Cannabis smell coming from neighbours house

[Pinkorchid5]

Hi I just wanted some advice on this situation. I am living in a terraced house so my property has neighbours each side. I am pregnant and will be expecting in few months. When my neighbours smoke weed the smell is coming through the cupboard underneath the staircase into my living room. The smell is very strong and gives me a head ache. It’s got to the point where I have to open the widow and put towels at the bottom of the door. I am also concerned because I don’t want my baby being exposed to it when they arrive. I’m not sure how I should address this.

I'd just pop a note through their door. They might be mortified that it's affecting you so much.

Most probably they won't care and neither will the police or council, sorry. Those are the three routes to try though. If there's some way you can block it from your side that'll be the easiest thing I expect. Having lived in flats even with concrete floors though it comes up through the floor/ceiling, so I'd look at moving TBH because I think you won't be able to properly block it out. in the summer you'll find them doing it outside and it's not like cigarette smoke it lingers, so you'll not be able to put your washing out or open your windows. Some people don't mind living next to weed smokers because they're always stoned so tend not to be troublesome in other ways. I bloody hate it though so I know how you feel.

Possibly. Think I’ll try having a word with them about it.

@AmberItsACertainty

Most probably they won't care and neither will the police or council, sorry. Those are the three routes to try though. If there's some way you can block it from your side that'll be the easiest thing I expect. Having lived in flats even with concrete floors though it comes up through the floor/ceiling, so I'd look at moving TBH because I think you won't be able to properly block it out. in the summer you'll find them doing it outside and it's not like cigarette smoke it lingers, so you'll not be able to put your washing out or open your windows. Some people don't mind living next to weed smokers because they're always stoned so tend not to be troublesome in other ways. I bloody hate it though so I know how you feel.

I’ll see if I can get the walls sealed in the cupboard cause the smell is only coming from there. If it still persists then having a word would be the next option I think. Moving is not an option as I have a mortgaged property and have been before they started renting the property next door.

I'd report it but I doubt anything will be done. I've got weed smokers above me and despite this being very expensive the managing agents are too idle to do anything at all

worth contacting their landlord; look the property up on rightmove to see if there was an agent, you can contact the landlord through them.

be aware that eviction is effectively stalled and the backlog is now approaching two years. The landlord will want to know that this is going on but there is nothing he/she can do for quite some time.

selfish saddos. I'm so sorry for the stink.

The gaps are probably in unplastered walls, where faults in the brickwork have not been hidden and blocked. Especially in back-to-back fireplaces, and in the walls behind skirtings, below floors, and above ceilings. Exposing them is harder work than filling them.

You can also get a PIV ventilation system, that blows air into the house (usually through the loft ceiling). They are most often bought by people with a damp problem that they don't rectify, but by putting a slight positive pressure into the house, they cause air to blow out through any gaps, rather than allowing draughts in.

They will not work if you have windows and doors open as the air pressure, which is very slight, will escape.

Hi OP, I'm a bit late to this thread, but wanted to say that I feel for you. We've recently had to deal with regular weed smokers next door (proper skunk, all day every day); if I'd been pregnant or with a newborn I would have been absolutely incandescent with rage over the situation.

Like you, we own, and the weed smokers have a council tenancy. We did initially try to address it with them in person, but they were aggressive, and so we took it to the police. I had to log every single incidence of cannabis use through the police website, which was very tedious, but the end result (six months later) has been a Community Protection Notice, which seems to have put an end to it. It has been a long slog, and obviously the neighbours hate us now, which isn't great; there is also the risk that it might devalue our property when we come to sell.

If I were you I'd try addressing it with you neighbours at least once. If a request from a pregnant woman doesn't make them change their habits, then you'll need to ask yourself whether you are ready to deal with the stress of taking the police route. I'd like to think that a private landlord would think twice about renewing a tenancy once a Community Protection Notice has been issued (if it gets that far). Good luck!

My neighbour (semi detached) smoke weed a lot, both father and son. For some reason it is strongest in our bedroom, possibly due to airbrick? I know this is a temporary solution but I put on a diffuser at night with essential oils and it does seem to clear the smell so I can sleep

Oh, and one more quick bit of advice - if you do try speaking with them, try to record the conversation surreptitiously. If they are nice about it you can just delete the recording, but if they are aggressive about maintains their habit then you have evidence that can be taken to the police. (I did this, and it helped to get the police to take our concerns seriously. The council didn't give a monkeys, but that's another story).