To ask my neighbours if they insist on smoking weed….

[Emille87]

to do it in their back garden as opposed to in their house as the smell is coming into my home. We live in a semi abs we are on friendly terms with our neighbours. They are mid 30’s have two dc and seemed very nice people. We only moved to the area about six months ago and a while back I thought I could smell weed in my hallway but thought nah it must be something else. Well it turns out it wasn’t. My neighbours are full on smoking it a few times a week now and the smell is literally coming through the walls mostly into my kitchen but also into my hall which then wafts upstairs. Other than this issue we haven’t had any problems with the neighbours and they seem nice out dc get on with each other etc. I just can’t take the smell anyone. My dh had said he’ll have a word but I have an anxiety disorder and I know if he speaks to them I’ll be worried and paranoid about seeing or speaking to them when I leave the house.

Respectfully OP, you can’t control what your neighbors do in their home. And it’s pretty cold this time of year — it’s not exactly a small ask to sit outside. And if there are other neighbors they may not appreciate the back garden idea. Can you look into changing your ventilation somehow or get an air purifier?

I agree with @RatInADollhouse, most threads involving this kind of stuff all say that smoking should be done in your own home. I don't really agree with that but the concensus seems to be that smoking should only impact the smokers.

I’ve got an air purifier plus candles and incense burning but it doesn’t mask the smell. I smoke (cigarettes) and I have a garage at the back of my garden as do the rest of the neighbours so i smoke in their as I don’t want my house to smell and didn’t want to annoy the neighbours as I know a lot of people can’t stand the smell. I have anxiety and take medication for this and since moving here I’ve had to up my dosage. Plus I don’t think it’s fair that my dc have to smell weed in their own home.

It’s not just the fact that we can smell the weed. They have young dc so they shouldn’t be smoking that shit in the house period.

Dh has just got up for work and he walked into the kitchen and said he can smell it. So they’ve clearly been up in the night smoking. Just sick and tired of it. My home is clean and I like it smell that way. At this point I’m embarrassed to have friends and family over.

You can ask, but they don't have to do as you say. It's their home they can do what they wish unfortunately.

I don’t think there’s much you can do except move house! You can’t dictate what people do in their own homes, I mean you can ask but honestly we had neighbours who only smoked outside and it just came through our windows so not much better.

Unfortunately moving isn’t an option. We both live in HA’s properties so I’m considering reporting it to the HA if things don’t improve. We shouldn’t have to suffer because of their choices and smoking weed around their dc is surely a safeguarding issue.

I have friends in this situation, with a baby

They reported it to the HA and the police. I suggest you do the same

If they have children I would be reporting it.

Did the HA and police do anything about it?

It won't help. My neighbours smoke weed with the same regularity that other people smoke cigarettes, and they only smoke outside - my house still stinks of it constantly. I wake up every morning to the smell of it through my bedroom window as they smoke it in the back garden, then throughout the day they smoke on the front step and my hall and stairs (and DS's room) get the dubious benefit. It's annoying and it lingers but realistically there's nothing you can do about it.

Report, report, report.
Health Visitor/School Nurse, school, police, HA.

I think it would be a safeguarding issue if they're doing it indoors around the DC.
You have to decide which option you're going for.
I'd report to safeguarding and the local school.
I don't have an issue with neighbours who smoke weed but it is wrong to use it around DC.

But surely it’s anti social behaviour and HA’s have to act on this?

They are doing it inside their home and their dc have been there when they’ve been smoking in the kitchen as I’ve heard them.

The HA would have to act by way of a warning, I doubt they'd evict them and it would definitely sour the neighbourly relationship between you.
You can't really move, I'd weight the consequences up.
Either report anonymously or be prepared for neighbouring war.

In an ideal world yes. My neighbours smoke weed and it comes into my house. I hate it. They're nasty and slightly mental though, so I stuck it up while planning revenge for the day I leave here.

But I expect they'll make your life miserable and ignore you.

What to you live in? A hut,a cardbox?I dont know any building that would allow smoke from weed penetrate walls.if they smoke outside,there is nothing you can do about,apart from speaking to your neighbour about it.

The police aren’t going to be interested in a bit of personal use weed, so you have to go down the Safeguarding route.
That’s why you report to school (although I suspect they can smell it on the poor kids anyway) HV or SN.

But you smoke cigarettes and also have children,- surely they breathe that in even if just off your clothes and skin when you come back from the garage (which I assume stinks of fags).
You seem rather hypocritical.

With respect, if you feel anxious about the prospect of seeing them after your DH has had a polite word, aren't you more anxious about seeing them after they've had a visit from the police?! They'll surely know it was you that reported them.

A polite, friendly conversation should be your first port of call. No need to go for the nuclear option immediately.

I think I’d take up an Indian food habit and cooking it daily. Nice pungent spices.

It might be worth searching for air leaks between the two houses. Either get an expert in who can carry out a smoke test or use an incense stick, go around the perimeter of your house slowly looking for when the stream of smoke fluctuates and is drawn in or away indicating there may be a draught there. It works best if you don't have anything blowing on your side such as fans, heaters, boilers while you do the test and maybe if your house is colder than theirs so there is a difference in pressure. For instance in our last house much of the smell came in around pipes in the cupboard under the stairs which was fixed with additional lagging. If you wanted to make a point you could ask them if you could check or get someone in to check on their side as well, or ask them to turn the heating up to make the draughts more obvious. You could say it is because of all the smells which are going between the two properties. Some of it will be under floorboards which is harder to fix, maybe laminate rather than carpets would help there.

You'd still smell it and complain if they did it in their garden.