Can my friend take action against her landlord?

[Dorkdiary]

My friend lives in a flat in which the door to her neighbours flat is in very close proximity to her own.

The neighbours moved in last year and have been a nightmare. They smoke heavily (non smoking flats confirmed by agency and tenancy agreement) including smoking narcotics. They constantly have friends over which is obviously not an issue but the friends smoke walking up and down the communal area too and join in with smoking narcotics.

Ironically when the neighbours daughter is over he smokes outside!

Friend constantly has a cough and her child has received medical treatment following an evening where at least five adults all smoking cannabis were round and the child had a reaction. Friends elder child has ended up on an inhaler which has meant they failed their army medical.

Other neighbours who don't even share the flats have complained about the smell and one person has moved because of it.

The landlord came out in the early days (with warning so they could air out the flat) and said they couldn't smell anything .

The police won't act as they aren't selling .

The landlord despite complaints from several sources has said they don't want to evict them.

Friend has even spoken to the council but they are just referring back to the landlord.

Friends flat constantly stinks of cigarette smoke and cannabis.

They can't afford to move .

in short, no. The landlord cannot control the behaviour of the other tenants (no one would want that) and the only recourse he has is to evict them.

he's going to get the full deal and steal treatment sooner or later, so he is stupid not to start eviction, but he cannot be forced. BTW the police won't act even when the dealing starts, they are very hide-bound if it happens inside.

I'm afraid your friend's only solution is to move. Money will have to be raised somehow.

Thanks.
As I thought really. They have even had the child's nurse and GP involved.

It's miserable and I'm pretty sure smoking in communal areas is against the law for a start.

She cannot afford to move. She is on a very low income as she is stuck with hours due to one child's disabilities. They literally have no money to save at the moment.

Oh and I agree the landlord is stupid not to start evictions. I've seen the damage their have done to the hallway so heavens knows what their flat looks like. Landlord doesn't do checks after the initial three months one..

people who live like this dont deserve housing and it must be awful for your friend.

i vaguely recall that there can be schemes to help with deposits and moving costs - hopefully someone with knowledge will see this.