Smoking on balcony - rented

Jazzyjeff_2

We rent quite a good flat and recently we have had neighbours move in below us who are chainsmokers. This isn't a problem in the bad weather but the recent lovely weather means they are out all the time on the balcony smoking - the smoke then rises and comes into our flat quite badly (shutting the windows would mean an even hotter flat). Is it worth contacting the letting/management agent about this or not? Surely we should be able to use our balcony and have our windows open without stinking of smoke?

BitterAndTwisted

I think you'll find that your letting agent or property managers won't be interested in problems or disputes between tenants as they often view these as issues to be resolved between the tenants themselves. Have you tried discussing this with your downstairs neighbours?

ILW

Have you spoken to the neighbours?

Jowo_2

Landlords and their agents are generally very averse to intervening in neighbour relationship/environmental disputes or inter tenant disputes. There is no requirement in law for them to do so in England and Wales anyhow.

Quick polite chat with the neighbours could do the trick. Go and introduce yourself.

Jazzyjeff_2

What could I say though as I doubt they are going to want to go all the way downstairs and outside every time they smoke... (which is very often)?

BitterAndTwisted

it's a tricky one but perhaps they're not aware that they're causing you discomfort. They may not care any way once you've introduced yourself and told them but if you don't do it you're stuck where you are now. just cross your fingers and pray they don't think the balcony is a good place to get a smoky BBQ going every evening like my downstairs neighbours. One partial solution might be to get a fan positioned in the window/balcony door and have it blow the smoke away from the room.

maninthestreet

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

it's a tricky one but perhaps they're not aware that they're causing you discomfort. They may not care any way once you've introduced yourself and told them but if you don't do it you're stuck where you are now. just cross your fingers and pray they don't think the balcony is a good place to get a smoky BBQ going every evening like my downstairs neighbours. One partial solution might be to get a fan positioned in the window/balcony door and have it blow the smoke away from the room.

or just dangle a hosepipe over the edge of the balcony and turn the tap on.....

welshy_2002

Are you allowed to smoke in the flat tho? Most rentals, especially decent flats, won't allow smoking.

We had a similar issue in ours a few years ago. New tenants moved into the ground floor and within a week, the car park was littered with fag ends, as they smoked leaning out of the window.. LL sent out a blanket letter to all tenants and they soon stopped.

BitterAndTwisted

it seems to me that the OP's downstairs neighbours are not allowed to smoke in the property which is why they're smoking out on the balcony. Ergo, they are not breaking any of the conditions in their tenancy agreement even if they are causing a nuisance to their upstairs neighbours and this is why the agents or management company won't be interested in intervening. Goodness knows, they often won't intervene when neighbours are being actively anti-social as we have seen from many previous threads on this board before

welshy_2002

Even if your hanging out of the window by your feet, your still smoking in the property

BitterAndTwisted

True: in your case the tenants were smoking in the property but the OP's neighbours are not