Downstairs neighbour's smoke coming into our flat

[Alltheguilts]

We live in a converted house and in the last few nights I've noticed our hallway smells of tobacco smoke all night. Our bedrooms lead off this hall and we have a 6 month old.

I want to get an air purifier but my husband wants to not spend the money until we've spoken to our neighbour. They get on well but I just don't see that he'll quit smoking inside. And I can't trust that he would as I know addicts can promise the world but don't actually change their behaviour. I also want to ask our landlord to seal our front door better. But husband thinks that's going behind neighbour's back.

Aibu? Any other solutions? Or recommendations for a decent air purifier?

I don’t think you can ask your neighbour not to smoke in his house That seems a bit unreasonable (and, no - I’m not a smoker) You need to find out where the smell is coming in and do something in your flat to mitigate it.

That's what I think. And even if he agreed we can't trust that he'd stop. The smoke seems to be coming under our front door, which is next to his front door in a small shared hallway.

That should be easy enough to fix with some draught-excluding strips, I reckon.

As gross as it is, I agree with you that you can't ask your neighbour not to smoke in his own house. I would really hate it though.

I think I’d start with the landlord. It’d be a little disconcerting to me if I could smell smoke from a neighbouring flat. Isn’t that a little worrying from a fire safety point of view?

I guess you could also let the neighbour know that you’re going to speak to the landlord, but I wouldn’t approach someone and ask them to stop smoking in their own place. Maybe you could take the fire safety angle with the neighbour, so he doesn’t take it personally.

Yep it’s totally gross and I cannot believe people in this day and age smoke, let alone indoors. What about poor visitors 😷
However it’s his house and if his landlord is happy for him to smoke then he has every right to, and it’s not really on asking him to stop. Door just needs sealing better or something. I agree you can’t be expected to deal with the smell and it’s a risk factor to your baby. Maybe show your landlord some pages from lullaby trust which outlines the risk, that way you are backed up, rather than sounding too precious about your baby (although personally I think it’s unacceptable for you adults to have to be in it, let alone a baby. )

Phillips do a fantastic air purifier, but it does make you panic about air quality more as things like frying bacon make it go red. But it apparently sucks pollen and smoke particles out of the air. I don't think you can realistically ask your neighbour to stop smoking inside, so get your doors sealed up more and get an air purifier.

Eurgh gross! And rented properties I’ve been in have stipulated no smoking indoors; guessing this one doesn’t so unfortunately as others have said, going to have to find a way to stop their second hand smoke wafting into your home draught excluders should work, although in the summer when everyone has their windows open it might still waft in depending on the layout. Air purifiers etc might end up working out fairly expensive if left on all the time- if no luck see what the landlord suggests.

If he also rents, I very much doubt he's allowed to smoke in his flat. Most tenancy agreements these days stipulate that smoking is not allowed within the property.
Have a look at your tenancy agreement. If there's anything about smoking, then you can either go to the other tenant if you feel that's appropriate, or go straight to the landlord.

If there's not clause about smoking in the contract (and I'd be surprised), speak to your landlord about measures he/she can take to protect your flat from cigarette smoke.

Not fun with a small baby. X

I am not a smoker, and I wouldn't like this, but you cannot ask him not to smoke in his own home. Expect short shrift if you try.

This sort of thing is a risk that goes with the territory of living in a flat. I appreciate that it sucks if you can't afford to live anywhere else.

The air purifier might help.

We ended up kitting all the cracks near skirting boards etc with silicone and then painted over with super thick anti-tabacco paint.

We have the same issue with chain smoking neighbours, it's gross. They smoke indoors and in the garden, so in spring/summer time when our bedroom windows are open, we have the stench of their fags in our bedrooms. Gross.

I also want to ask our landlord to seal our front door better. But husband thinks that's going behind neighbour's back.

It's not going behind the neighbour's back. The neighbour is not doing anything wrong. This isn't his problem. Try the landlord.

If neighbour's smoking habits are affecting you of course he should change them. If he's living in a shared building he should be considerate to those around him.

I don't think he is allowed to smoke inside but I guess if it's cold and wet outside, you've had a drink, so just the one won't hurt.... then another etc

We live in London so I know we're breathing in all kinds of nasty rubbish, but it breaks my heart to think of my LO breathing in cigarette smoke while he sleeps. Plus the smell is vile. I hope within a few generations smoking will be viewed with the same disbelief as putting cocaine in soft drinks and giving babies whisky to help them sleep.

Is it rented? Do you know if the flat/your converted house is no smoking indoors? I would be surprised if a landlord allowed smoking inside (aside from damage to the property from smoke it a huge fire risk!)

I would report them to the landlord, I'm sure they would like to know that their flat is being rented out to someone who may cause thousands of pounds worth of fixing up when they move out because the smoke will cling to the walls and carpets and have to be removed.

Smoking is gross, why is it still happening in this day and age?

We reported our downstairs neighbours as it's a no smoking building and we're on the top floor and could still smell it! It used to set our alarm off too as the smoke rose to the top. They've been evicted now for breaching the terms of their rental agreement

Is this an existing neighbour but a new problem ('last few nights')?

If so, sounds like your neighbour has changed where he smokes. Ask him that. He may then change back to wherever he smoked before.

Does he rent from the same person as you? If so and your rentals are nonsmoking. Smoke can completely destroy a property (especially if it’s carpeted).

My first thought was he must be setting off the smoke alarms, if not has he disabled them? I thought these were compulsory. As well as checking your lease perhaps you should check your landlord has gas checks and safety checks in place. If your landlord is compliant with the law then the tenant might be at fault in which case I would ask the landlord.

My toaster in the kitchen can set off the smoke alarm in the hall.

If it stipulates no smoking then tell your landlord, it’s not snitching as what he is doing is detrimental to your family and against the tenancy.

I take it you have the same landlord. What does your tenancy agreement say about smoking? Quite a few flats stipulate no smoking on grounds as part of the lease.

If you had a neighbour playing loud thrash metal all day and night would you sound proof your flat and but noise cancelling headphones or speak to the landlord?

This is no different except the nuisance is potentially life threatening to you and the baby both through second hand smoke and fire risk.

Speak to the neighbour (but watch out for an aggressive response). Speak to the landlord. I would be seriously surprised if his tenancy agreement allowed him to smoke in the building

Thanks all. @deadbudgie your noise analogy especially gave me some perspective

I think it’s worth mentioning to him that you can smell it. It seems a logical first step.