cigarette smoke and odour coming up from flat below

cjj9

Hi, I currently rent a small studio apartment,

I have this problem in which the guy below me smokes a lot before work in the early morning and after work late into the night after midnight. I have a rough idea where the smoke seeps in from mainly under the sink piped in the kitchen area and around the edges of the room at the edge of the carpet; however I can even smell it in the centre of the room in the carpet. I am a non smoker and the smell is horrendous particulally when trying to get to sleep, I have been sleeping by the window to breath in fresh air but now it is getting colder it is more difficult to do, I have purchased a few candles and a plug in scent but it doesn’t make a massive difference. Luckily he is not there every night but when he is in around 2-3 nights a week it is really bad.

I appreciate that people will say talk to your neighbour but I have seen the guy that lives there and he seems scary and not someone that I would want ton confront.

I just wondered what peoples suggestions would be, I have heard about sprays and candles with enzymes in to remove the smoke but I cannot find a good UK site that does them or at least ships to the UK. Also I have heard about air purifiers but I don’t really want to spend more than £50(ish) on this. I just want to get something that works well, even if it is eliminating say %80 of smoke and odour.
Thanks for

MaggieBaking

I'd speak to your landlord and mention the problem and request he gets a handy man in to seal up some gaps - if you're not sure you'll be competent enough to do a good job. I'd consider getting some diffuser sticks - these ones smell lovely and are cheap compared to some http://www.lauraashley.com/candles+candle-holders/rhubarb-vanilla-fragrance-collection/invt/rhubarbfra/ (scroll through the items to see the diffuser sticks) My friend has some and hers smell great - just set them up and they gradually release the fragrance. I've found the 3 spray plug in to be the most effective plug in air freshener too.

It sounds like it might have already permeated the carpet, so I'd shampoo them before you mask the smell. You can rent a decent carpet shampooer and it is easy. If other friends also comment on the smell I might be tempted to ask the landlord if he was willing to arrange it. But if it's just a case that you're too sensitive to the smell maybe you should foot the bill.

Opening all the windows for an hour or so a day will give your flat a good airing, and sprinkling bi-carb, or shake and vac on your carpets every month before hoovering it up will help keep them fresh.

lizzywig

Out of curioisity are you allowed to smoke in your flat? When I was renting it was written into our contract that we were not allowed to smoke - and we weren't smokers. The reason I mention it is because the people below us did smoke and when the LL came to do an inspection noticed the smell of smoke and asked us about it. I explained that we weren't smokers and it was coming from downstairs, luckily LL didn't persue it with us. Incidentally LL was not LL of the flat below.

The reason I mention all of this is because I wonder if LL would be interested to know person below is smoking....?

har0ld

Just a thought. Speaking as a reformed smoker myself, I always used to smoke outside , out of a window or at worse one time in the flat but with windows open. If you are opening your windows for fresh air might you not actually be making the problem worse?
Legally you have every right to complain not just to your landlord but also to your local authority, the rules are quite strict about second hand smoke these days - thank god I don't have that to worry about anymore - it's a shame and just so "big brother" but we are all more sensitive to the smell of smoke these days partly because it's so rare!

myhooose

An article about the problem here.

http://lifehacker.com/5852754/how-do-i-keep-my-apartment-from-smelling-like-smoke?!!!!!ask-lifehacker

McKneff

har0ld wrote: »

Just a thought. Speaking as a reformed smoker myself, I always used to smoke outside , out of a window or at worse one time in the flat but with windows open. If you are opening your windows for fresh air might you not actually be making the problem worse?
Legally you have every right to complain not just to your landlord but also to your local authority, the rules are quite strict about second hand smoke these days - thank god I don't have that to worry about anymore - it's a shame and just so "big brother" but we are all more sensitive to the smell of smoke these days partly because it's so rare!

You can certainly complain to your landlord but the council have no jurisdiction over you smoking in your own house/flat. And thank goodness for that...............

cjj9

Hi thanks for your replies,

The situation is that I do not actually know who my landlord is it is actually all done through an estate agent. I am not sure the person below has the same landlord though as when I was doing the check in it was mentioned so he might have another landlord or may even own the property (I just thought you wouldn’t rent a place and then only be there half the week but you never know). It says in my tenancy agreement that whilst it doesn’t actually say anything about smoking it does say you cannot cause any damage through tobacco related smoke etc.

I really want to tell the estate agency about this issue but I have a feeling the first thing they will do is simply send a letter to the other flat about this and it won’t take a genius to work out that it is the flat directly above that made the complaint.

missmonster

Hi,
I feel your pain.. I too am having a similar problem.
I have added to your post instead of creating a very similar one as any advice offered would be useful to both posters.

Our flat is constantly smelling of smoke from cigarettes (and of cooking meat). This might seem petty to some readers, but we are life-long non-smoking veggies and its not a nice smell for us.
As the property is listed and belongs to an unhelpful HA i am feeling trapped in this situation.
I have tried putting bowls of vinegar out and use those absorbent carbon packs. I use a mountain of air fresheners too.
I cannot just leave windows open all the time because we live upstairs and i have a small child; its also very chilly to do so.
My neighbour smokes throughout her flat and must be a heavy smoker due to its abundant smell.
They are not the most approachable of people either.
I do not have any desire to control what or how she lives her life but i dont want us to have to participate with her, besides, if we can smell it then it is having a harmful effect on my childs lungs.
Any further cheap ideas to help please?

mymedi

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do apart from moving...
Nothing you do will actually address the problem. It may mask it by introducing other smells or changing the smell, however the harmful smoking particles will still be around.
The only solution is to actually try to air proof your flat from below, but that's impossible in a rented situation.
Sorry. I've been there before.

maninthestreet

cjj9 wrote: »

Hi thanks for your replies,

The situation is that I do not actually know who my landlord is it is actually all done through an estate agent. I am not sure the person below has the same landlord though as when I was doing the check in it was mentioned so he might have another landlord or may even own the property (I just thought you wouldn’t rent a place and then only be there half the week but you never know). It says in my tenancy agreement that whilst it doesn’t actually say anything about smoking it does say you cannot cause any damage through tobacco related smoke etc.

I really want to tell the estate agency about this issue but I have a feeling the first thing they will do is simply send a letter to the other flat about this and it won’t take a genius to work out that it is the flat directly above that made the complaint.

You have a legal right to know your landlord's name and address.