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Window fans sound like a good idea. But window fans might just bring the smoke in. Does anyone know? L

I had no idea that landlords were expected to disclose that other renters in their buildings might be smokers or have other possibly offensive personal habits...

...Geez - just close the darned window and open another one somewhere else.

i think smoking is more than just an "offensive personal habit." what if a tenant has asthma or an allergy to smoke and other irritants? isn't it illegal to not disclose that info?

Yeah, obviously bepsf is a smoker. You should go down and talk kindly to your neighbor about it. Let them know politely that you have been smelling the odor and are concerned it may be a potential health hazard. If they are good neighbors they will take note and smoke somewhere else.

Perhaps if it's bothering her to an extreme degree, she could talk with her neighbor. Her neighbor might have no idea.

and if they are sucky neighbours which they quite possibly could be they could double their cigarette breaks and you could be inundated with smoke. if so. buy an old bike tire and set it on fire in a bucket you hang out your closed window. wonder how she'd like the smell of that coming in her windows. tee hee.

I think the fan sounds like the best bet. You just have to have it blowing out the window, not in. I don't think talking to them will work. Its hard to convince someone not to smoke in their own place.

There are a bunch of smokers living around me who like to smoke outside. Sometimes I put a fan facing outward in the window, primarily to pull hot air out of the room, but it also helps push the smoky air away. Otherwise, my air purifier does a good job of getting rid of the smoky smell.

Thank you, commenters all.
I have a similar situation with downstairs neighbors smoking on their patio, which is on the same part of the building as most of our windows. I didn't want to tell them what to do on their own patio, but I am only 30 and have already had breast cancer. The smoke Terrifies me.
I was going to just learn to live with the sinus problems that air conditioning gives me. But since I know I'm not alone in being really bothered, I'm going to try talking to them first.

Your neighbors could be a lot worse. Landlords do not have to disclose that nor would they usually even know or care. Big deal. Get a fan or shut the windows. (I'm not a smoker btw.)

Call me crazy (and I'm not a smoker) but I think people should be allowed to do what they want in their own homes/patios. I too would be bummed if my downstairs neighbor smoked right below me, but I would be prepared for them to not take the suggestion to smoke elsewhere kindly. I think I'd try to find a solution, like a fan, first.

I've never heard of "smoking" vs. "non-smoking" buildings, just hotel rooms.

i've rarely seen a residential building here in vancouver that will let you smoke inside, and all public buildings now have a law stating that you have to be a certain number of meters away while smoking (it's kind of funny watching my friend from a window at the university while he walks into a field to smoke...) maybe check out the laws in your area, there may be something similar that you could bring up with your landlord?
(btw i'm an ex-smoker)

Ahhh....the anti-smoking Nazis....again

You gotta admit, cigarette smoke sure photographs well.

Don't talk to your neighbors. They have the right to smoke wherever they please in their own apartment. I can't imagine that a window fan won't fix this immediately. Btw, I'm a non-smoker if it matters.

I've never heard of smoking and non-smoking buildings. That's taking it a bit far.

Former smoker, myself. Three years clean.

Upstairs neighbor throws butts and sometimes even boxes down on my terrace and it drives me nuts. But I don't imagine I'd ever be annoyed at a neighbor's smoke.

I don't think having a non-smoking building is taking things too far at all - why shouldn't we be able to choose to live in a place that makes us happy and comfortable?

Anna, you may want to get an air purifier - it won't get rid of the smell but will eliminate any toxins. Paired with a nice scented candle, it might make things a little more bearable.

This is a health issue - not an inconvenience/decorating topic. You absolutely need to speak with your neighbours. You also need to speak with your landlord. If you have no results then you should go to your Dr. and get a note that allows you to break your lease.

"Non-smoking nazis" are also ones who prefer less cancer in their lives.

being a 'non-smoking nazi' myself, i would definitely break my lease and tell the landlord exactly why. i guess i'm just a ball-buster, but i couldn't live with it- fan, candles- nothing would 'fix' it for me.

I have a question for all you "pure-airists"... a slight waft of cigarette smoke is an immediate health threat, yet you live in major cities? With industrial pollution and car exhaust? Are you asking your landlords if they use VOC free paint and off-gas free carpets? Do you complain about incense? (I've heard that's REALLY bad for the health!) All I'm saying is if you live in a big city butt up against other fine souls you need to relax a little. And if you can't (which is your prerogative in this free country) and/or have serious health problem why don't you move to the country with lots of space between neighbors and clean fresh air? Just asking...
(I'm a non-smoker btw...)

There really is no masking that smell. If you really can't close the windows, ask your neighbors what they can do about it. If that doesn't work, talk to your landlord about a solution.

If all else fails, I like venus_thames idea!

I don't have an answer to your situation, but another concern. I also live in an apartment where people smoke, but thankfully not close to my unit. My problem is the plug-in "air fresheners" throughout the hallways. I have extreme chemical sensitivity and have breathing problems around that stuff. I wonder if a person has any rights where shared spaces in a building are concerned. Moving because of it is not the greatest option.

what's next? banning cooking thai food at home?

BIG DEAL.

Jacasi - I feel your pain. I absolutely HATE those chemical air fresheners (or fragrances of any kind) for they make me ill as well. One of the reasons why I left my old job was because the coworker in the cubicle next to me was always slathering on this horrible hand creame, and spraying "air freshener" around.

I would go empty them in the middle of the night and refill them with a colored liquid (so people don't just replace them with new ones). Or, unplug them all together.

Becauce people keep harping on it, it ought to be noted that a rented apartment is not your own home. It's pretty hard to rent a smokey apartment to a new tenant, so maybe re-check if it actually is a smoke-ok building. I had a neighbor who would do that same trick (exhale out the window) because she wasn't supposed to be smoking inside the apartment, and thought that this took care of any evidence that she was. But really, a fan pointing outwards is probably the best solution.

Smelly and unhealthy as it may be, it's probably better to put up with than an angry neighbor jonesing for nicotine.

If someone wants to smoke and kill themselves, they should be entitled to do it in their homes. That said, I would simply ask your neighbor not to smoke by his window. No big deal.

Ha! The smoking thing again. Yeah, my neighbor is a big time smoker (cigarettes and...). So my house smells like cigarettes (or weed if it's the weekend). Even when I close the door and window, I can smell it. It sucks! I take the fact that he plays his drums CONSTANTLY as evidence that he doesn't really care about being a good neighbor, so I haven't bothered to talk to him. The funny thing is, our lease DOES say that smoking's not allowed. He's a friend of the landlord's, though, so he does whatever he wants. Oh, also, he's a huge fan of old white supremacist songs. True story.

So, just tell yourself: it could definitely could be worse!

Point a fan out your own window.

And then place an open jar of kimchi or fried fish right next to it.

I do believe that people should be able to smoke and/or cook whatever the hell they want in their own homes. So, just enjoy whatever smelly foods you like and hope the smoker closes his/her window. :p

"Yeah, obviously bepsf is a smoker."

You couldn't be more wrong - never have smoked and never will...
...but find it incredibly ridiculous the way folks here whine and get offended that they can't find an apartment for them and their cats and dogs, but they do want the landlord to tell them of any unpleasant habits that their other tenants might have.

If this, then what else? You'll need to disclose that you occasionally have loud sex while listening to 50's Polka? (Too Loud - and Weird!) Cook fish with garlic and onions? (Too Smelly!) Occasionally have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night? (Plumbing noises might wake me up!) Enjoy flambe-ing bananas with cheap rum? (You could burn the place down!) Walk your dog in the park? (He could get fleas - and so could I!) Collect National Geographic Magazine? (Fire Hazard!) Travel to Europe? (Bedbugs!)

All of these things could be annoying or dangerous - but those people pay rent too, and most folks don't do things just to pi** you off.

So instead of leaving your childish passive-aggressive notes and making it the landlord's problem - try acting like adults and talk to the neighbor about it...
...or just close the da**ed window.

I assume none of you live in Seattle. Air conditioning is non-existent here, you HAVE to keep windows open when it's hot outside. I can't believe people are getting all irritated about the issue, it's a valid concern. No one (at least nonsmokers) wants all of their furniture to reek of smoke.

I had this problem at my old place and fans didn't work. I just had to shut the windows whenever my neighbor lit up. I think you're just going to have to suffer through the rest of the hot weather and find a non-smoking building next year :(

http://www.smokefreeapartments.org/

This site is dedicated to helping people find smoke-free properties (I used to work at one). They've also added a list of smoke-free hotels. It's mostly targeted to LA/California, but they've been expanding the lists.

To each his own, I say. I think people have a right to make those types of choices about their living environments.

There are buildings which don't accept smokers because they don't want to have to repaint as often or the smell becomes ingrained in such a way that it's hard to get it out before the next tenant moves in. I was told my building was one such building, but that changed when the landlord had not choice but to accept smokers as the apartments are moderately expensive and he couldn't get anyone else. I'm a non-smoker, and I hate second-hand smoke, so this was annoying, but I just close the windows.

As others have said, the neighbor has every right to do as she pleases, but I'd still go down and talk to her, but only if I could manage to be completely calm and polite about it. I'd also make it clear that I know she's probably been hassled a lot as a smoker and that my intention isn't to become one of those anti-smoking nazis. I'd essentially just ask if it would be all the same to her if she blew the smoke out of a different window on another side of the building or something. Make it clear that, if she'd uncomfortable changing her habit, you're not going to make a fuss or hassle her, but that you'll find another solution (like keeping the window closed and using an air conditioner, or using a fan to blow out so the smoke drifts away rather than inside).

The bottom line is it is your problem, not hers, so you have to enlist her cooperation in the nicest possible manner.

I am allergic to peanuts and pollen.
1. How do I get my landlord to pave over the lawn?
2. Do I have any legal recourse to go after my peanut eating neighbors? If I can stop their filthy peanut eating habits on an airplane how can I stop them in an apartment building?

I smoke on my patio. I'm not sure whether it bothers the neighbors but we live on a heavily traveled street and the exhaust fumes kind of drown out most the funk, plus the guy next door smokes cigars, and the guy further down uses his charcoal grill all the time, year round, and that dude just loves his lighter fluid, plus the people upstairs who have a puppy who pees all over everyone below's patio, mine included ... you can either let it drive you to live in a bunker or work on being tolerant.

Now that major cities have gone no smoking I think that there will be a new realm of restrictions.

Here in Chicago, since people cannot smoke in restaurants, they smoke out on the sidewalk. But in the case of my restaurant, the customers may be standing in front of the condominium building adjacent to the restaurant causing the tenants to have to walk through a group of smokers to enter their building. I can a future issue brewing.

I am starting to hear more stories about multi unit buildings becoming non smoking just as certain hotels are becoming non smoking.

The fact is, there really aren't many other offensive noxious fumes that can directly affect someone's personal space as cigarette fumes. Sure, cooking odors can waft or linger. But cigarette fumes can penetrate and permeate, something not even smokers appreciate.

In the meantime, I think your only option is to ask the people not to smoke there and to try to divert the smoke.

No matter where you live, in an apartment or a home you own, neighbors smoking can affect you. The smokers who live in my apartment building take their habit all the way down to the curb, but the smoke still blows right into my open doors or windows, more than 20 feet away. Since they are obviously trying to get the smoke away from the building, I don't say anything about this--I just close the window or door and turn on an air conditioner (some are available with built-in particulate filters) and/or an air filter. My air filter not only removes the toxins, it also pulls particulate matter out of the air. If you are really sensitive to smoke, it might be worth paying a bit more to get an air freshener that can really help you.

If my neighbor was smoking right underneath my window, I probably would ask if he/she wouldn't mind moving away from the building a bit. Citing asthma and allergies can help and make it look like you are not judging the smoker's choice to smoke. The worst the neighbor can do is say no, and if you never address the subject, you are as much to blame for your unhappiness over the smoke as they are. At that point, if it's a non-smoking building, I would go ahead and take a picture of the neighbor smoking out my closed window and send it right to the landlord, stapled to my rent check. If it's a mixed building, then you suck it up and close the window.

To the person who has pot smokers in the building--if the landlord won't do anything about this person's habit, I'm sure the cops would. The police in my area are fine with anonymous tips.

I didn't realize so many people smoke. I need to buy some stock in RJ Reynolds and Philip Morris.

I had the same situation except it was the apartment manager smoking below me. I casually mentioned it to him and he was very apologetic since he didn’t realized that it was flowing into my apartment. He ended up turning on his fan when he smoked - blowing it away from the building and the direction of my window which helped a lot.

If they are blowing the smoke out the window, they don’t want their place to smell like smoke either so hopefully they will be understanding.

Sadly if the weather we have been having in Seattle stays the same, you won’t have to open your window for about 10 months.

Talk to the neighbor first! And by talking I don't mean yelling at them, saying they are ruining your life, accusing them of trying to kill you...just talk. Maybe between the two of you you'll be able to find an equitable solution that doesn't leave the other party feeling attacked. If no solution is available, try a fan or air purifier, open other windows instead.

If the smoke is coming directly into your apartment from a neighbor's apartment, I believe you would have the right to say something to someone. It seems the neighbor doesn't want the smoke in their own home and is blowing it out the window. I think they're rude (and delusional about how they and their home smells), they are depriving you of the air you want to breathe for the "right" to breathe how they want. I've said enough before.

That said, yes there is such a thing as a no-smoking clause in some leases. That would have to be the management/landlord's preference, at least as I've ever looked for apartments, the ad might say no smokers or pets. If it doesn't say no smoking, guess what? You can smoke. That doesn't give anyone the right to foul up the air in your apartment.

All my windows are on the back of the building where people walk their dogs in the yard, and they may smoke when they do so. Another house adjacent to the property routinely has house parties late, like everyone come over for afters. The smoke gets in my apartment from both, but it is fairly infrequent and doesn't last very long. The noise is another factor I can't tolerate, and even conversations at 2 in the morning are amplified by the courtyard somehow. Someone mentioned incense - I f'ing HATE incense. I've never smelled it coming from someone's apartment though, just the guy who sells it at Hynes Station. That's obnoxious too.

I guess I'm lucky and nobody's smoke comes in my apartment on a constant basis. I would not ask the neighbor, I would tell the neighbor, and if that didn't work, I would tell the landlord. The smoke comes right in my window, I didn't know if you realized, but it does, and I hope you can see it from my perspective, can you do something that will make it --- go in someone else's apartment? Um, whatever. The thing we don't like about smokERS is that they don't really think about how their smoke bothers people. How it works is it spreads out into the air other people want to breathe. No amount of justification about car exhausts, etc. really diminishes the fact that people are selfish and inconsiderate, and smell bad enough to choke me when they sit near me on the bus. If you had B.O., you'd want to take care of that before you hit the public, wouldn't you? If you had halitosis, you would be self-conscious, wouldn't you? If you had a bout of diarrhea and needed to get home to change your underpants, you wouldn't want to be around other people until you cleaned up, because you know you smell bad, right? So why do you want to smell like an ashtray?

Okay, dude. I mean, the lady downstairs wants to smoke out the window, she probably has no idea that smoke goes more than 2 feet away from her before blending into regular air, we've discussed it, smokers have no sense of smell, obviously, and think if they're any distance from you, you can't smell it. They don't know they smell disgusting or their home, and telling them that, they get defensive and call you a nazi.

I still couldn't tell someone they couldn't smoke in their own home, but since it affects the enjoyment of your home, you should be able to say something and get it resolved. I say this "in a perfect world." Smokers think they have a right to live in their comfort and bother other people, and if something bothers you, you have the right to close the window and keep your horrible comments to yourself. Non-smokers have to live and let live all the time, but smokers never seem to catch on their end of the bargain.

LOL @ all the people likening cigarette smoke to cooking smells. Be sure and let us know when Thai food starts causing deadly cancer. Oh wait, it's not the same thing at all. The peanut allergy comparison is pretty lol-tastic too. Having an allergy to something you can conciously avoid consuming isn't the same thing as being forced to consume/inhale something dangerous against your will. In order for your argument to be valid, you'd have to prove that your neighbors come over every day and shove Jif in your mouth.

Anyhow, look at it this way: if she's blowing the smoke out the window, she either a) knows that smoking isn't allowed in the building or b) doesn't want to have to deal with making her own home smell like smoke, so instead decides to make other people's homes reek instead. Either way, she's being a complete hypocrite.

I'm all for people's right to comfort in their own homes, but since this is not affecting just THEIR home or THEIR health, it's definitely an issue.

So, what if the smoker smokes IN their home, and I still smell it in my apartment? What's really gross is, I always notice it in my kitchen, and if I open certain cabinet doors, the smell is worse. All of my cabinets are on my neighbor's wall.

I think Anna has at least the same right to be concerned about smoke in her home as her neighbours have the right to blow their smoke out of their windows.
I've had the same issue in a previous apartment and I wasn't worried for my health at all.
Cigarette smoke just stinks and made your rooms stink. This a problem big enough to care for your comfort in your own home I think.
But the fact is, you also can't tell you neighbours how to behave in their homes. So try the fans, try opening windows on the other side of the apartment, try an air purifier, but I wouldn't compromise relaxed neighbourhood for this. Fighting with the people who live nearby is much more stressing than smoky smell.

You could just invest $400 in a portable air conditioner. They work quite well. Then you wouldn't sound like a whiny person who didn't know how to cope with real world issues.

Buy him one of those ashtrays that suck air in. Be nice, tell him your issue, acknowledge that he can do whatever he wants, invite him over for a glass of wine, be nice, be nice, smile.....

I used this method to get my neighbors to stop their dogs from barking (I provided them with Humane Society endorsed bark collars), and problem was solved in about a month. I was out $150 but it was money well spent

I have a similar problem but it's more internal. One of my downstairs neighbors smokes inside. Somehow the smoke makes its way to my bathroom through the vents.
It clears out once i turn my fan on but some days i come home from work to a house that smells a smoker lives there.

I don't think I have any business asking my neighbor to not smoke at home (I'm not even sure which neighbor it is.)

I kind of feel like the downstairs vents just aren't supposed to vent into my bathroom.

My downstairs neighbor smokes in his apartment and my big problem are the vents. Whether or not the vents are closed that nasty smell still seeps through. It sounds like many of you use air purifiers. Can anyone recommend one that is both highly effective and reasonably priced?

If someone's smoke is venting into your apartment, you should be able to rectify something about it via the landlord/management. I am not a lawyer, so I think this is still one of those wishy-washy things they don't HAVE TO fix, like they would with plumbing or the heat or a broken lock. "The air" inside your apartment is probably not their priority, but like I said this, "in a perfect world," people would care enough about other people to not infringe upon them, or have their tenants infringed upon by other tenants. At least according to my lease, my neighbors aren't allowed to annoy me with noise or barking dogs or leaving trash and other items in public hallway spaces. In theory, this works, but in reality, we are all expected to be a little tolerant of all the other humans.

I think that's the main gist of this thread, is that we be tolerant (even me who hates smoke so much) of our neighbors to a fair degree, but there is a point where there's too much give, and the smoker takes all, and the landlord takes the path of least resistance, i.e., wait until it escalates and evict someone, I guess, but it rarely would come to that. There has to be some point where even smokers agree someone is taking more than their fair share, if their smoke bothers people inside their own smoke-free apartments past a tolerable degree. I hope you would, you profess to be decent creatures despite things and name-calling.

Obviously, if the neighbor is making the effort to blow her smoke out the window she doesn't want her own apartment to smell like an ashtray either. She may not even be aware of the fact that the smoke could go into anyone else's apartment. Kindly let her know and get a window fan too!

Also, people can do anything they want in their own homes but perhaps they shouldn't when it negatively impacts their neighbors. I like to listen to loud music (which is, as far as I know, not unhealthy) but I don't turn my stereo up because I respect my neighbors.

I definitely had this problem as well in my apartment in DC. Though my apartment was a concrete box that I could barely drill into to hang pictures, smoke seemed to seep through from the floors?/outlets?/air conditioner? --most definitely through the windows and under the door. Also annoying was the fact that every week that I cleaned the window sills, they would be yellow from the smoke.

I managed to keep some sanity by closing the windows when I would notice the smell, febreze-ing my rugs and chairs, and using method's air freshener (I wanted a "green" air purifier, this seemed like a good choice). That and making sure to sweep and mop the floors and wash downt the window sills and blinds often.

I love fresh air, hate the AC, and am allergic to cigarette smoke, so this wasn't fun at all. I totally understand!

All this talk about tolerance. Where is the tolerance for people who have legitimate health issues? They're whiners? If this discussion thread is any indication, talking to your neighbor would most likely be unproductive. I'd try fans and watch the classifieds for one of those smoke-free buildings.

People who blow smoke out the window aren't necessarily bad people. When you blow outside, the smoke and smell dissipates more quickly than when the doors and windows are closed. A lot of "indoor smokers" think its good manners. (That said, their neighbors can still smell it).

It seems the only real solution is to find a non-smoking building in a non-smoking neighborhood in a non-smoking city. Allergens seem to increase every year, and one person's transcontinental snack/carry-on could be the next person's grim reaper (I'm talking about peanut butter). While I'm not a smoker--never have been, never will be, I took the surgeon general's warnings seriously--I recognize that my paths with smokers will cross, and they may be unrepentant or unaware. Whatever I can do to reduce harm to myself or others is a good idea.

I share a house with a smoking neighbour. It was disclosed in our lease that it is a NON-Smoking house and every time I come home and smell smoke, I loudly say "JEEZE! IT SURE DOES STINK LIKE SMOKE IN HERE!"
then I call my landlord and inform them that my neighbour is smoking in the house.
I find it disgusting.
My boyfriend smokes but he does it outside. Why can't she? WHO KNOWS>...

now, semi-divine, i don't remember the original poster saying she was worried about 'a slight waft of smoke.' last time i checked, smokers are addicts that must smoke on the hour/ten minute mark, etc. i for one don't live in a big city. i live in aspen, colorado. if someone smoked very close to me like that i would let them know in a hot minute. thank god it's been a non-smoking state for 2 years now. we are always ahead of the curve. call me smug!

I lived in an apartment with two guys. It was my first time living on my own, and I was thrilled because the three of us had been friends for years. I was ok with living with them even though they both smoked because they both lived in places before where they only smoked outside, and no where near the doorway. I moved in shortly after them, and the place smelled like one big cigarette. I thought that was weird, it didn't smell like that when we toured the place. Then they both lit up, even though we all agreed no smoking inside because I have asthma that attacks frequently. I asked them never to do it again indoors, but they started doing it just because I asked them not to. Soon I found ash all over the living room and hallway floors, and butts all over the furniture. They were throwing parties at 3 am and letting everyone do as they please, which meant smoke and shouts were coming through my vents all night. I moved out immediately. They never did pay me back any of my deposits, but it was better for me to be somewhere else.

I wouldn't suggest talking to the smoker, I would go straight to the landlord and let them know you don't want it to turn into something nasty between you two, but they're obviously smoking outside so they don't get the smell in their apartment, and instead it's getting in yours. I don't understand all the suggestions for her to have to buy things to block this person out. They're the ones with the habit and oblivious to their surroundings. I live in my own house now, and the neighbor on one side has two dogs that bark 24/7, and the other side has kids that play basketball right outside of my only window with an AC unit from 4 pm until 9 pm every night, and only break for dinner. The one with the dogs even heard me yell at them to shut up when I was walking to my door with a massive migraine, he just said "come here silly dog."

I think it's funny when people get angrily defensive about smoking. I think it can be a power thing when the smoker knows that it bothers someone.

I live in a so-called non-smoking building in Vancouver and everyone smokes. On weekends, the hallway is blue with it and I'm asthmatic but I live with it. The rental office has No Smoking signs yet reeks of smoke so that should've been my first clue.

You can talk to them or leave a note but I wouldn't expect much to change. I still like the burning bicycle tire idea the best! Good luck.

Hi, Everyone, Anna here. Thanks to those who posted helpful suggestions! I should note that I already spoke to the building manager, and the downstairs neighbor has decided to blow smoke out the windows anyway. This isn't so serious that I'm going to invest in an AC unit--not needed for the Seattle summers--but I'll keep that idea in mind. The air purifier is a great idea, too. I will probably buy the air purifier as a last resort because I do like the fresh air from outside.

Also, this isn't about smoker's rights or whatnot. I just have a neighbor who smokes. I don't like the smoke. I'm trying to find a solution that will work for us. No need to war over this of all things.

When you ask a good question and the editors post it as a "Good Question" to the reading public, there might be other people with the same question, and not all the answers will be useful to just your particular situation. Just sayin'.

well.. i have to say as an ex smoker, non smoking nazi, and a pro smoke where you want person..

you just gotta deal. or move.

are you sure that your building is a 'smoking' building? if not ask and talk to your landlord, maybe they have other properties..

are you sure you didnt just piss your neighbor off?

unless your the first person who ever lived there she probably knows that it goes to the window of your apt.

a few suggestions... find out what bothers them and do it all the time. make a game of it. .. i mean after you ask them if they wouldnt mind smoking elsewhere .. if thats what you want to do.

i have to admit, i cant stand my neighbors, they live in a house semi close to my back door, and when i used to smoke I would purposely smoke outside so they would smell it. ( I know I'm going to hell but its a loong story :) and whats worse is i used to smoke clove cigarettes so they are extra potent.

i am not a particularly viscious person, but sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do. breaking your lease is an option but why risk your credit. just dont renew. in this economy there are plenty of rentals out there.

.....or get a fan :)

errrr vicious*

I live on a second floor in Walnut Creek. It gets hot here and opening the balcony door at night brings in fresh air until two people moved in downstairs who smoke on their patio and the smoke rises and comes in my apartment. I have asthma and smoke causing me problems breathing. No other windows are in this apartment.

The apartment manager says they have a right to privacy and can smoke on their patio. I contend that once the smoke leaves their patio and enters my unit, it is a disturbance.

No laws cover this and the Manager will not help me. They will not let me out of my lease. So, I cannot use my balcony any more, my apartment smells like smoke and my health is in danger.

What do I do??