Neighbours cigarette smoke

ZimDee

I have just bought my first flat (shared ownership) on the top floor of a 2 floor block of flats. The building was built in 2012 so is pretty new. The cigarette smoke smell permeates through into my flat from my downstairs neighbour (I think). The smell appears to be strongest in the kitchen (cupboard under the sink) and bathroom. I have tried to speak to the housing people to get a surveyor or someone similar to check how / why smoke is coming into my flat (it's not through the windows), but they have said its my responsibility, which I don't believe is correct as its the building not my flat. Does anyone know if it is my responsibility or if I have any legal leg to stand on as its making me really unhappy as my whole flat stinks of cigarette smoke, I'm already regretting buying it. Thanks

[simon]

Put the plug in the sink - stop cigarette smoke getting in ?

quotememiserable

It's your flat, so if it leaks air, I think it's your problem to seal it up. Doesn't sound like much of a deal, really.

Cakeguts

It is your responsibility to get the surveyor in to find the problem because you own the flat. You have to get someone in to find out where the problem is. Who solves the problem will depend on what is causing it.

G_M

[simon] wrote: »

Put the plug in the sink - stop cigarette smoke getting in ?

How does it crawl round the u-bend?

Unless someone's sucking a hubbly-bubbly....

jimbog

I had this problem in my old house. Go to Poundland and then spend a couple of hours: putting sealant between the floor and skirting, plugging gaps around pipes in the kitchen and masking tape between the floorboards (if it hasn't concrete floors)

The_Real_Cheddar_Bob

I find smokers to be remarkably selfish people. I feel for you, There will be no point in going to speak to them as they will see it as "their right" to pollute your home

nicmyles

I don't have a solution, but we had exactly the same problem - it gets through everything, although ours was an old building. I really sympathise - it made our home an unpleasant place to be and the smokers downstairs defended their right to make the whole building smell terrible. Incredibly selfish people.

Pretty baffling, as downstairs were renters - why anyone would let out their flat and not put a no-smoking clause in is beyond me. Still, backfired when it came time for the owner to sell. The EA was tearing his hair out because the stench was in the walls by that point and struggled to get people through the door.

Keezing

[simon] wrote: »

Put the plug in the sink - stop cigarette smoke getting in ?

If smoke could get up the pipes, there'd be a much bigger problem with sewer gasses coming up!

Norman_Castle

I had a similar problem in the kitchen of my flat. Start by checking behind the sink where pipework goes through the floor and block any gaps. You also need to seal any gaps in the floor and where the skirting meets the floor. Mastic is good for this and as most kitchens have lino the floor will mostly be sealed.
If the smoking neighbour is helpful ask if you can block any gaps where their ceiling joins their walls or any other gaps where smoke could be leaving their flat.

Norman_Castle

[simon] wrote: »

Put the plug in the sink - stop cigarette smoke getting in ?

And that will also stop the water from the sink going into the neighbours flat.