all.

Sat at MILs with a glass of wine. I'm bloody knackered.

We have renters contents insurance.

And obviously landlord is insured to the hilt.

Yeah to your LL.

What the f have your neighbours done!!!

Well done LL! Hope you’re home safe and sound soon. Goodness only knows what your neighbour has been up to - thank goodness he didn’t manage to burn the bloody house down! At least not with your and your family in it.

I feel really lucky that nothing happened last night. The landlord said "Jesus, you should have called me I would have found you a hotel or somewhere alternative immediately you shouldn't have stayed here."

It was stressful enough last night with Dh having to go to his grandmothers and wait six hours for an ambulance.

I sat up all bloody night holding co sleeping Dd as I was so scarred a fire would break out or someone would break in through the open front window, I didn't want to worry Dh when he was trying to get his granny into hospital.

I'm off to bed when baby Dd is tired. Older kids are being fed fun crap and being entertained by their grandparents.

We are glad it's all out of our hands and LL is sorting it to be honest.

That is the good side of renting - assuming you have a decent LL, of course. Hope you sleep well tonight op.

This is awful, your landlord sounds like a star though. Hope you get sorted soon

Bloody hell, that's so frightening, I'm glad you're out of there and safe. Your landlord sounds like a legend, what a lovely man.

Fingers crossed the fire brigade work out what's going on, it's clearly bollocks that he spilled petrol.