To wish our neighbours wouldn't smoke on their balcony?

[WanderingNotLost]

Now I know people have the right to smoke on their own balcony if they want to. But here's the thing.
My and DP's flat has entirely south-facing windows, so when it's warm and sunny the place turns into a furnace. The thermostat read 35° when we got home today. Our building is an L-shape, so there's a flat on the floor below us whose living room balcony is below and to a right angle from our bedroom window, and the people who live in it have been smoking out there- presumably so their flat won't smell. We had our bedroom window open to try and cool the room down, and now it stinks, and I mean really stinks of cigarette smoke. I won't be able to sleep in there tonight.
Again, I know they can smoke on their balcony. But would it be so hard to show some consideration, when they can see that our bedroom window is open and their smoke is going right for it?!
Aargh.

Too keep your flat cool, stick with keeping windows shut and blinds down during the day. Only open your bedroom windows once the outside temperature is actually lower than the temperature in your bedroom. Also, try hanging a wet sheet / wet curtains in front of the open window just before you go to bed.

And have a look at the reader comments below this article:
www.apartmenttherapy.com/beat-the-heat-without-turning-89459

Some of the ideas like a windshield reflector type of thing, the wool insulation and the plants sound like they might be worth a try.

Haha Paul much older and basically don,t give a shit...

Luckily I don,t live in innit

country...

op, I live in a similar situation where I would be the smoking neighbour. If my neighbour felt this way about me I would absolutely mortified and would do my best to sort something out to suit both parties.

Have a word with you neighbour, a previous poster mentioned something about sending up a text when they're going to smoke which would seem ideal if they agree to it.

ifly words fail me...

I can sympathise but as you said that your not the one creating the problem, you are the one with the problem. Why should they have to pay for a fan for you etc... its not their fault that you have a problem and I feel your being unreasonable by not even seemingly willing to compromise e.g getting a fan.

What happens if they have a bbq on their balcony and the smell of sausages drifts in, are you then going to complain about that? Because sausages can be bad for your health and those burgers have terrible amounts of fat in.

They aren't technically stopping you from opening your window or keeping it open but you are trying to stop them from smoking on their balcony.

I am a smoker but can smell it very strongly when my partner smokes and it is vile. I would suggest some plug in air fresheners for the time being and when you next see them just politely ask if they could smoke the other side of the balcony. They are not doing anything wrong and unfortunately it isn't their fault that you have an aversion to the smell or smoking in general. At the end of the day if they agree to your request of moving to the other end remember they are doing you a favour.

I'm on the fence about this one, I see where you are coming from but just think you are being a bit selfish and unreasonable the way your going about it.

Hope it gets resolved.

yea, words fail me too about that..

Will it make a difference if they smoke at the other end of the balcony? I smoke on my balcony and I'd compromise if it annoyed my neighbour. Not smoking out there for at least an hour, giving you time to air your flat out?

Emily

So far I haven't 'gone about' anything. But it stands to reason that I wouldn't need a fan if they didn't smoke under my bedroom window, so why should I have to lose money solving an issue I haven't created? I'd say it absolutely is their fault that I have a problem- and unlike them, I don't have money to burn...
We're not allowed barbecues on our balconies, the HA is very strict on that so that's not really an issue.

Best way to cool a room isn't always to air it - especially if theres not much of a breeze as the heat just seems to float in.

Get a blackout blind/curtains and keep them closed. If its really hot, have a fan on.

Honestly - its like an icebox in a fiery sea of hell and its amazing. I discovered it while working nightshift and having to learn to get some sleep when the sun is blazing brightly and temperatures are soaring without having to open windows to noise - especially in summer holidays with the kids off.

I was sympathetic until your last post which sounds a leeeeetle bit crackers. You are the one with the problem and if it bothers you then yes you should invest in a fan or something. It maybe unfair in your eyes but why around they pay to compensate you for doing something perfectly legal in their own home? It's a pain but that's what happens when you live with other people around.

Iflyaway you sound like a nut job...
And if you were smoking weed and it was coming in my house I would phone the police.

YANBU, OP.

One day our children and grandchildren will look back and shake their heads at how nuts we were in tolerating this vile habit. It'll be in Horrible Histories circa 2100. Mad Milennials.

Talk to your neighbour (find out who they are). If no joy, speak to your LL/residents' association if you own about the potential for limiting smoking on balconies.

Here in Germany courts have ruled in similar disputes that the parties must work out 'smoking' and 'smoke-free' times of day and stick to them.

Sympathies op. We have the same problem with south facing windows. Usually find closing our dark curtains makes a difference. Also have neighbours who smokes, wouldn't dream of telling them to stop. I close windows and open when they are done. A couple of summers ago she was smoking cannabis, so I also count my lucky stars it's only tobacco now.

Bloody awful this type of thing. What about a portable air conditioning unit then you could keep the windows closed.

Its awful isnt it but sadly nothing you can do. Its one of the reasons we left one of our rental flats as new tenants had taken to smoking under our window outside. One month of the smell and not being to open the window we chose to leave.

No I don't give a shit about puffing a cigarette or a joint when children are being indoctrinated to blew themselves up.

I'm not sure where to begin with the utter crapness and immaturity of this type of reasoning.

We found another flat on top floor away from any windows to rent instead so enjoyed a smoke free summer. Sadly only thing to do!

Not quite the same but in our previous house our next door neighbour used to smoke out of the back of her house, which was right below our bathroom. So I used to have to have my morning shower being choked on her awful fag smoke. DS bedroom was also above her back door so we couldn't leave his window open when it was hot. It was unbelievably annoying but like others have said there's not really anything you can do to stop people from smoking on their own property. I wish you could though!! Full sympathies.

. But it stands to reason that I wouldn't need a fan if they didn't smoke under my bedroom window, so why should I have to lose money solving an issue I haven't created?

I was with you up until this point.

I'm afraid when you live in a flat, you do so on the understanding that you are living above, below and next to other people. And that means more noise, smells and disturbance than if you were living in a detached house miles from neighbours.
So you might have to shell out on ear plugs, or a dressing gown so they can't see you walking around naked, or underfloor sound insulation for your or another flat

In your case, a cheap and simple fan would help and you are being deliberately obnoxious and obstructive to say you shouldn't have to pay for what is still your problem.

Or if you don't like it, move. There is probably a small Scottish croft that would solve the problem but probably won't make for a great commute for you...

It's threads like this that make me wish we still had the old "chuck the chamber pot out the window" thing going on.

So you have a fan but you just don't want to spend money on electricity but would happily stop people doing something perfectly legal albeit unhealthy on their own property?

Here, have a grip, I think you need one!!!

I sympathise.... Even more so now that I've seen the diagram. We had neighbours who smoked in their garden all the time and it was a nightmare for us. Luckily they moved after a year! I've lived in a south facing flat too and they can be very hot.

Clutching at straws here but could you put a smoke detector on the balcony? When it goes off you could rush into bedroom and close the window!

I do think it's worth trying to talk to them. If you don't know which flat they are in, can you see them from your window or balcony? Could you call out to them politely next time you see them and ask if they can move to the other end?

But it stands to reason that I wouldn't need a fan if they didn't smoke under my bedroom window, so why should I have to lose money solving an issue I haven't created?

I felt for you until this. If you're unwilling to do something to help your situation then nothing will change, your neighbours aren't doing anything wrong.