which is the reasonable course of action?

[Koothrapanties]

New neighbours in the flat below us, couple with a baby.

They smoke cigarettes and weed hanging out of their lounge window which is directly below ours. It comes up into our flat stinking out our lounge. I have a 6 month old dd and want a smoke free home for her. It also makes me cross that they are smoking fags and weed around their baby, but that's their choice I guess.

My options are as follows:

1)Ignore and keep closing the window. Downside is if I'm in a different room when it happens I come back to a stinking room and can't air it out.

2. Report to the housing association.

3. Report the weed to the police.

4. All of the above plus social services for them smoking weed around a baby.

What's the best thing to do?

you forgot option 5) move
and 6) leave my windows closed all the time
as they are the only 2 i see working

Why would nothing else work?

I am not moving, we only moved in here in January and are really happy here!

If you're a HA tenant, they have a very simple (and anonymous) reporting system.

They're in breech of their tenancy and will be informed of anti-social behaviour and have to change within 28 days.

It'll depend on how much they want to keep their flat!

I've had no direct experience with this, but read through my landlord's (NCHA) literature on this and that's what I got from it.

Good luck!

What do I say? They clearly don't care about smoking around their own child, why would they care about mine?

Sez it may be clear it's me as I got really cross about it and shouted to dh that it stinks of weed and slammed the window shut. Mature, I know, it just really pissed me off.

I'm assuming that which ever window they smoke out of, it'll affect you - so really, you're asking them to give up smoking cannabis - which "isn't up to you to tell them what they can and can't do" etc.

If they received a warning from the HA, they would have a set number of days to change - or further action will be taken which includes seeking possession of their home, which I'm sure they'll want to avoid.

Could be any of the neighbours. If they ever mention it to you, say that you were reported when you first moved in for the same thing - and that i gave you the kick up the ass you needed to change your life style ;-)

Sez would you bother speaking to them first then? Or just go straight to the ha?

Do all of the above! Talk to them first, if that doesn't resolve it go to the HA and police re weed.

Also worth contacting the LA Eh dept. it could be considered a stat Nusiance and the LA deal with that. The weed they won't deal with, but smoking they might. You need to say that it is materially affecting the enjoyment of your home. And explain the impact on your home.

Awful, hope it gets sorted.

I'd go straight to the HA.

It is awkward because I'd not want 1. the confrontation 2. the possible come back afterwards

But that's just me.

The HA would have experience of dealing with those kinds of problems and could also offer advice.

I smoke out of my flat's living room window sometimes and it's never crossed my mind that it might be floating up to the flat above. Obvious now you've said it, but it really didn't. .

I'll stop now. And if my upstairs neighbour had come and knocked and told me nicely, I'd have apologised and stopped. You should do that - they really may not know it's effecting you.

If they are smoking outside then they might care a little about smoking in the flat around their children so that's not the issue.

The weed could be an issue of course.

They clearly don't care about smoking around their own child, why would they care about mine?

Well I suppose they are hanging out of their windows to smoke for a reason, i.e. they don't want to smoke around their own child and they think that this action will keep their flat smoke free. They may be deluded but if they really didn't care I don't suppose they would bother smoking out of the windows at all.

Is it possible that they haven't realised that the smoke then drifts up in to your flat? Giving them the benefit of the doubt it could be that they are not being deliberately anti-social.

How do they seem otherwise? Do you think you could approach them? Maybe this could be sorted out by a neighbourly chat or some compromise that they always smoke out of one particular window so you know which of yours to keep shut.

I know they are at the window, but that isn't right smoking weed with a baby in the room is it? I have heard before that social services can test children for exposure to weed smoke, but that could be hearsay.

Otherwise okish. The flat needs work as the last tenant didn't look after it very well and they have done diy until quite late at night over the last week or so. I have put up with that because o thought the guy might be at work during the day, leaving only the evening to do it. He's a bit inconsiderate with playing loud bassy music in his car when he arrives and leaves, but nothing else so far.

He nodded and said hello to dh a few days ago. They don't give off the anti-social arseh ole vibe. A talk might go ok. I hate confrontation but I would rather that than have a problem with neighbours if we reported. Hmm.

They are smoking it out the window so it's not like they are blowing it in their babies face or anything - and they probably aren't aware it is coming into your flat.

Just go down and have a friendly word with them - just say their cigarette smoke (no need to mention you think it's weed) is coming into your flat and ask them to stop. If they don't then maybe report but certainly ask them first.

Keep your windows shut?
Obviously it is unpleasant, but please don't think your daughter is in any danger from the smoke.

You are exposing her to many more toxic fumes every time you walk along the pavement of any road than she will come into contact with from a few whisps of smoke floating up from a downstairs window...

Space I don't see why I should have to keep my Windows shut when they are the ones doing something illegal. It's lovely weather at the minute and I want to have my Windows open. It's not much to ask surely. The normal smoke was irritating, but the weed smoke stinks. It's really not very pleasant.

Got to agree with the weed smoke it's disgusting.

Just to say, I'm not massively anti weed. Other neighbours smoke it, but they go out into the garden. I have no problem with that, it's their choice. It's not fair to inflict it on others though.

I agree but if you don't tell them they do not know they are inflicting it on you do they?

Betty they might due to my outburst earlier, but you have a point. Ugh I hate this sort of thing. I'm going to have a shower in a bit and then pop down.

If I say something along these lines do you think it will go down ok?

Hiya, sorry to bother you. I'm sure you haven't realised, but when you smoke out of the lounge window it comes straight up into our flat. Would you mind going outside so it doesn't make my flat smell? If there is anything that we do that causes you a problem, please come up and tell us. thanks so much...

You might want to focus on the cannabis solely on the illegality side of it, since I don't otherwise see its relevance to your situation. Whether it's cigarette smoke or cannabis smoke, it's the fact that smoke is coming into your flat at all that is the issue, and if you stop one you will automatically stop the other. Also, I very much doubt that SS will do very much more than talk to the couple about their alleged cannabis use. They won't remove the child (unless lots of other drug use comes out as a result) and it won't have any bearing on the tenancy. But it is, of course, illegal. Cannabis smells. If you can smell it, so could any number of passer-bys who might have reported it, including PCSO/police officers on or off duty.

What you really want here is for smoke to stop coming into your house. To that end I would talk to them. You don't have to be confrontational about it.

Hi neighbours. Nice to have you moved in. How's that little one of yours doing? I notice you've been doing lots to the place. Bet it starting to look great now. Good for you. While we're talking, I don't want to sound like a miserable killjoy, especially as I know there's no way you're doing it on purpose and you're probably not even aware it's happening, but your smoke is coming back into the flats. It smells quite strongly in my flat and a few other people have commented on it as well. I'd really appreciate it if you stopped and you might want to consider that the smell of weed might attract some unwanted attention as well.

IF they get arsey with you about that and you end up with really bad neighbours, I'd argue that it would only be a matter of time before they fell out with you over something else anyway.