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Secondhand smoking is a health-threatening disaster. If you have a smoking neighbor, try and talk to them in a manner they will not feel offended and see if they can be willing to stop smoking.
You can as well seal any ventilation holes in your apartment or even talk to your landlord to lift measures that should be adhered to by the tenants, that aim to maintain a healthy environment.
If things get out of hand, take a court action!
Stop the cigarette smoke using these methods
Method 1. Talk to your neighbor
- Head towards his/her apartment
The neighbor might not be aware that the cigarette smoke is affecting you unless you take the action yourself. Show up at your neighbors’ apartment, say hi to them and introduce yourself first.
You can say something like: “Hi Jimmy, (if that is the neighbors name) how are you, my name is Anna (your name) I have an issue, would you mind us talking it out?” If that is a good neighbor, he will usher you in or just give you an ear from the door step.
- Confirm that you are at the right house
The next thing to do, first ask him if he is the one who smokes or let him confirm that you are in the wrong place. If at all you had seen him/her smoke, and they noticed you saw them, just go ahead with what took you there.
In a polite manner, tell him if it was possible for him to take action that would prevent the cigarette smoke from crossing over to your apartment.
At this point he should be willing to engage you and point out ways that he will put into action like smoking from instead the house instead of outside or going to smoke from a smoking zone set aside by the government.
- Create awareness of the complaint
Make him aware of the main reason why you are complaining of the cigarette smoke. If you have kids, mention that and discuss the side effects the second-hand smoking can impact on the children.
Apart from that, notify him of any underlying health condition you may be having and the risks you are exposed to by breathing in the cigarette smoke.
Make him aware of other effects you are likely or already experiencing from the smoke like regular coughing.
In case of absence of a health condition, be smart any lie to him that truly the problem exists if at all that’s what will make him take an action towards curbing the cigarette smoke from getting to you.
- The neighbor may opt to quit smoking
For some reasons, the neighbor may decide to quit smoking; encourage him to do so and list a number of benefits if he stops smoking like good health, financial stability and above all a clean environment for all.
Quitting smoking may turn out difficult especially if the smoker is already an addict, give them some best tips to quit smoking without undergoing withdrawals like opting for an aid kit that will replace the smoking habit.
- Observe if the neighbor takes any action
After talking the issue out, see what the neighbor does to stop the smoke cigarette from affecting you. You may notice he is no longer smoking from outside or might get him taking a joint from a smoking zone.
Voila! things will have worked out. If no action is taken, talk to your landlord to put forward apartments rules that should be followed by every tenant.
You can mention smoking to be one of them. Meanwhile, start securing your house to curb secondhand smoking.
Method 2. Securing your house
You did your best and talked to the person next door concerning the cigarette smoke but that didn’t bear any fruits. Try some self-measure methods which will block the smoke from reaching you.
- Block the opening under your door
Smoke may find its way to your house through left out openings like underneath the door. Take a towel, roll it and place it at the opening. Sounds un-appealing right? Instead, make use of a door glide to block the opening.
You can engage your landlord and inquire if he is willing to have the door glide installed. In case of a decline, do it yourself since it is available at a store or order online.
- Use weather strips on the windows
Always have your windows closed and place a weather strip on the window to prevent the smoke from traversing into your room.
Optionally you can invent your own way by rolling a towel and placing it underneath the windows.
- Use a fan
Using a fan can be of help by blowing away the smoke through windows. Place it in a strategic place; close to the window.
To use a fan, you have to open the window, so this idea may not be very applicable to the satisfaction.
A Well air circulating house is necessary!
Placing towels under the door or windows can be annoying and especially if you have to check whether your neighbor is smoking or maybe anytime you smell the smoke, and you rush for your towels.
Make a better step that will work without hassle.
Nobody wants to stay in an enclosed room. Allowance for ventilation is necessarily for the fresh air from outside. More so, the house will not get stuffy from closed windows and doors and blocked ventilation holes.
What next? talk to your landlord right away concerning the problem.
Method 3. Inform your landlord
The comfort of where you live will be determined by the scope of the decisions made by the landlord as long as they are not violating the human rights of the state you live in.
That said, why not talk to your landlord concerning the problem you are going through in the apartment.
- Notify the landlord as soon as possible
Give him/her all the details concerning your neighbor and the steps you have taken towards talking to the neighbor and nothing was done.
With that, he will definitely know how to deal with such a neighbor in a manner that will keep all the other tenants in a bearable condition.
- A no smoking zone to be lifted
Review the tenancy agreement and counter check on the rules set. If no smoking rule outlined, reach out the landlord to have that in place.
The landlord can decide to hold a meeting with the tenants and keep them aware of rules that need to followed by each one of them. Alternatively, he can use posters to pass the information without having a one-on-one meeting.
landlord may take actions like coming up with rules that must be followed by his tenants, hang the rules sheet at the entrance of the apartment or/and on every floor. Besides, he can have a sign in his apartment indicating something like: “NO SMOKING.”
Rules uplifted, what’s next?
There should be consequences that will befall anyone who breaks the rule like being expelled from the apartment and not having their rent deposit back which will be used to cater for painting the house in which the smoker was residing.
What if the landlord takes no action, what should I do?
Well, you talked to your neighbor, nothing was done; talked to the landlord, still nothing! Don’t be hopeless fight for your rights!
That’s why we have the courts to present our grievances.
Method 4. Take a court action
Report the landlord for not adhering to the court orders concerning lease and tenancy rights. Before that, learn about your states’ rules and regulations concerning smoking.
Learn whether there are any set rules like where to smoke from and see if smoking from apartment is prohibited.
Check on the leasing rules that the landlord is meant to follow towards his tenants. If smoking has been mentioned and prohibited, present your case by providing the evidence.
The Evidence that you can provide:
a) Recorded voice call between you and the landlord.
b) Screenshots of your conversation with the landlord concerning the matter.
c) Photos of the smoking neighbor or recorded conversation between you and the neighbor.
Method 5. Relocate from the apartment
There’s more to a court case which is morality. If the morality is missing in your area of residence take a step and move out from that apartment; you deserve what you wish for.
To some extent, it may get difficult trying to handle ungrateful landlord who is not willing to come to assistance of his tenant.
- House hunting begins
While on house hunting, ask to be taken through the rules of the apartments and mostly focus on the main reason that made you move out of the previous apartment. Which in this case is secondhand smoking.
Talk to the ones living there and confirm if the rules are followed or does the landlord take to heed the complaints they raise.
Once you have gathered the information, move in to your new house.
- Relocate? But this is my permanent home, help!
Uh oh! No shifting for you. The best way to deal with a smoking neighbor in this case is talking to their landlord to take action just in case the neighbor has rented and if no action is taken, follow your case proceedings at the court until you get justice.
Another smart way is having plants in your homestead that will absorb the smoke and prevent the smoke from affecting you. Such plants include: fuzzy plants and pathos plants.
FAQS
How to stop cigarette smoke from coming through walls
Cigarette smoke can cross to your apartment through wall cracks so, seal any cracks on the wall using crack sealers like epoxy with the help of a plumber or by yourself. No smoke will go through.
How to stop cigarette smoke coming through windows
Stop any smoke coming through the windows using a fan. Open wide the window and place the fan close to the opening. The cigarette smoke will be expelled by the fan waves.
How to stop cigarette smoke from coming through vents
Smoke gets through the apartment through open vents, windows, doors and walls. Use a painters’ tape to conceal the vents or insulation paddling. On top of that, check your filter system and make sure it is well installed.
Final verdict
Secondhand smoking is equal to living a life of the actual smoker. The best way to avoid being affected is staying away from the smoker and prevent the smoke from reaching you.
It doesn’t mean that you should make them feel isolated, let them know that you are not comfortable around them smoking. You can still help them quit the habit.
The easiest way to quit smoking is using something that will help cease the smoking habit as fast as it can to avoid the victim from going back to their smoking habit.