apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We had a problem with this last year. What we ended up doing was sealing the joins between the ceiling and wall and floor and wall everywhere that the smoker's apartment abutted ours. Because management was helpful in our case, we got them to seal his apartment too. But even just sealing your own should help.
If the sealant doesn't help, you have legal remedies. Under the Landlord-Tenant code, you have a right to be free of unreasonable smells, which definitely includes smoking! If the problem continues unabated, you can withhold rent until it is solved.

Two simple/quick steps that may help-- insulate your outlets (switches and outlet plate). I found quite a bit of air and odors comning in from a neighbor's through my light switches, believe it or not.
And I have recently discovered the Oust (battery operated) fan. It's tiny, runs on a D battery (included) and actually removes odors (although it is definitely scented).

...everyone on the floor should pitch in the money and by the smoker the air filter...get it at the source!...

I don't have any solutions but I wanted to say that you are not alone. I live in a new building that was redone with a cheap renovation (no bathroom cabinet, towel rod, or toilet paper roll holder, and a shitty toilet seat, shower head not really attached to the wall, a large hole in the wall from construction under the kitchen sink that was never closed up and I had to block so my kitty wouldn't keep going inside it, etc.) and everytime the musicians from upstairs decide to burn incense, we get it too. We have an attic space that has a wall that is open to all its innards, and it's too big of a space for our landlord to close off, I guess. I've basically gotten used to it and it doesn't make me sick anymore. We even have a crack in a wall where the new walls meet the old brick walls, and at night the light from the hallway shines through.

For odors, I would suggest Zero Odor, www.zeroodorpet.com (it's not just for pets, that's just the best website of theirs). Their spray actually chemically neutralizes odors, not just covering them up like Febreeze. They have an explanation of how their formula works in the "How Zero Odor Works" section.

You could also just gently ask them if they smoke and admit that you smell it from time to time. Be nice about it -- they have all the right in the world to smoke in their own house, but most smokers understand that you don't want their smells in your house. I asked my downstairs neighbor if he smoked and he said that his wife was the culprit. When she realised that I could smell [and hear] anything that she did near the radiator, she switched to using another window and the smell mostly vanished.

Venta Airwasher.

Just get one, you won't regret it.

I agree with the post above. I'm a smoker and, if a neighbor told me they could smell my smoke, I'd adjust somehow. What I use in my own home (since college) is Zeolite. It's a volcanic rock that absorbs odors (works for litter boxes too. Highly effective. Whe it stops working, you put it in the sun for a day or so and it works again. I majored in art history and do not understand the science. It works all the same!

www.allergystore.com/odorcontrol.htm

We have asked the building manager to add weatherstripping (or some sort of soft impermeable barrier) around the doors, both to ours and that of the smokers, but they've been quite slow in doing so. I'll probably just head down to the nearest hardware store, pick up a roll, and see how that goes, but as you've said, smells find their way in.

I hadn't thought of a HEPA or other air filter until now, so that'll be another great thing to try.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Forget about solving the problem. Revenge is more fun. Just take a massive, smelly, dump on his front porch each morning. Attach a sign to the shit each time that says "SMOKERS DIE!!!!" That will make you feel much better. Maybe he will get a hint.

can you buy zeroodorpet anywhere besides online?

(I must first admit that I'm not in NYC, though I do live in an apartment.)

The smokers in my building stand in the breezeway outside of my apartment to smoke, since they aren't allowed to smoke in the building. That's what I get for a street level apartment, I suppose.

The woman with the apartment across the breezeway from mine, who is in the same position of dealing with the smell, recently stole a "No Smoking! Oxygen in use." sign from her work at the hospital. Interestingly enough, it quit the smoke smell 100%. I think the smokers think they are going to blow up the building.

At any rate, prominantly displaying that on some level near the smoker's apartment might have some positive effect. Other than that, I used to avail myself of Lysol's air neutralizer. A lot.

Hi all,

I understand the aggravation that can come from dealing with second hand smoke. Just remember that you do have the right to breathe clean air, and live in your home without nuisance or breach of quiet enjoyment. And in the USA there is no right to smoke in your home, that right is a myth. Especially when it comes to apartment living. There is no right to smoke, especially if you harm the health of others. Few people know this fact.

What i meant to say in the above post is that there is no law stating a person has the right to smoke in their own home. People of course do have the right to smoke.

It is also illegal to poison someone. Second hand smoke is a poison, and in some legal cases has been viewed upon as a malicious act.

Hi,
I have a problem with a chain smoker that lives above me. The smoke coming into my apt is unbearable, and the guy is just a jerk about it. Ive been very polite and asked if he could please do something to ventilate the smoke. Instead he just continues, and i am sick a lot of the time because of his smoking. Building management has been of no help. I have been very depressed over my living situation. I own the apt, and moving wont be so easy, moreso now because my apt stinks like smoke, i fear it will be hard to sell the apt. I pray a lot for a solution. I appreciate any thoughts.

Mary,

If you are ill because of the smoke, document your health condition. You could initiate a lawsuit against him. Similar law suits have been filed and won. In this day and age, the courts favor the health rights of non smokers. It is very rare if nonexistent for a judge to assert the rights of a person to smoke and harm themselves and others. That is a thing of the past.

wow the smokers on here are nice. The lady I live next to has been nothing but rude and horrible. We told the landlord (i live in an apartment) that we could smell the smoke through our cold air returns and it is BAD. My husband and I have bad asthma. We have done everything from sealing the cold air return vents, sealing them acutally shut, even bought a $400 air purifier to see if that will help and that should be here sometime this week. When we confronted the lady about it she came out of her apartment screaming that it isn't her problem or her fault that she smokes and that we have asthma. I can't believe some people exhist like her. Our landlords solution is for us to move. This building is owned by a huge company and should be responsible. IF we end up moving they will pay for the move and our doctor bills. We found out the reason the Landlord is so willing for us to move is because he is a smoker himself. Its just not fair.

Hi Megan and everyone,

I understand how you feel. I live below a spiteful man who chain smokes cigars. I have made many complaints and asked for help with the situation but received none.

Recently i contacted a lawyer who contacted the dept of health in my state. Consider contacting the dept of health in your state in writing about the situation. You will be surprised how fast the dept of health will inspect your building and fine the owner.

Also it is illegal for building management to tell u to move i believe. But that doesnt stop them from breaking the law. Especially when that person smokes, then it becomes the ignorant sticking up for more ignorance.

I agree that some smokers are very nice people, and some are not. Did you know that smoking causes serious addiction and mental illness? That could be the explanation for the deranged personality your smoking neighbor displays.

I live in a house that shares a common fence with a lady who is on her back patio smoking at least every 15 minutes. I have a rather large covered patio so the smoke seems to ALWAYS BLOW MY WAY and gather on my patio. It is so bad that when my dogs come in the house, they reek of cigarette odor. I guess what makes it so hard is that I am an ex-smoker who quit 9 years ago. If I knew I smelled like a smoker, I would have quit long before. Any thoughts on what to do if you live in a house, unlike an apartment? She just moved there 5 months ago and is not very friendly.

My situation is similar to Trish's. We live in connected townhouses and, approximately every 20 minutes, our neighbors gather on their back deck to smoke. Because our units are so close - their deck is only a few feet from our back door - the smoke quickly permeates our entire house.

We live in Pennsylvania and have contacted the local township, boards of health at the local, county, and state levels, and one attorney. All told us the same thing: if you don't like it, move! Of course, we spoke first with our neighbors and asked if they would consider smoking in a different area. They told us to go make love to ourselves, just not in those words :-)

We've been enduring this situation for one full year now, and my asthma has worsened significantly because of it. Is moving truly the only option? Does anyone know of any other possible solutions?

Thanks to all!

Chris

These were good reads. It was helpful to know that I am not the only one suffering from a smoker who lives below me. She fills my condo full of smoke and ruins my quality of living, plus I'm asmatic. But it's against the By-Laws to hang a wind chime in the balcony because the noise will bother neighbors???

Check out this link and read about some very interesting stuff. http://medicolegal.tripod.com/condoaptcases.htm

When I heard that banning smoking inside one's own private home was on the anti-smoking agenda I thought that was goind too far. But now that I'm a victim of balcony-smoking I can see how a law like that is needed. It's catching on!

Wow, some people are real jerks!!! I have a very similar problem as well. When I was about 5 months pregnant my husband and I moved into the indoor aprtments that we live in not only for locatiopn but also because it is strictly a non-smoking building throughout. Our daughter is now 7 months old. We are smokers but no matter what the weather, rain, snow, hail...we always go outside to smoke and promptly change our outer clothing and wash ou hands before we even think of handling our baby. Living here was ok until the lady below us moved back in from being gone for awhile. She smokes in her apartment. We can smell it in our daughters room everytime she smokes. We have asked her to stop and told the management several times. Our neighbor in turn left a letter on our door explaining how she barely smokes and complained about our other really noisy neighbors, and was basically upset about stuff completely off the issue!!! Our apt manager says she has gone in her apartment while she was at work and didnt smell anything even though every day I myself, being that I do not want to place false blame, go downstairs and "sniff" her door and the smell of cigarettes is very strong. I just the other day complained to the apt manager again and she insists that she is going to "remind" her not to smoke. It has been stated several times in our monthly apt newsletters that smoking is prohibited within the entire building and anyone caught smoking will be evicted, but for some reason the management cant seem to stand by their word and just continues to "remind" the culprits instead of taking the action that they had promised. Im really pissed that my daughter sleeps in an enclosed bedroom with drifting cigarette smoke that just sits there while she sleeps and breathes it in. I really just want to punch her in the face for being so damn inconsiderate!!! There are several other rules that are constantly broken here and management is very neglectful......anyone know how I can get this isssue solved and/or where I can report this issue for management and/or my neighbor to stop??????

Hey everyone,

I'm glad I'm not the only one with this type of problem. We've recently moved into a new apartment, and the lady downstairs is a smoker. When she smokes, the smoke comes into our apartment and also penetrates the stairwell very badly. It also gets into our closets and pantry. Ugh! Some mornings when I get up the digusting smoke is the first thing that greets me. I have asthma and it's constantly being triggered by it. Sometimes if the smoke gets real bad my head starts to hurt, and my eyes and nose start burning. We've got air fresheners and we've tried opening the windows, but that usually makes it worse.

Problem is...this woman is so nasty that the previous occupants of this apartment warned us about her. I don't want to start any trouble but the smoke is REALLY bothering me. I've tried to deal but sometimes it's hard. I'm sure it would be easier if I wasn't asthmatic but it's not like I can make THAT go away.

I definitely want to get an air purifier but they seem pricey. Until then, does anyone have any advice? Thanks. =)