Strong curry smells coming into my ground floor flat ..

another_casualty

..Not sure if there's anything I can do tbh.
I live in a converted Victorian house converted into 3 flats .
While there is a random smell in the hallway , my new other neighbours have had curry seeping through my flat once a week .
I assume it's them anyhow .

There is an annual meeting with the managing agents later this month and we all have a chance to mention any issues we may have,whether it's the window ckeanung , trimming of shrubs etc .
I was wondering if I should mention it , and if there is anything that can be done ?
Or is it a case of lighting oil burners and incense candles ? ..:mad:

gabanker

Hello,

In my opinion I think you should mention it as in the long run it could benefit you especially if they help maybe putting some extra protection on your ceiling or their flooring. But remember it isn't your fault that this is happening so they may have words with the people upstairs or fund you for scented candles etc. But I do think you should mention it

Fire_Fox

Oil burners and scented candles are a fire risk. The smoke and fragrance ingredients may be detrimental to respiratory health.

A weekly curry habit is legal and an integral component of many loving relationships. Open your mind and your palate.

another_casualty

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Oil burners and scented candles are a fire risk. The smoke and fragrance ingredients may be detrimental to respiratory health.

A weekly curry habit is legal and an integral component of many loving relationships. Open your mind and your palate.

Unfortunately , I'm allergic to onions and garlic and it doesn't take much for me to throw up . Opening my mind and palate is impossible in this situation ..

Ant555

If it were me, I would definitely be talking about "strong and overpowering cooking smells" that are triggering allergies and possibly even poor ventilation in the kitchen areas rather than "curry smells" (even if that is what it may be)

If the flats are similar then is there any extraction from the kitchen?

another_casualty

Thanks ant .
I have an electric vent over the cooking hob in the kitchen .
In the bathroom I have an electric extractor fan also . The vent believe it or not , goes all the way to roof level . Quite some way up.

When the landlady of one of the flats visited a couple of months ago , she mentioned the smell in the hallway on the way up the stars .
The new tenant has only been here a week . It's annoying as I believe in live and let live etc.
It's the fact that I have a chance to mention this at the annual meeting later this month that may be the best time to mention this.

Fire_Fox

another_casualty wrote: »

Unfortunately , I'm allergic to onions and garlic and it doesn't take much for me to throw up . Opening my mind and palate is impossible in this situation ..

Your initial phraseology and subsequent clarification are completely at odds with one another. Masking the smell of cooking alliums does not make them less of an allergen. All it would do is increase your exposure to other very common allergens and irritants (fragrance ingredients). And potentially breach your tenancy agreement.

If the allergic response is severe enough to be triggered by residents of adjoining properties preparing such a ubiquitous family of ingredients, this would be very disabling. Hopefully you are in receipt of all the state support you are entitled to, and can utilise this to create a more suitable living environment.

The most practical solution would be to move to a larger newly built or newly converted apartment block, or to a detached property in a less built up area.

Newer 'high rise' apartments are subject to much more stringent Building Regulations: those covering extract ventilation and fire compartments are particularly relevant to your situation. 'High rise' in this context is not necessarily large, my block has just fifteen flats for example.

The freeholder or managing agent cannot elect to invest substantial sums in upgrading or altering the building, without formally consulting the long leaseholders. This would be a very slow process, with no guarantee of a successful outcome for you.

It is likely the long leaseholder (your landlord?) is responsible for the flat's extract ventilation, not the freeholder. Upgrading that would need the approval of the freeholder and of Building Control at the local council. Again a very slow process, with no guarantee of a successful outcome for you.

HTH.

Mistral001

I do not think you can insist on the new neighbours not using garlic and onions in their cooking just because you are allergic to them. They are very common ingredients in cooking nowadays.

I would mention the cooking smells in general getting into the hallway to the building managing agents. The building should have been designed in such a way as to prevent this or at least make sure that cooking odours did not linger very long in the hallway. It could be a problem that needs to be addressed if the building owners do not want to have a high turnover of occupants.

troffasky

If cooking smells can easily seep between their flat and yours, it makes me wonder if you're sufficiently protected from fire.

Staticpulsejen

Can you put a curtain up over your door to stop the smells coming in or are they coming up through the floor?
You should definitely mention it to the owner tho as it's in their best interest to not have one of their properties damaged by cooking odours. It would be off-putting for a potential new tenant after that one to move into a property that had cooking odour and would require new carpets and furniture.

casper_g

I assume the cooking smells are a nuisance rather than a health risk, and the OP only mentioned the allergy in response to the suggestion he should eat more curries!

I agree with others that it would be better to complain about the building allowing cooking smells to transfer, rather than to complain about the neighbours cooking curry specifically. The latter makes you sound like a 1970s racist (not that you are, just the unfortunate connotations the phrasing had for me!).