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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Cigarette Smoke from Next Door???

18 replies

zippytiptoes · 14/02/2011 11:14

This is a real tricky one, so I thought I'd ask what other's might do!

Our next door neighbour's son has his bedroom positioned next to ours. We live in a semi detached brick house(C.1905). Every night when we go to bed, and sometimes during the day, there is this horrendous waft of cigarette smoke in our bedroom. Neither of us smoke. Last night when I went to bed, it made me feel physically sick and the smell was so strong. I got up in the night to vomit...don't mean to sound over dramatic, but it's that sort of stale smoke you used to get in pubs.

It's a very strange predicament as I feel you can't ask someone to stop doing something in their own home, but at the same time it's impinging on our personal space. I don't know how it's getting through. We had a loft conversion done a few years ago and I don't know if it could possibly be anything to do with that, but it's just becoming awful.

Our neighbours aren't the warmest or most understanding of people, and I'm really worried about bringing it up and them feeling accused and reacting badly. We were thinking of moving our daughter into the room in the summer, but I honestly don't feel happy doing so, in the current situation.

What would you do?

OP posts:

Panzee · 14/02/2011 11:16

Open a window.

BluddyMoFo · 14/02/2011 11:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 14/02/2011 11:17

How is it getting into your bedroom? Get somebody in to check, perhaps? Obtain all the information first and then decide your next steps.

Megglevache · 14/02/2011 11:19

That is hideous, I would hate it, I have a canine sense of smell it's ridiculous.

Do you have fireplaces? My brother had that same problem, it's turned out that a certain part at the top hadn't been capped properly.

I don't think you can say anything to them yet- until you know how it's getting in! Are there any vents?y.

I'd get someone in to survey it, perhaps the loft conversion wasn't don properly, you shouldn't be able to smell it that badl

blimp72 · 14/02/2011 11:20

OMG i'm having excatly the same problem both my neighbours in there 50's smoke heavily we to live in a semi, it's not so much the smoke driffting in the window but i can smell it in my waredrobe all my clothes smell my daughters room stinks(sometimes)i'ts not as stong as ur getting it but it's like i can smell their house and when we go in the attic it's awful!! But you can't tell someone not to smoke in their own home can you?? what makes it more awkward is that DP and myself are both ex smokers so it'll sound even more cheeky!!

MrsJamin · 14/02/2011 11:22

We used to have this from our next door neighbours, we live in Victorian terraced houses and somehow it kist came under the floorboards to those suggesting that doing something with a window would make any difference! For some reason it stopped, I think they stopped smoking in the house. We couldn't think of how to approach it with our neighbours so sorry I don't have any advice, but my sympathy!

RamblingRosa · 14/02/2011 11:24

I had exactly the same problem in my old flat. It was hideous. It was the downstairs neighbours (chain smoking those really strong Turkish fags) and we had quite gappy floorboards so it used to all drift up to the flat.

I too have a ridiculously sensitive sense of smell. Also had a newborn in the flat and felt a bit worried about it.

I don't have an answer really. We moved! (not just because of the ciggie smoke I hasten to add). I guess the only thing you can do is look at where the smoke is coming in and try to seal it up better (whether it's floorboards or a fireplace or whatever).

Horrible situation. You have my sympathy.

blimp72 · 14/02/2011 11:27

My DP suggested cooking kippers in the bedroom with a fan to next door and wait for them to complain first then say something haha He was only messing i hope

lesley33 · 14/02/2011 11:32

I don't think you can ask them to stop smoking in their own house. I do think you need to investigate how this is happening, as it shouldn't. Perhaps a good builder could advise you?

Original poster

zippytiptoes · 14/02/2011 11:43

Mmmm, thanks. The window opening/closing we have tried and it does help to open a window, but we don't really want to be doing that in the middle of winter.

We do have a blocked up fireplace in our bedroom and sanded floor boards, but they have filler in between them and we have had the gap in between the skirting board and the floor filled with silicone.

OP posts:

zikes · 14/02/2011 11:45

Get someone in to find out how it's getting in and get it stopped.

Original poster

zippytiptoes · 21/02/2011 10:41

I don't know who to ask in terms of finding out how it's getting in. We've had a guy from the council and he didn't know and numerous builders have said they don't know. Does anyone know what type of person might be able to detect how the smoke is getting in?

OP posts:

jovaughn · 21/02/2011 10:49

Looks like this is more common than you would think

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=612647

naominims · 17/08/2012 11:10

Hi, Did you ever get this resolved? I've been battling the housing association that own the house next to ours for weeks, they finally went in yesterday to 'investigate', their response was that it was too much of an inconvenience for them to move the furniture to do a thorough check and fill in any gaps, what about the inconvenience to my husband and I and our soon to be newborn being forced to breathe in this toxic smoke?

I am so angry and upset that this is the attitude they have. Yes it is our neighbours right to smoke in her 'own' house, but it is also our right to live in a pollution free environment in our own house. The pollution is coming from their property so surely they are responsible for it?

Opening our windows can even make the smell worse as sometimes it seems to draw even more of the stench through from next door. I feel we've run out of options!

I've now got in touch with our local councillors and hope they may help me to get the problem fixed. Despite 85% of smoke being invisible environmental health are also unwilling to do anything unless the smoke is visible! A somewhat outdated policy I think!

If you've had to fill in any gaps what did you use?

Has anyone managed to get any results when dealing with this kind of issue?

Please help, as I am desperate to get this fixed before our baby arrives.

Thanks xxx

valiumredhead · 17/08/2012 11:12

Can you not just shut the window?

OldGreyWiffleTest · 17/08/2012 11:16

God, I just hate it when I trawl through a thread and then find out it is 18 months old !!!

Babylon1 · 17/08/2012 11:21

Opening/closing windows won't help if smoke is permeating the floor boards etc

No advice really, not a smoker and have never smoked indoors

squoosh · 17/08/2012 13:37

No real advice but just wanted to say, I know what you're going through.

The 'open a window/close a window' comments are bloody annoying when the smoke is wafting up through the feckin' floorboards. My sense of smell isn't even that keen and my bedroom stank of smoke. It was to do with gappy floorboards. In the end I wrote a really nice, crawling letter asking him if he could avoid smoking in his bedroom, that helped to some degree. He then moved out and I contacted the letting agent of that flat to ensure the next tenants were non smokers.

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