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Anyone with experience of a neighbours house that stinks of smoke?

29 replies

SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 11:50

My neighbours house absolutely stinks of stale smoke, to the point where when the windows are open you can smell the house from the street. To make matters worse I can’t have any of my windows open if they also have theirs open because my whole house stinks of cigarettes. It’s particularly bad in our upstairs bedrooms. We even had to relocate my babies nursery to the front of the house because of it.

I’ve contacted the council and they have said they class the smell as reasonable (haven’t visited) because my neighbour is entitled to use the home as they wish. I argued that we also have the right to use our home as we wish and shouldn’t be subject to second hand smoke in our house especially when we have a baby. I am genuinely worried that this could effect our health as we currently have no access to fresh air in our home at all during the summer months, and when we do open the windows we are breathing in smoke instead.

Has anyone had experience with something similar and was there anything you could do?

I want to add I am not complaining about my neighbour smoking, completely appreciate they are entitled to do so and I have no issue with it, as the smell would soon disperse after they finished, this is about the smell inside the property which then makes the whole of my reek.

OP posts:
PragmaticWench · 25/06/2022 12:15

Can you move? I can't see it changing.

Alliswells · 25/06/2022 12:23

Absolutely nothing you can do tbh other than move

Snugglemonkey · 25/06/2022 12:31

What do you imagine happening? There is nothing to be done but move.

RubyandPearl · 25/06/2022 12:35

But you are complaining about them smoking. You just don't want to admit that you are

LadyCampanulaTottington · 25/06/2022 12:38

Oh gods that’s vile. I’d move OP. I actually couldn’t live with that stink. It’s disgusting.

Pumasonsatsumas · 25/06/2022 12:49

I think smells are something you can complain about, along with noise. Take it up with the council again or speak to your neighbour.

hannahcolobus · 25/06/2022 13:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Aquamarine1029 · 25/06/2022 13:12

RubyandPearl · 25/06/2022 12:35

But you are complaining about them smoking. You just don't want to admit that you are

So what if she is? Smoking is absolutely disgusting and is a danger to everyone who is subjected to the smoke and stench.

RosalindFranklinsphoto · 25/06/2022 13:16

Not wishing to worry you but what you described is possibly third hand smoke and might be something you could do research on or if you are in the Uk talk to your local authority environmental health dept if it's as intrusive as it sounds

WestHamAreMassive · 25/06/2022 13:17

Diagram

Purplecatshopaholic · 25/06/2022 13:26

They are entitled to smoke in their own property. You are entitled not to like it. Nothing you can do though - if you really feel it’s that bad you will have to move

AchillesLastStand · 25/06/2022 14:09

You have my sympathies, that sounds horrible. Yes your neighbour is entitled to smoke in their home but you’re also entitled to not have to smell it in your home and have all the health implications and emotional distress that entails. I don’t think smokers can appreciate how revolting cigarettes smell to non-smokers. You shouldn’t have to move. I would insist someone from the council comes to you house to smell how bad it is.

SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 14:41

PragmaticWench · 25/06/2022 12:15

Can you move? I can't see it changing.

We are thinking about it. Just a shame that we should have to even consider it!

OP posts:
SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 14:43

Snugglemonkey · 25/06/2022 12:31

What do you imagine happening? There is nothing to be done but move.

i was hoping the council or housing association it’s with could arrange for the house to be deep cleaned. It’s obviously built up over many years. My neighbour is in their 40s and we’ve lived next door for the last 6. They were there before us. I would imagine it’s all in the carpets etc so a clean might help to get rid of some of the smell

OP posts:
SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 14:44

RubyandPearl · 25/06/2022 12:35

But you are complaining about them smoking. You just don't want to admit that you are

Really not complaining about them smoking. There is a huge difference to someone having a few fags in the back garden, and the smell disappearing in a few minutes, to having your house permanently smell of smoke all day every day.

OP posts:
SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 14:46

LadyCampanulaTottington · 25/06/2022 12:38

Oh gods that’s vile. I’d move OP. I actually couldn’t live with that stink. It’s disgusting.

We are really considering it. I just went upstairs to get some washing and the smell made me feel so sick. It just annoys me that we should have to move.

OP posts:
SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 14:48

Pumasonsatsumas · 25/06/2022 12:49

I think smells are something you can complain about, along with noise. Take it up with the council again or speak to your neighbour.

I think I will get back in touch with the council and insist someone comes to my house so they can smell what we are every day! Unfortunately we can’t speak to the neighbour as they don’t answer the door to anyone and if you see them in the street they dodge. We’ve never had a cross word between us, but there’s some mental health issues on their side.

OP posts:
SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 14:52

This reply has been deleted

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

We can’t speak to them unfortunately as they don’t answer the door to anyone (even the postman). There’s some mental health issues on their side so it’s not as simple as having a chat with them which I would have preferred to do, as I wouldn’t want to purposely upset them by making a formal complaint which I feel probably would be the case if the council actually did something. It’s a difficult situation though because my family shouldn’t have to be breathing it in!

OP posts:
SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 14:53

RosalindFranklinsphoto · 25/06/2022 13:16

Not wishing to worry you but what you described is possibly third hand smoke and might be something you could do research on or if you are in the Uk talk to your local authority environmental health dept if it's as intrusive as it sounds

I haven’t heard of third hand smoke. I will take a look at that later. I am in the UK so will go back to the council again and invite them round

OP posts:
Kerrrmieee · 25/06/2022 14:54

I actually think the smell maybe coming from your house if it's that bad.

Have you checked fans, window vents etc at home.

If you can deal with her having the odd fag, then it's unlikely to be old carpet smells when you open your windows.

There is no way that her as a smoker would live in that. You wouldn't even get that smell from a 1970s pub that opened the window.

SantasComingToTown · 25/06/2022 14:56

AchillesLastStand · 25/06/2022 14:09

You have my sympathies, that sounds horrible. Yes your neighbour is entitled to smoke in their home but you’re also entitled to not have to smell it in your home and have all the health implications and emotional distress that entails. I don’t think smokers can appreciate how revolting cigarettes smell to non-smokers. You shouldn’t have to move. I would insist someone from the council comes to you house to smell how bad it is.

Thank you for your understanding. Youve summed up my exact thoughts on the situation. I have no issue with anyone smoking in their own home, but I do have a issue when I am forced to breath in their smoke on a daily basis. It makes me feel physically sick and it upsets me so much that my baby is having to smell and breath it in too.

OP posts:
Kerrrmieee · 25/06/2022 14:57

Oh of course there are mental health issues too 🙄.

My neighbours of 8 years have only just learned of mine through me sharing, so it's lovely they shared with you so early on.

Summerlovin20 · 25/06/2022 15:01

What do the other surrounding neighbours say op?

Summerlovin20 · 25/06/2022 15:03

@Kerrrmieee yep…

NellesVilla · 25/06/2022 15:08

My sympathies, OP. The stench of smoking is vile. I couldn’t live there.

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