Neighbours smoking weed

Jamiesmum

carolinemarie wrote: »

It's not exactly a healthy environment to live in is it?

It's just a smell, though? It's not much different to living next to smokers who smoke cigarettes in the garden. It ain't nice if you don't smoke and I understand that but I'm not sure how it's affecting your childrens lives.

Or people who deep fry everything (I used to have neighbour in a block of flats who done that) the smell made my tummy turn and quite often we would fill up with smoke. But we just learnt to close the windows when he was cooking and got some air fresheners and left it in the hall.

You could ring non emergency police from a pay phone about possible drug dealers but unless they are actually dealing I doubt much would be done.

Why aren't they approachable? Have you spoken to them at all about anything else? And why do you need to complain? Just ask them if they can give you a couple hours a day in the garden so the kids can play. Worse they can say is no.

HappyMJ

Jamiesmum wrote: »

It's just a smell, though? It's not much different to living next to smokers who smoke cigarettes in the garden. It ain't nice if you don't smoke and I understand that but I'm not sure how it's affecting your childrens lives.

Or people who deep fry everything (I used to have neighbour in a block of flats who done that) the smell made my tummy turn and quite often we would fill up with smoke. But we just learnt to close the windows when he was cooking and got some air fresheners and left it in the hall.

You could ring non emergency police from a pay phone about possible drug dealers but unless they are actually dealing I doubt much would be done.

Why aren't they approachable? Have you spoken to them at all about anything else? And why do you need to complain? Just ask them if they can give you a couple hours a day in the garden so the kids can play. Worse they can say is no.

It's not that bad is it.

Second hand smoke will only increase a child's chance of getting cancer by just 24% in adult life.

http://www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/secondhand-smoke

Jamiesmum

HappyMJ wrote: »

It's not that bad is it.

Second hand smoke will only increase a child's chance of getting cancer by just 24% in adult life.

http://www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/secondhand-smoke

I get it.

But you can't stop someone smoking in their own back garden because you have children. They are probably smoking outside for a reason. Second hand smoke is everywhere it can not be avoided. Sure she can close her windows and keep the kids locked indoors but they'll probably encounter more smoke on a day trip out than from the neighbours garden.

unforeseen

HappyMJ wrote: »

It's not that bad is it.

Second hand smoke will only increase a child's chance of getting cancer by just 24% in adult life.

http://www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/secondhand-smoke

As that is talking about smoking in the same household then the figures will be lower for the effects in a house next door due to the dilution of the smoke

Samsonite1

As long as it was not a big issue financially, I would just move. It is clearly causing a lot of stress and a relatively small amount of money (potentially) is not as important as your sanity!

Of course, you can always end up having bad neighbours in the future, but again you can always move again if needed - at least renting makes this easier.

moneyistooshorttomention

jimbog wrote: »

Plug up every gap you can find with paper and get some cheap bathroom sealant from poundland to seal it.
Then lift the carpets and get some masking tape to seal all the gaps between the floorboards.
Do one room at a time

In your position - I'd be looking to do that sort of amendment first.

But - you are entitled to be upset about the issue - as, after all, I think everyone knows these days about the effect of "passive smoking" on other people nearby. That's ordinary cigarettes we are talking about. Goodness knows what effect passive smoking of drugs might have.

If the blocking up suggestions dont work and you are still being expected to be a "passive smoker" of drugs - then I'd be checking out the wording of your rental agreement. There must be some phrase somewhere in it that allows for a break clause in exceptional circumstances. I'd quote that wording as to why I needed to invoke the break clause.

In worst case analysis situation of there isnt a break clause of any description then:
- I'd ring Shelter (the housing charity) and ask for their advice on this.

If they didnt have anything useful to say to help me break the agreement - then I would be making life heck for those letting agents and letting them know I would be holding them legally liable for damaging my health (ie by forcing me to be a passive smoker of drugs). They would get the message - in no uncertain terms - that "Put my health at risk like this - and you are going to be the ones getting the fallout from this.".

As a house-owner I could ring the legal advice service I have (ie as an add-on to my standard household insurance) and I would be asking if I could put in a legal claim for forcing me to be a passive smoker. I dont know if a tenant would have anything equivalent on their insurance???

moneyistooshorttomention

Jamiesmum wrote: »

I get it.

Second hand smoke is everywhere it can not be avoided. Sure she can close her windows and keep the kids locked indoors but they'll probably encounter more smoke on a day trip out than from the neighbours garden.

I'm quite surprised at someone saying that in 2016. Secondhand smoke just doesnt happen anymore these days in my experience.

I recall a couple of decades back being frequently forced to be a "passive smoker". Colleagues smoked at work. People smoked in pubs. "Friends" smoked in meetings. It was impossible to get away from it at that point in history and I can recall just how oblivious the smokers seemed to be to this and to the number of times the rest of us had to come home and take off a set of clean-on-that-day clothes and wash them (ie because they reeked of smoke).

But I honestly cant recall the last time anyone smoked near me. No-one has done so so far this year. I dont think anyone did so last year. The last time I can recall is a workman surprising me by lighting up a cigarette in my garden the year before last (ie 2014).

I recall ripping a bedspread smelling of smoke off a hotel bed when abroad on holiday a few years ago - and very publicly carrying it down to reception desk and dumping it there and requesting replacement.

That's how rare passive smoking is these days.

GwylimT

rtho782 wrote: »

While I sympathize and am very much anti-drugs, I do wonder how you can think this is affecting the health of your children?

They are breathing in cannabis smoke, likely cut with tobacco smoke, the health effects are pretty obvious!

Pixie5740

How on Earth could the OP hold the letting agency legally liable for their health? That's just BS. 1) The OP's contract is with the LL not the LA and 2) neither the LL or LA can be held responsible for the neighbour's actions.

The OP talks about losing her deposit but she is in fact legally responsible for paying her rent until November. As it's a 6 month fixed term tenancy it is unlikely there will be a break clause allowing her to terminate the tenancy any earlier that that. She can certainly try and negotiate an early surrender with the LL/LA but that could cost her a lot more than just the deposit.

OP, if the smell is that bad did you not notice it when you viewed the property?

Rather than complain to the LA you'd have more luck dialling 101.

(My downstairs neighbours (just moved out this month) smoked cannabis so I do know what it's like.)

Katgrit

Sigh. Only on MSE would you get posters arguing that there's no ill effects of children passive smoking drugs. The OP wanted help and advice, not a discussion on whether or not what's bothering her should be bothering her. It's simply not possible to see all the smoke and fumes, the majority isn't visible. I can't believe the audiacity/stupidity of some posters.