Smell from neighbours

[LovesAutumnColours]

My house is less than 10 years old. My neighbours kitchen is the other side of the party wall. Every time they use their electric oven a foul smell pervades my whole house. There must be a ventilation problem somewhere.
Household name building company that constructed the house, the NHBCC and buildings insurer all refuse to investigate the problem.
Who should I employ to investigate? I know there is a problem somewhere.
Local council have suggested I log incidents (easy it's almost every day) and say they will investigate smell as a form of nuisance pollution but I am good friends with my neighbour and don't want to start a war. Please help

Have you told your neighbour?

How do you know it’s from the oven?

Yes. I asked them if they could smell my cooking smells and they said no. I told them I could smell theirs. End of conversation sadly.

I know they have a huge damp problem in their property. I don't

It's definitely coming from their house into mine.

Pretty sure it's a ventilation problem but I have no idea how houses are built or how to investigate the problem

The only suggestions I have is to get someone to take a look at their ventilation. You've already made them aware of the problem and you have a good relationship, so try Check a Trader for someone and take it from there.

I wouldn't bother with Check a Trade. The traders buy leads for the work and are not, in fact, really checked.

There is lots of good advice over on the chat board where the OP has already posted this.

I agree with you regarding Check a Trade.

I thought I had moved my post from Chat to Property (new user) but it didn't work which explains why my post appeared in 2 places

When you say a foul smell - is it just that you don't like their cooking or is it a smell that could indicate a problem with the electrical installation?

They are good friends and very good neighbours. I have been around to theirs to eat loads of times. Which is why I don't want to upset them in any way

@Toffeeeapple I didn't get a chance to read your msg before it was deleted

To clarify it's not a normal cooking smell. It's more like if someone's kitchen bin had sat for a fortnight and it was somehow slightly burnt. It's very strange

Sorry, didn't mean to sound rude about them - it was just that you described it as "foul" rather than as cooking smells, it made me wonder if it was something more complicated than just being ventilation. It made me think of when people say that overheating electrics can smell fishy.

I wanted to ask the same - do you mean foul like a sewage leak or do you mean you can smell what they're cooking and don't like it?

It doesn't smell like poo or a recognisable cooking smell.

It really is like an indoor compost bin that's been sitting there and is smouldering. It's hard to explain.

It does coincide with the times I know they will have their oven on.

I think something wasn't constructed properly when the house was built. I know nothing about building houses so I don't know what it could be

@UptheGary Please read my comments. Thanks

Sounds like a problem for @PigletJohn

I'd rule out an electrical issue.

@UptheGary They have had work done upstairs but not in the kitchen as far as I know.

They have a big damp problem which as far as I know is ongoing and they are ignoring it.

I have booked an appointment with a building surveyor now who will investigate my side of the party wall. It's costing me £400

I need to get to the bottom of it

Could it be a dead mouse/rat inside the wall and when neighbours put oven on its making the smell worse?

@pigletjohn Any advice please?

@@LovesAutumnColours if you haven't already, be really clear with the surveyor what the issue is and ask what tools they'll bring and what they'll need access to, to avoid having to come back again (and charge again). I imagine it would be useful to bring some kind of remote camera to look into the wall / venting.

@LadyofRutshire It could be. I have made an appointment with a buildings surveyor now. I really hope he can advise me as to what is going on