Stop smoke smell from coming into our apartment

[sarah54]

We live in an apartment complex that has a lot of heavy smokers. We do not know how to stop the smoke from coming into our house.

We have tried an air purifier, candles, towel under door, incense, febreeze.

We don't know what to do, our eyes hurt and we are scared for our 7 month old daughter who is breathing all this smoke in.

What can we do?

 

[Wirral_Kitty]

Hiya, I'm in a different part of the world to you (UK) and I am going through the same thing with my neighbour for the past year (boy, I hate him!). Here there is a law that states its creating a 'statutory nuisance' and not allowing me to enjoy my property (I cant have doors of windows open as he is standing on his front or back door step every 30 minutes smoking). I have to let inspectors in and allow them to spend a day here to 'monitor' the situation but I think its completely subjective and have not asked them round yet. My neighbour doesn't think he is doing anything wrong and in his words he 'raised 2 healthy children with him smoking constantly' (if you call being 40stone each healthy)...he's just a pig-headed old man! My neighbour on the other side has just killed her husband 2 weeks ago through passive smoking and I cant feel any sympathy for her. I just want clean, fresh air for my LO. I've not long put my house up for sale as I can't bear it any more! I hope you can sort it out though! x

 

[sarah54]

Oh that's terrible. I hate smoke smell as it is but to have it in our house is just disgusting!

We have just bought some foam insulator strips so hopefully once we get those up the smell will be less offensive.

Good luck to you!

 

[Abz1982]

we have the same problem as folk smoke in our stairwell. Its illegal to smoke in enclosed public places here, but an apartment stairwell is classed as Private . Our lat stinks of smoke in the morning, we have no carpets as emma used to puke a lot. The council have said there is nothing that can be done . And to put carpets down as that will stop it, Which we dont want to as athe floor is crap.

 

[summer rain]

We had this problem with the idiots upstairs smoking on their balcony and flicking the lit butts onto our balcony and the smoke wafting into our lounge, apparently they were smoking out of their back windows as well and some of the butts they flicked went into other people's windows (our windows open from the top) and a child in their back garden was injured by this (the bottom flats are designed for disabled people and have a garden), loads of people complained but it only stopped very recently. There is a problem with people smoking in stairwells in other buildings on this estate but thankfully not ours xx

 

[AP]

Our neighbour has just started smoking in the stairwell, it infuriates me and if the landlady knew she'd hit the roof. No-one else in our stair stands for it, so I've printed out a notice and going to stick it on the main door. I was furious to find he had been sitting smoking right next to my buggy and I don't intend to let my kids endure it, especially with DD1 having/had chronic lung disease.

It's ridiculous how some people can't have the decency to think of others-and I do smoke from time to time!

 

[Abz1982]

Our neighbour has just started smoking in the stairwell, it infuriates me and if the landlady knew she'd hit the roof. No-one else in our stair stands for it, so I've printed out a notice and going to stick it on the main door. I was furious to find he had been sitting smoking right next to my buggy and I don't intend to let my kids endure it, especially with DD1 having/had chronic lung disease.

It's ridiculous how some people can't have the decency to think of others-and I do smoke from time to time!

Is it next to your door he does it? Anyway you can spray him with something from your letter box? lol. OR, Leave a bin bag losely tied full of dirty shitty nappies next to his flat - cos you 'forgot' to take them outside to the bin (damn that baby brain)

 

[brandonsgirl]

Im not sure if its the same in canada, but ive recently found out that there is a thing here called 'right to quiet enjoyment' or something like that. Are you renting? Are you both renting from the same landlord? If so, your landlord should be who you go to right now for help. If nothing is done i think you can complain to your local housing authority about your neighbours disturbing your right to live in a quiet safe enviorment.

My best mate a couple of states away is also having to go through this at the moment. If she comes up with a solution i will be sure to let you know.

 

[Buffaloed]

The high capacity air purifiers with a true HEPA filter work great. Last July, there was a large industrial fire nearby and I didn't even smell it while some of my neighbors had to evacuate. I just leave it running on low all the time. It sounds like an airplane taking off on high. It eliminates any kind of odor. Get the biggest one you can afford. Avoid models that use ionization, humidification, or say things like "HEPA-grade filter" or "HEPA-quality filter". They're basically scams that can do more harm than good. I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00007E7RY/