My neighbours really smell…heeelp

[sjxoxo]

I can see the ridiculousness of my issue BUT the smell is becoming unbearable for me to live with. We are attached on their side so our houses are joined.
The houses are very old- ours is having some renovations done, theirs was done several years ago so they’re not doing any work or anything like that. There is this horrendous stench from their house and I can’t for the life of me understand what it is. They are in their 30s and just had a baby like us, we are friendly. I can tell when their back door is open because I can smell the smell.. I have racked my brains as to the source but I just can’t think what it could be- it is quite a specific type of smell, kind of musty but sweet. Its constant, so not occasionally there- I can smell it any time their doors are open. I don’t think it’s a ‘rotting’ smell but it does make me feel a bit queasy; it’s thick, heavy and smells very very stale. Sort of sweet but not in a nice way. I wondered if they could be cooking with a certain type of oil or a fryer. I’ve never had one so can’t compare. I’ve been into their house before several times and it’s overpowering to me inside - it’s quite dirty (I don’t mean that as in insult) and their kitchen is on our side of the house; I can smell very strongly when she is cooking with her oven and the smell then is like an oven that’s full of grease and never been cleaned. You know when people have ‘their’ smell in their homes - obviously we all do and they are just that - it’s like theirs is really really intense and something is off with it. I don’t know if the smell is related to the oven; i have mentioned to her before that I can smell her oven and she did try and improve that but I just am at my wits end with it & don’t know what to do! I have these horrible thoughts we’ll all be on a Netflix doc in 20 years talking about something very sinister!!!! Heeeelp. Anyone have any similar stories or manky smells? Should I say something? What would you do?

I don’t live in the UK so I’m not concerned about it being outing xo

Imagine the smell of walking into a butchers with that blood smell but all the meat is rotting....

OP your neighbour is smoking weed. Or indeed growing it if they don't smoke around baby.

My neighbours smoke it, it permeates my house. We have vents in the walls, I'll wake up at 12pm on the dot because they've gone out for their last spliff.

If you really want to know, leave a pork chop at the end of your garden for a week or two in hot weather.

Patchouli? Incense? Ask them ‘there seems to be a funny smell out here, do you know what it is? Kind of sweet/sickly. It makes me have migraines …’

They may stop if they realise it’s a nuisance.

Doesn't everyone know what weed smells like? I think you'd know if was that.
I'm loving your reasons why it's not that though 😂
Jam making parents with jobs still smoke weed.

Rat infestation? When the carcasses rot you can smell them.

I don’t think it’s weed as that’s got quite a nice smell and you would get used to it quite quickly if it was there all of the time.

I think it’s the oil they use. Probably stuff from a deep fat fryer that they haven’t cleaned.

Oil really affects me and the smell of a small amount can make me gag.
I know straight away if a house uses a deep fat fryer.

I remember going away for the weekend and before I left I tried sausages in a frying pan with a small amount of oil and when I got back my house still stank of it.
I think the smell must stick to fabrics.

If they use a fryer often and don’t open windows much then I can definitely see their homes smelling.

I don’t think there’s much you can do about it though!

If you’re friends you could talk about you’re thinking of getting an air fryer as you want fried chicken but can’t be bothered cleaning the oil out all of the time etc. So she gets the hint that you need to clean it.

If it’s not oil I can’t think what it is (unless they burn insence) as you would know the smell of pets.

Weed that is not being smoked smells very different to weed being smoked.

It’s the only thing I think of that smells strongly enough you could smell it next door. And they might be using a lot of air freshener to try to mask it - hence the sweet smell.

Does the house have an attic? That’s probably where it will be

People saying weed I’m not sure however Heroin smells sickly sweet and weird when that’s smoked- and often people who do heroin also do weed.

doesn’t sound like a typical heroin user from this though.

Could it be cockroaches? If it is you’ll soon have them too!

Some ideas from personal experience -

Nappy bin. Some people have those bins that you keep used nappies in and they are grim. They smell even with lid shut (especially the compressing ones). Or they may use reusable nappies and have them soaking/drying etc.

Do they have cats that wee on the carpet or furnishings as that smell is impossible to get out. Lingers. It's really noticeable.

Smelly rugs with food like milk on them.

Dirty tea towels/cloths

Not emptying rubbish bins regularly.

Being dirty/untidy/not neat isn't cause for concern on its own but can indicate neglect with other things too. You don't say the little one is anything to be concerned over. Just its impacting you. If it's really bad you can call council to come and investigate.

Why is everyone saying the same thing about bloody weed?!! 🤷🏼‍♀️ Ok sure OP knows what weed smells like and therefore this would be an entirely different thread if the neighbours were indeed smoking weed.

They probably just need to deep clean their house OP, including the oven.

Seafood is also a smell that lingers. Especially if they cook it a lot and leftovers/bones/shells. Chicken carcass is the same.
We has neighbours years ago who were constantly boiling up fish things and the smell pervaded everywhere but really nothing to be done.

Surely they wouldn't smoke weed around a baby??
Ask them if they have noticed a strange weed-like smell in the neighbourhood.

Surprised to see people saying barely anyone likes the smell of weed. I bloody LOVE the smell. Always inhale deeply when I catch a whiff!

Maybe they're brewing their own beer. We do that occasionally and the mash has a distinct sweet smell.

I could politely ask if they are using a fryer?? I think that is possible!!

you’ve previously told them you can smell their oven, hinting now they must have a fryer you can smell won’t be polite, no matter how you dress it up!

Do they have an indoor cat?

Litter honks if not kept on top off.

To the poster who said weed smells nice and you'd get used to it - no!

I went mental at my neighbours (Mum and teen kids both smoke it) got DDS uniform off the line and it stank.

We are council housed - I am the newbie, but they still built a smoking she'd and started going up to that.

Didn't last though 🙄 A neighbour 10 doors up can smell it if the wind is that way.

Baby poo smells like what you are describing too - do you they are stockpiling dirty nappies? Jam? No thanks!

Why do you assume 'very conservative' people don't do drugs??? Do you know them very well, no, so don't assume anything.

I know someone married to a paid up Tory, live in Surrey, very conservative, he works for the government, she's a GP, and he smokes weed, skunk weed to be exact which stinks to high heaven and lingers for ages. They live this double life, to all their neighbours and colleagues, right wingers, but to a close circle they are open about being dope fiends.

Do they use a lot of star anise in their cooking?

I would say litter tray or nappy bin too.

Surely everyone knows what weed smells like?!

It brings back awful memories for me. I never used to mind, but it's a bit like smelling an old aftershave or something - straight back there. Which is awful when it wakes me at 12am (think said 12pm last spliff before lol - if only)

Some interesting ideas. I really don’t think it’s weed. I think I’d know if it was! They wouldn’t even go on a night out- they are very reserved, I would say ‘old before their time.’ I suppose I am worried it’s mixe or cockroaches that sort of thing. I’ve seen no evidence of either only this stench!!! I think I’m going to say something and see if she uses a fryer. x

If someone has never been around it they might not recognise the smell when it wafts their way. Might think it's just incense or something. I reckon there's loads of people who don't know what it smells like. Not everyone lives in or spends time in areas where it's everywhere.