I had the same experience and I repainted everything with Killz, scrubbed every surface, to no avail. You're going to have to move I'm afraid. Luckily, it's a reason to get out of your lease.

You may need to paint with an odor-blocking product. You should be able to get it in the same color if you're not supposed to change the color in the rooms.

Wipe down all cabinets and doors, etc. They'll probably be sticky with tobacco residue.

You'll probably need to spring for having the carpets cleaned again. It would be great if you could take them up.

I don't envy you this project. I've had to do it myself, too. Good luck.

Lived in a place like that. To start we scrubbed and applied multiple layers of Killz paint on the walls (ours was maybe slightly worse, there was wood paneling, and when it came down there was honestly tar oozing out of the walls). Had to replace all the flooring. No amount of cleaning could get the smoke smell out of the carpet. That stuff gets locked in by the pad under the carpet, and steam cleaning doesn't seem to get that deep. Even then, there was still a slight smell when the house was closed up for a while. We also had to change out all the filters for the heating. Forced air + old smoke and tar = super gross everytime the heat came on even after the walls were painted and the carpet was replaced.

It was a ton of work, and we never really got the smell out.

most people clean paint and scrub top to bottom but are missing a main factor - the ducts - all that smoke has been accumulating tar and smells in the duct work - i've had clients (realtor) get new duct work done or have their ducts cleaned and it helps a lot - some companies even put a deodorizer in the ducts for you

I guess some people are more sensitive to the smell than others. I used to smoke in my old apartment. And let me tell you, I was a HEAVY smoker, and the place smelled like a 600 square foot ashtray. When I quit, I washed everything - carpet, walls, floors, all the furniture, every article of clothing and piece of upholstery. EVERYTHING. And then I opened the windows. Within 2 weeks, the smell was completely gone (and I'm not the only one - friends commented that they absolutely could not detect the smell and how remarkable that was considering how bad it had been). And that was it.

I suggest repainting with an odor-blocking primer (don't forget the ceiling!), recleaning the carpets, and giving the entire place a thorough scrub-down. If that doesn't fix it, then either you are living in the former home of the Marlboro Man, or you are one of those folks who is so tuned in to the smell (or so used to smelling the smell) that you will never be free of it.

The ducts! curlsz is right. I worked in an apartment rental office and we had one unit that had 1)carpet replaced, 2)walls repainted and finally 3) all ductwork replaced before the smoke smell was gone.

I think Dutch Boy makes a paint with baking soda in it that's supposed to help with odor. It's a good paint, though I can't speak to its odor-blocking powers because no one in my family smokes inside or has a smelly animal.

I'm interested to see where this goes! I recently moved into a basement apartment that, while it reeked when we moved in, it (mercifully) didn't have much in the way of carpet padding and we were able to get rid of most of the smell with a good Bissel-ling of the floors and repainting the walls.

You've also lucked out in that you're in Georgia, and can probably leave the windows open for long stretches of time. We'll see how well the stench stays out of my basement in the dead of winter, when all of the windows are locked down and we're living off of recycled air like astronauts.

I lived in an apartment like this before. I washed the walls, the cabinets, even on top of the cabinets. Pretty much any surface that is exposed has tobacco stuck to it. I remember pulling down globes for the light fixtures thinking they were ivory in color only to wash them and find out they were bright white.

Because it's a rental, you probably don't want to spend too much on repairs. Talk to the landlord about possibly replacing the carpets and supplying paint, or at least the paint color, so you can repaint the rooms after you wash the walls.

Good luck.

When I worked in apartments we once used a deodorizing service that came in and did... something... I don't really know what, but it sure worked! It was a little pricey, but your landlord is the one who has to pay for it. That's what the deposit they got from the last tenant is for!

In recent years they've done studies that determine that 3rd hand smoke (that residue that you smell in your apartment, your clothes, your hair, anything that's been exposed to the smoke) is also carcinogenic.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/third-hand-smoke/AN01985

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/03smoke.html

If you have a restoration company come in, they can set up an ozone machine (there is also a very green option as well). This process is used in places where there has been a fire and they need to rid the place of the smoke and soot smell (which gets into EVERYTHING) and neutralizes it. High end hotels utilize this process as well for fires and cigarette smole smell in their rooms as there are the people who inevitably smoke in their non smoking rooms.
This really is the only thing that will get rid of the smell entirely outside of replacing all porous surfaces.

I've used a product called Vamoose http://www.vamooseproducts.com/ on cigarette smoke damaged furniture with fantastic results and it can be used on whole houses. It actually breaks down and eliminates the tar deposits that are causing the stink. The only downside is that as it's breaking down the tar it gives off a very chemically smell (they call it the "conversion odor"), and it's something you would probably not want to be in the house for. However once the conversion odor fades the cigarette smell is GONE.

I used it on a leather couch I purchased for cheap off of craigslist. I could smell the cigarette stink from 3ft away, it was gross! I doused it in Vamoose and let it sit outside to air out. The next day I walked by and could smell the conversion odor from 8ft away. "Oh great!" I thought, "now it smells even worse!". The next day I walked by and smelled nothing. I got closer and smelled nothing. I stuck my face in the previously stank ridden couch and smelled NOTHING! This stuff really works! I promise I'm not on their payroll or anything, I was just so tickled with the results!

Now it's not particularly cheap ($60/gal plus shipping), but really anything you have to do to repair the smoke damage your landlord should be paying for since they misrepresented this house!

I agree with Muffy, just leave the windows open as often as possible, and let it air out. The smell should be gone within a couple weeks. You do have to be a little bit patient, though...

I can’t personally attest to this, but a friend has been happy with products from this company: http://noodor.com/p/smoke-smell-odor-damage-smoking-cigarette-tobacco.html

If it is really bad, there are companies (like Servicemaster) that clean up after fires, so there are definitely products out there for this. For example: http://www.winsol.com/smoke-prods.htm

Bottom line: This is your landlord’s problem to address.

I can attest to the persistence of this problem. I once lived in an apt whose previous long-time tenant was a heavy smoker. The apt had been re-painted, but the nicotine would bleed right through the new paint. I’d wash the walls and it would come right back. So yes, you have to re-paint and use a stain-blocking primer.

Turn on the air with the windows open for a few days to get it out of the duct work if your landlord won't have someone clean it out.

Get your ductwork cleaned and leave the windows open constantly (as much as possible, anyway). We're military and while we haven't had that problem ourselves, we definitely understand not wanting to move again!

My right who is a real estate agent said there is something you can buy that comes in a bucket. You open the bucket and leave it in a room for 24hrs and apparently you can't tell the room was ever smoked in after. Not sure what it is called but she would suggest smokers use it in their house before they sell.

I agree that this is an issue to take up with the landlord- however, depending on your landlord, it may take some time. If you're really desperate (and it sounds like you are), tell him you're willing to organize and pay for everything (wall painting, caprpet cleaning, whatever you decide) and you'll deduct it from your rent that is due the next month, and mail him/her an invoice and receipts for the work.

Had the same experience as arroyo with the tar bleeding through the new paint. Not sure how leaving the windows open would take care of that...

ask your landlord to replace the carpet - and the carpet padding.

http://servpro.com/

This is the company that was used after a fire in our apartment. They use the ozone machine someone mentioned earlier. It really helped with the smell. Looks like they also do duct cleaning.

Best of luck!

Yeah, it was pretty horrifying. We replaced some of the drywall behind the areas where the wood paneling had been. Porous material locks the tar in >.<. We also made the mistake of just painting over it with regular interior paint the first time. When that didn't work, we scrubbed the walls, primed them, painted them with killz twice, and then a layer of paint on top of that. I swear by the time we were done I wished we had just replaced ALL the drywall. The truly scary part to me was that that tar, that horrible tar, was a byproduct of what someone did to their lungs.

Would a HEPA filter help? Just to filter odors out of the air as their released by the walls/floor. Obviously it wouldn't clean the source of the problem.

I have no idea if this will work, but there's the product used in dog kennels called K.O.E. (Kennel Odor Eliminator). Minda you I find dog piss and cigarettes on the same stink level. However, when I volunteered at a kennel that had smokers and dozens of dogs, when this product was used it didn't smell like dogs or smoke. Just saying, might be worth a shot.

@chesterandtrudy- There really isnt a lot you can do for it short of tiling over or replacing dry wall. The previous owners of the house I grew up in smoked like chimneys for 30 years. The walls in the bathrooms would bleed a tar yellowbrown everytime someone took a shower without using the exhaust fan even after multiple coats of kilz and paint. Eventully we just painted the bathroom yellow so it didn't look so bad and resigned ourselves to scrubbing down the walls as part of regular weekly bathroom cleaning.

My family had this problem when heavy, heavy heavy smoking tenants moved out of our rental property after living there for about a decade. The place reeked to the point of making your eyes water.

I'm afraid all the carpets had to be ripped out and replaced. The walls, ceiling, fixtures and every other surface were scrubbed with TSP and everything repainted, and all the windows were left open for a month.

We didn't have to go so far as replacing the duct work and our new (non-smoking!) tenants have never complained.

Frankly, I think it is extremely bad form on the part of your landlord to rent the house in that condition and it doesn't bode well for your future regarding repairs, maintenace issues, etc. I'm pretty sure this is sufficient grounds for breaking a lease, but I would consult your local tenant advocacy group for advice before telling your landlord to either fix the problem or find new tenants.

Your health is being compromised by staying in that house, and if you have children their little lungs are breathing in all that cigarette residue.

Vinegar helps a bit but if it's stuck it's stuck.

I use an ozone machine (Breeze AT from Eco Quest) and it works wonders on nearly every smell including cigarette smoke. It's a bit pricey, but it beats having to move every time you encounter smoke.

The problem won't go away. I think the carpet is the source. Change the carpet. You weren't there when it was allegedly cleaned. Your landlord may be lying and you may be paying a rent increase for the cleaning he never did. You did say you rented over the internet? This may have been a signal for the landlord that you were an easy prey. Show him that you are not, and act as soon as possible because the more you wait, the more you try to fix it yourself, you are giving the landlord reasons to say that you are responsible for the problem.

Smoking is disgusting. The residue is only one aspect of that. But it's in the air, and it's sticky, and it sticks everywhere the air goes. Scouring every surface clean is the starting point, and it's never going to work to paint over it, you have to clean first.

If your landlord is also a smoker, he might not even notice (or care.) But if it were me, I'd ask nicely and make a fuss if necessary to have professionals REALLY clean to eliminate the odors, including the ducts and vent fans and all fabric surfaces as well as walls, ceilings, and floors. If the carpets still stink after cleaning, they should be replaced, too.

It's a health and confort issue. I had a mother who was a chain smoker her whole life, and her house literally nauseated me to the point I couldn't visit. Sensitivity to that stink is nothing to joke about. I hate to think what the second hand smoke of my childhood did to me, and what it currently is doing to family members of smokers.

Good luck!

I do not envy you! My brother bought a house that was a fixer-upper and we thought the walls were cream. Then when the previous owners moved out there were white squares on the wall from hanging pictures. It was disgusting! We went at it with sponges and bleach and after a while it got better. We could tell we were getting the tar off when the walls started turning white again...

Thank you all SO much for the advice! As a military family we really don't want to move again. I have contacted our property management company to have them resolve this issue. I have told them that we would make all of the necessary arrangements and deduct the cost from our monthly rent. Here's hoping they will comply. If any of you think of anything else, please let me know! Thanks again!

I hear you have to rent an ozone machine to do it properly.

BellaFox, NOOOO!!! You offered to shoulder the cost of your landlord's responsibility yourself?? If they can't provide a house that is clean and livable, you have every right (legally speaking, not just figuratively) to demand that they deal with the problem until the place *is* clean and livable. If they cannot fix the problem, as other posters have said, this allows you to reneg on the lease and get your deposit back.

When my husband and I first got married, my in-laws bought us a used couch and loveseat set. Sadly, it came from cigarette-smokers. Initially, we moved it into my parents' home because we didn't have our apartment yet and my mom is highly allergic to cigarette smoke. My husband's brother suggested putting a halved apple under the couch at various intervals. We scoffed ... but we did it! And it worked. The apple contains antioxidants that absorbed the offensive odors.

I hope you resolve this issue without apples, but if not, try them. :)

Buy a couple of cans of Ozium and spray the walls, ceilings, rugs. Leave the house for a couple of hours. Get the A/C ductwork cleaned, shouldn't be more than $200-$300 unless the house is huge.

A trick that people who buy foreclosures use; coffee grounds. Leave them in the open, or in drawers etc. until the odor is gone, then paint. Use the cheapest coffee available. It's worked for me in the past, but I don't know how bad your problem is.

In my first owned home, I removed all the carpet and all the other old furnishings possible. I scrubbed nearly every surface, then painted nearly every paintable surface that remained, all while leaving the windows open as much as possible. I put in many hours of unpleasant labor, and it took months for my new home to seem decent and healthful. When some baseboards were replaced after over a decade without smoke exposure, the temporarily exposed bits of wall still reeked! If I were a renter in your situation, then I'd move.

Room Shocker is amazing, and cheaper and easier than repainting.

http://www.biocidesystems.com/roomshocker1.html

Just make sure you get enough (I used two for a 450sf open plan+bedroom apartment). And if you have pets you'll have to find a place for them to go for the day. I timed it with a drop-off dental cleaning for the cat.

i've heard that placing open cans of ground coffee works to absorb bad odors,may not work for cigarette smoke, but i know first hand it helps with pet odors..good luck

Can one use any of these stench removing techniques directly on a person? Co-worker? Business associate? Friend?
This week a lady visited me at work, trying to sell me a service. First she sat in her closed car, smoking. She parked right in front of my window, so I saw her spray something into her mouth, and then she came in. Like so many woman smokers, she must have doused herself with half a gallon of perfume that morning. That helped about as much as spraying deodorant on dog poop smeared on the sidewalk.

Wash all walls and surfaces with a TSP product (best). Paint if you can. Wash windows. Especially clean all around where the air uptake is on your air handler and put in a new filter.
Feminine douche product often works well in the carpet cleaner machine (lots) then go over a second time with Charlie's soap in the carpet cleaner machine... Let it set a few days and go over the carpet a third time with a small amount of Charlie's soap in the carpet cleaner machine.
Set up an attic exhaust fan to pull air through the house, or a box fan in a window. We lived in Georgia while in the military, moved on to Paris in 18 months. Wishing you well.

@medusa12120 Chill out! I laughed.

To the point: I don't have a solution but I can commiserate. My place smelled a bit when I moved in, but the worst is that I live with a heavy smoker below and on top of my unit, and their smoke travels through my vents and into my place. Kind of have to deal with it since one of the smokers is my landlord.

I do remember scrubbing the walls of my dad's house as a kid to get rid of the nasty residue. Maybe you've already done this, but if not it's probably worth it. My dad was a medium-heavy smoker and I was shocked and grossed out at how discolored the walls had been by all of that smoke. I can't remember if it had any impact on the way the place smelled, though.

With the focus on what is it *supposed* to be on: I find that Ozone machines create a stench almost as bad as cigarette smoke. If you are sensitive to smells, I would recommend finding a new place. You could stipulate to your landlord that he or she needs to have the whole place repainted and all flooring removed and ducts cleaned to get rid of the smell, or else let you out of your lease. Many landlords, when faced with this kind of clean-up project, would rather just give you a 30-day notice and let you out. Good luck!