Topic: Smokers Bothering Other Resdients

Any brilliantt ideas on how to deal with cigarette smoke smell coming from one apartment to another? We have sealed every small opening, installed gaskets under the outlets and switch covers, installed upgraded air filters, pulled appliances to seal behind them and put deodorizers under the sinks and in the laundry rooms of both units. The upstairs neighbor still complains of smoke smell in his kitchen and laundry room and that it seeps into his dryer causing his clothes to smell. The dowstairs neighbor is a smoker, but there are no overflowing ash trays or build up of any kind inside his unit. There is no problem in the areas that have carpet, just the kitchen and laundry which are vinyl. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

A possible solution to the neighboring-smoker issue is a smoke-free premises (or at least a portion thereof). I have guided a few of my clients through the process -- the implementation of which has typically taken about 2-3 months.

try a dryer damper

Wish I could find a solution to that! I have encountered this problem far too many times. I think we have tried every solution out there. I have spoke one on one with the downstairs neighbors ( the smoker's) to try to get them to understand the importance of opening a window, smoking outside if possible etc...some of actually felt really bad that their smoke was bothering upstairs neighbors and the problem worked itself out. However,I have encountered a few that won't budge and will not make any any adjustments with their lifestyle. I have actually had to transfer the resident to another unit. Not a great solution and costly. We are looking into a smoke free community --- can't wait!

Perhaps a smoke eater/ air purifier for smokers. Could be a move in gift or clean air requirement like insurance.

I've given residents inexpensive exhaust fans to place in a window as well as smokeeaters and smokeless ashtrays. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I've also designated smoking areas outside and just havn't allowed smoking in any of the units up for lease. You can only do the best you can.

My property is not smoke-free, so of course we have some residents who smoke. Even though it's a good idea to do everything you can to prevent the smoke from traveling to neighboring units, it is ultimately the residents responsibility to not "disturb the quiet enjoyment" of any other resident.

Our attorney worded it this way: Smoke is to be treated like noise. It's OK to listen to your radio, but it's not OK to let that sound out of your own apartment where it disturbs other residents. It's not against the rules to smoke, but again, residents are prohibited from letting the smoke disturb their neighbors.

I lived next door to a smoker for a year. It was miserable. My children stayed sick and I hated going home. I ended up moving out of the apartment. Is there an option to move the non-smoker to another apartment (at no charge)? I fear you'll lose this tenant if you do not.

I was introduced to a great product that is actually meant to help people quite smoking, but it would be a great 'gift' solution for a resident as well, it is basically an electronic cigarette that feeds the need for nicotine but doesn't have anything else in it, the smoker blows what is basically water vapor so there is no smell, which cuts way down on the amount of actual smoking is done in the apartment. Here is the link:

smokeless.infusionsoft.com/cart/store.js...ubcat=22&naviprod=18

Much less money than moving people or even trying to purify the air, and it helps the resident's health!

As Rose already mentioned, you have a right AND responsibility to ensure the quiet enjoyment of every tenant, not just the smokers. Why are you spending so much money and time to keep the smokers happy instead of the non-smokers?

Smoking in the unit damages the paint and should be considered excess wear-and-tear. It also creates an odor that is extremely difficult to remove. This results in extra costs to the owner and makes the unit less desirable for future tenants. As a PM, you're failing in this area.

Send out a written notice to every tenant that all units are smoke free. They can smoke outside or move. Follow up with periodic inspections and enforce the rule. It's the only way to protect ALL of your tenants and the rental units. It's a common rule and the smokers will adjust accordingly or move. You'll have happier tenants, cleaner units, and fewer costs associated with trying to plug holes.

We actually have a resident who is smelling smoke from her upstairs neighbors. How is that possible, since smoke rises, and the resident complaining lives on the ground floor?

Are there joint duct work between the apartments? If so it can travel up or down through the duct work.

No, each apartment has seperate duct work.

We actually discovered that the smoke can filter through the plug outlets. At least in our case, this was the only air space that was shared ( other then simply going thru the wall). If you place tape over the outlets that are not being used this should help. Seems so small of air space but it did help.

We had one resident who didn't like the smell of his neighbors curry. We insulated around his pipes to make sure no air was getting through but the smell was still too strong. His solution was to remove the electrical outlet covers, put a plastic bag inside, then screw the covers back on. He said it worked.

I know that placing plastic bags behind the outlet sounds like a good idea. However does it not sound like it might be a fire hazard, as you are placing a material not rated for higher tempratures by or on electrical wiring that may overheat.

Try the baby outlet covers...

There actually could be another avenue or two for smoke transfer from one unit to another.
I agree with putting a draft seal behind the outlet covers of the adjoining units. If the HVAC air handler is in in a fir down ceiling, have the Service Manager remove the access cover and check the area in the irritated residents fir down for open holes around freon and electrical lines, which if present, should be filled with insulating foam or drywall and mud. (this is a negative pressure area that will pull in smells from the surrounding units HVAC leaks.)

PS: Sorry to respond so long after your post - I have just now joined the Group.

We are a mid-rise with outdoor patios stacked on top of each other. Lately we have dealt with numerous complaints about residents smoking on their patios and that smoke filling up other resident's apartments who have their patio doors open.

We are at a loss about what to do--we are not smoke-free and we would of course prefer smoker's to smoke outside. But we still don't want that smoke disturbing others trying to enjoy their homes....

I have 130+ people in one building, so odors and noise effects everyone at my property.

At my property, (in Oregon) smoking is permitted and we have had similar issues in the past. The laws and rental agreement terms in your state may differ.

According to our attorney, offensive cigarette smoke is just like offensive noise.

Therefore, Residents can smoke inside their apartment or on their patio, but according to the rental agreement, they cannot "disturb the quiet enjoyment of other residents."

For the first offense, either call or post a note on their door as a friendly reminder. If it happens again, I make a copy of that portion of the rental agreement with the residents signature, highlight that section, and post it along with a non-compliance/disturbance notice to their door. Then I remind them that non-compliance notices have a derogatory effect on their rental history.

I've always recommended to my smokers that they use a smokeless ashtray, it does help.

We are going No-Smoking in all communities. We don't want them, and so maybe we should recommend they move up to Oregon! Just kidding...
Make your bldgs non smoking and watch the problems drift away like smoke wafting in the wind.

I wish we could go non-smoking! Since our building has never been non-smoking and there are many local communities that are, we tend to attract smokers. Our occupancy would plummet if they all left. Also, our maintenance tech, who has been here five years, is a smoker. If we converted to a non-smoking community he would leave us.

All we can do is enforce the policies about non disturbing other residents with smoke, and recommend using smokeless ashtrays.

I agree non smoking buildings are the way to go! I still stay out on site while we are doing lease ups and I do not want to be in a smoking building!! I also understand that it can be difficult to change buildings over to non smoking. Hey have you ever heard to eat an elephant a bite at a time. Well this is the approach I would use and it is very effective. Find out which building have the most non smokers in them and slowly convert them over to non smoking. This way you can have some building for non smokers and slowly convert to all non smoking. Of course many of our clients have kept a mix depending on the market.

I used to work in a hotel that didn't allow smoking... but you know how sometimes they forget (eye roll). Anyway, we purchased an ionizer, which is basically a purifier. I've done the same thing at the apartment complex and have residents sign it out when they need to.

One of my communities went non-smoking and we only lost two residents (200 units). You would be surprised at how many more people you will attract by going non-smoking. :woohoo: It doesn't hurt nearly as bad as you would think. I had at least 50% of my residents smoking and some even quit. AND now days, most people don't smoke in their homes.