new druggie neighbour

StormWarrior

A few months ago I moved into a block of flats. The rent I pay is almost double the going rate in my town, but I was willing to pay it as this is a non-smoking building (by law) and the residents are not even allowed to smoke in their own flats.

This week though, a bloke moved into the flat next door to me. He chain smokes cannabis so much that huge amounts of smoke come from his room into the corridor and even into my flat. It makes the washing I hang up stink and bothers me alot. I moved into this non smoking building because I had throat cancer before and cannot stand smoke.

I have complained to my landlord, who has spoken to this bloke, and though he has toned it down a little, it is still happening. I live in a state of dread every day because of this. What should I do? I am paying an extortionate rent purely to live in a non smoking building but he just won't comply with the rules.

If my landlord can't sort this out, what can I do? I am seriously tempted to report him to the police but I doubt they would do anything, and my lanlord would probably be pissed off with me.

LegacyUser

Its you or him, why are you worried about your landlord being pissed. This other guy is not complying with the rules ffs.

mikemac

I hope you're not drying clothes on the balcony! A big no, no in blocks of flats.:p

I don't see why the guards wouldn't respond.
Maybe give an anoymous tip to the local drug squad and say you are concerned there is dealing going on and that will get their attention. I'm not advising you to tell lies to the gardai but it's a fair assumption.

Yes, some posters will say it's only cannibas but it's still illegal.
In fact, I think I've read about cases like that in this forum and the legal forum.

A gang of detectives and dogs crashing through your neighbours door will put him straight.

j0e

buy him a vapouriser, leave it on his door with a note explaining the situtation.

StormWarrior

well I reported him to the police today. I keep getting calls from a with held number. I'm scared to answer it in case it is my landlord and he's angry. btw I don't have a balcony, the clothes dry in my bathroom but the smoke gets in there.

mikemac

Could be the gardai trying to call you. They always use withheld numbers for obvious reasons.

Answer the next call

StormWarrior

I didn't give them my number, I reported him anonymously.

luckat

Rent a house and sublet to non-smokers. Cheaper and you're in control.

mikemac

I'm not trying to drag your thread offtopic. I'd imagine if you ring a garda station they make note of your number with caller ID. Just in case you get cut-off in an emergency or if it's a hoax call.

Now if you rang from a payphone then this doesn't apply to your situation.

Anyway, best of luck in getting it sorted.

sjaakie

im surprised such thing as a non smoking block of flats excist, is it in ireland?

i think it is actually up to your landlord to take serious action against this person, landlord should contact garda etc. but if the landlord is not willing to do so i would not hesitate to contact garda myself, they will never let him know that it is you who informed them.
since you made such an effort to get into this building, at a high cost, for health reasons you have every right to seriously complain about it.

the fact that this guy smokes cannabis does not matter, it could be cigars, cigarettes etc. its a NON smoking building thats the whole point.

i find your landlord very weak.

gl.

Seraphina

i personally think you totally over reacted. i mean calling the gardai on the guy ffs!

i find it hard to believe in this day and age in a modern apartment building that the smoke is coming under his door, into the corridor, and then under your door?
COME ON!
even if it was bothering you (which i doubt, it sounds like you walked past his door, smelled a bit of cannabis and freaked about your 'druggie' neighbour in your posh apartments) the least you could have done was go in and talk to the guy politely about the situation before reporting him to the bloody guards!

Pauli

I agree with Seraphina

Canis Lupus

Seraphina wrote:

i personally think you totally over reacted. i mean calling the gardai on the guy ffs!

i find it hard to believe in this day and age in a modern apartment building that the smoke is coming under his door, into the corridor, and then under your door?
COME ON!
even if it was bothering you (which i doubt, it sounds like you walked past his door, smelled a bit of cannabis and freaked about your 'druggie' neighbour in your posh apartments) the least you could have done was go in and talk to the guy politely about the situation before reporting him to the bloody guards!

What she said ^^

My god talk about an overreaction.

the_syco

Seraphina wrote:

i personally think you totally over reacted. i mean calling the gardai on the guy ffs!

i find it hard to believe in this day and age in a modern apartment building that the smoke is coming under his door, into the corridor, and then under your door?
COME ON!
even if it was bothering you (which i doubt, it sounds like you walked past his door, smelled a bit of cannabis and freaked about your 'druggie' neighbour in your posh apartments) the least you could have done was go in and talk to the guy politely about the situation before reporting him to the bloody guards!

Reread the post. I agree calling the Gardai is excessive, but since he ignored the landlord, and the OP has throat cancer (which can cause neck pain, bleeding from the mouth, etc), it's a case of "f**k 'im, I'm paying through the arse for this place as it's non smoking, thus I want a non-smoking place".

Canis Lupus

the_syco wrote:

Reread the post. I agree calling the Gardai is excessive, but since he ignored the landlord, and the OP has throat cancer (which can cause neck pain, bleeding from the mouth, etc), it's a case of "f**k 'im, I'm paying through the arse for this place as it's non smoking, thus I want a non-smoking place".

HAD throat cancer.

dudara

It might seem excessive to some, but the building is non-smoking. Them's the rules for that particular building and her neighbour is not abiding by those rules. If he wants to smoke (tobacco, cannabis, or even banana leaves!) then he should should move elsewhere. He is being very rude in this situation.

the_syco

Canis Lupus wrote:

HAD throat cancer.

Possibly HAD numbness or paralysis of the face muscles.
Possibly HAD bleeding from the mouth or sore throat.

And wanting to avoid a relapse, the OP pays a premium to live in a smoke-free enviroment, only for someone to smoke enough of the stuff that it sometimes comes in to her apartment.

For the record, I smoke myself, unless I have a cold. Me + a cold + smoking = throat is in bits, thus not fun, which is where I'm viewing the OP's situation from.

FunkZ

j0e wrote:

buy him a vapouriser, leave it on his door with a note explaining the situtation.

*High 5's*

Just tell him to smoke in his bathroom with the shower on, and get him to use Oust!

And he must smoke a chimney of the stuff for it to ventilate like that.

JohnnyStones

Ask him to put his cannabis into cookies problem solved.:cool: :cool:

Overheal

JohnnyStones wrote:

Ask him to put his cannabis into cookies problem solved.:cool: :cool:

Cookies stink too you know.

I wondeR: would it be viable to claim damages off your landlady? No Smoking is part of the lease of all apartments - meaning you are provided a non-smoking environment and thats what you pay for (partly) It seems only fair to get some percentage of your rent refunded to you if another apartments breach of conduct is having an impact on you.

WindSock

Do you have anything that says the block of flats are specifically non-smoking? How did you know they were in the first place?

JohnnyStones

they don't stink as bad as a big fat one!!:D
:cool:

Gonzo_Fiend

That's gotta be illegal? Surely you cant enforce a no smoking order on a private residence.

IMO the OP overreacted big time

StormWarrior

This is not in Ireland. I searched long and hard to find somewhere non-smoking, and the landlord assured me that the law itself prohibits people from smoking in these flats. The rent is double the going rate in this town, which I can barely afford, I have no luxuries and am even short on food sometimes but to me it is worth it for a smoke free environment. That is the only reason I chose to live here. The bloke was warned this is a non-smoking building before he moved in, and my landlord has warned him since. Still he continues. And yes the smoke does get into my flat, my clothes which hang up to dry in the bathroom stink and it comes into my bedroom at night. It is disgusting.

Talliesin

What country is it. Quite often landlords are criminally liable for drugs being on their property (goes for Ireland and the UK). Normally there aren't charges brought on the basis that they were in no position to be aware of the presence (while ignorance of the law tends not to be a defense, ignorance of circumstances does) but that's not the case here.

McGinty

Just to add the Op is right in that smoke rises through floors, as I live above people who smoke and I can smell it when it comes through, it is subtle but there and if a person is a heavy smoker then it will be much worse. There was a study done on this (I don't have the source) based on parents who smoked in one room furthest away from their children but still the smoke affected them. Op you have the rights on your side and the neighbour is flouting them.

StormWarrior

This is in Wales. I think next time I will tell my lanlord that unless he puts a stop to it I will withhold the rent.

Talliesin

The landlord is legally entitled to that rent, so that gets you into a tricky spot.

The landlord is legally obliged (and under criminal, not civil law) to take not have illegal drugs on his premises. That's the gun to hold to his head.

I can't say I approve of the legal situation regarding cannabis (ironically enough, someone with cancer smoking it for pain relief is breaking the law) but you've a clear reason to be agrieved, so might as well make use of it.

crotalus667

StormWarrior wrote:

This is in Wales. I think next time I will tell my lanlord that unless he puts a stop to it I will withhold the rent.

with hold part of the rent , if he wont provide you with the full product you paid for then there's no reson why he schould expect to get full payment:mad:

dudara

If you withold part or all of the rent, you can leave yourself in an exposed legal position (at least in Ireland anyway). Is there an equivalent of the PRTB or threshold in Wales? I would seek their opinion.

Also, get in touch with whatever body is in charge of tobacco control in the UK ( I don't that he's not smoking tobacco) but they might be able to help you out.

StormWarrior

well I asked my landlord to talk to him again, my landlord just said, "I can't police my tenants, if you don't like it give me two months rent and move out." Why should I move out, I haven't done anything wrong!

Are there bodies that control tobacco? Does anyone know if there is some way at least of stopping the smoke getting into my flat? We have very crap doors, not firedoors. Do you think a draught excluder would work?

JohnnyStones

StormWarrior wrote:

well I asked my landlord to talk to him again, my landlord just said, "I can't police my tenants, if you don't like it give me two months rent and move out." Why should I move out, I haven't done anything wrong!

Are there bodies that control tobacco? Does anyone know if there is some way at least of stopping the smoke getting into my flat? We have very crap doors, not firedoors. Do you think a draught excluder would work?

You say your paying way over the Odds for your flat, that sometimes you don't have enough money to buy food, so you pay all this money to live in a smoke free building and it doesn't even have Firedoors????

My advice is to move to another flat somewhere that's safer!!

That building sounds like a death trap!!!:eek: :eek:

echosound

Is there a management company/board for the block of apartments? surely if you report breach of the regulations to them they should take action? Like warning him to stop, and if he continues, then he's broken the agreement on the apartment and he should be told to leave. If your landlord owns both apartments (ie he also owns the one your neighbour lives in) the management board should be getting onto him to evict a tenant who is breaching the enforced rules. Would be the same as if he was running a business from private premises or keeping pets etc if there's a clause in the rules and regulations about it I would presume.
I've never heard of a smoke-free apartment block before BTW, and while I'm a smoker myself and think it's a bit strange, if you're paying above the odds for a building where there's no smoking, you should be getting what you paid for, ie a smoke-free environment.

echosound

JohnnyStones wrote:

You say your paying way over the Odds for your flat, that sometimes you don't have enough monkey to buy food, so you pay all this money to live in a smoke free building and it doesn't even have Firedoors????

My advice is to move to another flat somewhere that's safer!!

That building sounds like a death trap!!!:eek: :eek:

agreed! Best solution is this case is to move to another flat that has adequate doors and ventilation so that the smoke should not be coming into your property, or as someone else suggested, could you move to a houseshare with non-smokers?

Personally if I wanted a particular environment for health reasons I'd not stick it out renting a high-priced flat where you don't get the health benefits anyway.

StormWarrior

I know, I just really don't have the energy to move again so soon, my health is not great and the hassle of moving just seems overwhelming right now. My landlord has done other crap stuff, like it says in the contract that he is responsible for making sure my heating works. Well it broke, and although I called him every day, he did nothing about it. I had no heating or hot water for 3 weeks until eventually I had to get it fixed myself. And when bad weather came, I ended up with loads of damp in the cupboards and on the walls. After 2 months he finally had the walls painted over badly (the damp is back though cos he didn't want to fork out to get the outside fixed) but refused to do anything about the cupboards. And he left me with no light for days when the fuse went and he couldn't be bothered to fix it. He also promised me all the flats were totally soundproofed, which they are not. When I moved in the oven was caked heavily in someone else's burnt food, he said it was my responsibility to clean it, not his. This is the first time I have lived alone, is this normal behaviour for a landlord, are they all this crap?

Seraphina

StormWarrior wrote:

I know, I just really don't have the energy to move again so soon, my health is not great and the hassle of moving just seems overwhelming right now. My landlord has done other crap stuff, like it says in the contract that he is responsible for making sure my heating works. Well it broke, and although I called him every day, he did nothing about it. I had no heating or hot water for 3 weeks until eventually I had to get it fixed myself. And when bad weather came, I ended up with loads of damp in the cupboards and on the walls. After 2 months he finally had the walls painted over badly (the damp is back though cos he didn't want to fork out to get the outside fixed) but refused to do anything about the cupboards. And he left me with no light for days when the fuse went and he couldn't be bothered to fix it. He also promised me all the flats were totally soundproofed, which they are not. When I moved in the oven was caked heavily in someone else's burnt food, he said it was my responsibility to clean it, not his. This is the first time I have lived alone, is this normal behaviour for a landlord, are they all this crap?

and you say you're paying twice the going rate for this place?>
you're being taken for a ride. if the building was in any way decently built, the smoke wouldn't travel from his room to yours so thats reason enough to move out imo. damp, things breaking and not being fixed? your wasting your money!!! just move in with some other non smokers ffs!

echosound

StormWarrior wrote:

I know, I just really don't have the energy to move again so soon, my health is not great and the hassle of moving just seems overwhelming right now. My landlord has done other crap stuff, like it says in the contract that he is responsible for making sure my heating works. Well it broke, and although I called him every day, he did nothing about it. I had no heating or hot water for 3 weeks until eventually I had to get it fixed myself. And when bad weather came, I ended up with loads of damp in the cupboards and on the walls. After 2 months he finally had the walls painted over badly (the damp is back though cos he didn't want to fork out to get the outside fixed) but refused to do anything about the cupboards. And he left me with no light for days when the fuse went and he couldn't be bothered to fix it. He also promised me all the flats were totally soundproofed, which they are not. When I moved in the oven was caked heavily in someone else's burnt food, he said it was my responsibility to clean it, not his. This is the first time I have lived alone, is this normal behaviour for a landlord, are they all this crap?

It might seem like hassle to move, but it sounds like it's more hassle to stay in this flat, with things breaking and landlord not fixing them, and you having to sort out things at your own expense and time. Some landlords are great, fixing things the day they break, others just want the cheque at the end of the month and don't care if you're happy there or not, so long as they have a paying tenant in place. You're paying over the odds for a damp flat that's not soundproof and that has smoke getting in anyway, you lived in the dark for days, and he let you move into a place that had not been cleaned after previous tenants left it dirty.
The damp cannot be good for your health either, and if it's an outside problem there's precious little you can do to fix it from your flat. Take the plunge and start flathunting now, or houseshare with non-smokers, it may be hassle in the short run, but in the long run the hassle of staying there will be more. Surely you'd prefer to have more money in your pocket and be living in a warm dry house with lights that work, with your health intact, and a landlord that fixes faults and sorts out any issues even if you have to share with others (who are non-smokers?)

KamiKazi

StormWarrior wrote:

I know, I just really don't have the energy to move again so soon, my health is not great and the hassle of moving just seems overwhelming right now. My landlord has done other crap stuff, like it says in the contract that he is responsible for making sure my heating works. Well it broke, and although I called him every day, he did nothing about it. I had no heating or hot water for 3 weeks until eventually I had to get it fixed myself. And when bad weather came, I ended up with loads of damp in the cupboards and on the walls. After 2 months he finally had the walls painted over badly (the damp is back though cos he didn't want to fork out to get the outside fixed) but refused to do anything about the cupboards. And he left me with no light for days when the fuse went and he couldn't be bothered to fix it. He also promised me all the flats were totally soundproofed, which they are not. When I moved in the oven was caked heavily in someone else's burnt food, he said it was my responsibility to clean it, not his. This is the first time I have lived alone, is this normal behaviour for a landlord, are they all this crap?

you need to find a new place to live IMHO.

the_syco

OP, where are you living (area) and how much are you paying?

I'm thinking you may be able to rent a small house...

That or look in Daft for a house which requires non-smokers.

TequilaMockingBird

I would imagine the stress of living there isn't doing your health any good. Your landlord is c**p.

I googled it and found this link:
http://www.clickdocs.co.uk/housing-advice-england.htm
Hope it helps.

Dave!

Jesus what a c*nt of a landlord...

OP you should definitely move out. There are many reasons to do so, even if it does seem like a monumental task.

LegacyUser

Just a small point, but the other guy , who is smoking , has also built up a nice little credit history with the landlord. And this could be one reson why the landlord isn't too bothered about giving out to him ,

the landlord does sound a bit useless, or someone isn't being stern enough in giving him grief.

it all sounds a bit useless trying to reason with either landlord or problem tennant, take the advice of other boards users , stop being lazy and move again . In the long run it will be the least amount of hassle. And don't , whatever you do , leave yourself stuck for food because of rent , smoking or not , previous cancer or not , you will do far worse damage by a poor diet .....actually I don't need to tell you this , it's common sense.

Good luck and God speed, citizen...