The owners downstairs from me smoke. It seems like it is only on the weekends when I can smell the smoke in my house because that's when all of his friends are over and they all smoke like crazy. The smell is so strong, but only on the weekends. Will this smell stay in my house if its only on the weekends?
By Tracy Soto from Berwyn, IL
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
It will stay in any surface from any time it is next door to you. If you have a good relationship with the neighbors, you can request that they smoke outside. They will thank you once it's time for them to leave, as their place will be much easier to clean.
If you can not get them to do that, you may want to speak to the manager. They can sometimes help, but if the apt. is not "non-smoking", they can't force the issue. Having houseplants helps to create clean oxygen for your home.
I sure hope you succeed in getting some help. That stuff is insidious. If you dampen a paper towel, and wipe down the glass front of a frame, and it's yellow or brown, then the actual nicotine has permeated your home.
It's one thing for them to smoke in their home, but make sure you can protect yourself in yours. You have that right and if you can't get anyone to help, it's worth a move to a non-smoking complex with a manager who does their job.
Good Luck!
I feel so badly for you that it's the owners that live downstairs from you :-( Perhaps you could ask if they wouldn't mind having people, including themselves if they smoke, smoke outside because the smoke is coming in to your apartment and is not good for your health and that the smell is starting to be on your belongings which, yes indeed, probably is if you can smell it!
If they don't take you seriously and you are on a month to month rental agreement I would give proper notice and move. If you're on a long term lease you can call the health department and see if there's anything they can do to help you. Maybe they can give them a citation of some sort where they have to do something to the premises to keep the smoke from filtering in to your apartment. If you do complain to the health department please don't worry about repercussions because you are protected under the law from them seeking revenge!
Also, keep notes with dates and times of who you talked to and what was said and copies of any letters, notices, etc. and keep them in a safe place where the landlords can't sneak in to find them! Good luck to you and please let us know what you do and find out and the outcome :-)
I feel your pain. I had smokers who lived below me too, thankfully they've moved. What I did was I put baking soda boxes in my cabinets, I even put some boxes in the hallway, and invested in an air purifier.
If they only smoke on the weekend, the smell will subside by weeks end, but a lot of good that does you.
You could ask them to smoke outside, but then you wouldn't want to open your windows!
I also want to strongly suggest that you get a few good fire alarms AND fire extinguisher. I've lived in my apartment complex for 10 years now and so far there have been three smoking related fires!
I just moved in to my apartment month ago. The guy next to my door smokes cigarette every second and the smoke comes through vent and the plumbing hole under the sink. I talked to my apartment manager. She is a smoker too. She never responds. I am still waiting response.
If your lease doesn't allow smokers and tenant is smoking, you can notify landlord and ask him/her to correct this violation of lease. If it isn't corrected, you can give notice that you're leaving because it is a threat to your health.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
