Smoke from neighbouring apartment

[WorrisomeTime]

Hi all, I'm in the middle of purchasing an apartment and it's come to light the elderly neighbour is a serious smoker and smokes in their flat. The communal hallway that services 3 flats stinks of cigarette smoke. The first visit I was told it was just builders smoking as they were in and around the building that day, but on the second visit I realised they were lying.

The apartments smells okay, but the information online suggests most of the harmful compounds from cigarette smoke are odourless so smell alone isn't a good indicator. There isn't really a safe minimum and all second hand smoke should be avoided. Is this a big enough reason to cancel the purchase?

I'd be smelling this every day as I enter and exit my apartment and who knows how much is getting into the apartment? the hallway is fire safe, so that means fire doors and very little to no ventilation. I also can't vouch that smoke isn't leaking in at certain times of the day when I am not there. Short term I can stomach, but being exposed to it for long term worries me.

The apartment ticks all the boxes in being spacious and of a good price and I've been looking for 2 years. But I am also a hypochondriac so I don't know if I'm being unreasonable or not.

This is just immensely frustrating, I'll lose a £1-2k on solicitor fees if I pull out, and one months worth of time and effort.

Thank you.

I would cancel the purchase. We have next door neighbours that smoke so much you can smell it through the walls. I worry about the damage it’s doing to my children’s lungs. We didn’t know this when we bought the house.

I would cancel the purchase. You know this neighbor is going to be an ongoing problem. You basically just found out that your apartment is worth much less than you thought.

Definitely cancel. Living with secondhand smoke would be very unpleasant and you’re right to be worried about the chemicals you can’t even smell. I’m sorry you’ve had this disappointment and wish you the best of luck with your onward search. £1-2k is nothing in the grand scheme of flat-buying. Oh and well done for doing a second viewing and spotting the problem.

I'd be tempted to arrange another viewing and really have a thorough look around everything in this apartment, you've been lied to, so are they hiding anything else?

You could pull out of the sale or if you feel you can live with the smoking neighbour offer a price significantly below what you've agreed in light of the information.

The chances of an elderly person not having fire retardant furniture would be too much of a risk for me.

Nope.

I think I am going to pull out. It seems to be a significant issue with others from what I've searched online dealing with smells in their home and it being a nightmare. I thought I could live with it but there are too many unknowns. I'd naturally be breathing this in each day as I will need to open my door. The elderly neighbour keeps all their windows closed as well so naturally any smell would not escape other than into that communal area, and possibly my flat.

I'm just really frustrated with myself for not spotting it sooner and kept talking myself into going ahead with it. It is a larger flat as well with minimal service charges so it was a steal. Fingers crossed the solicitor bill isn't too high.

Definitely pull out. You don’t want that. My late father in law was a very heavy smoker and use to fall asleep with lit cigarette in his armchair apparently. Luckily for my mother in law the cancer carried him off before a house fire occurred and took her with him. With it being flats and him being elderly, it’s a big fire risk also.

I would retreat. If its bothering you enough to post here before you've even moved in I think it will continue to bother you. It certainly would be enough to make me cancel and find somewhere else.

Thanks all, I really appreciate it. I am just frustrated because I've been looking for so long so it would be very difficult to find a flat of this size and location at this price. I think I'll have to buy a 1 bed maybe, or spend quite a bit more to get the same sort of thing.

Why is such a large flat with attractive service charges being offered for such an attractive pri ... oh, wait a minute,

Definitely pull out. You will smell that smoke every time you leave your flat and it will get into your clothing so that you will have a continual smell of smoke on your clothes and hair even when you are inside your own flat. As has previously been mentioned, it is also a fire hazard, especially as the smoker is elderly. You will find something much more suitable soon.

Omg no way I could not buy this flat!! Pull out