A clammy bedroom wall with dark patches, a smell in the hallway that never clears, silverfish in the bathroom or a gutter pouring down your wall whenever it rains. When the house next door has been neglected for a long time, you often notice it first on your side of the wall. You cannot see the cause, and behind the front door there is sometimes more going on than overdue repairs. Here you will read what you can do, how to raise it calmly and who can help if talking does not

You open the bedroom window in the evening and a few minutes later a heavy, sweet smell drifts into the room. Cannabis smell from neighbours is a familiar problem for many people in flats and terraced houses. The smell is strong, distinctive and lingers in curtains, clothes and bedding. In this article, you’ll find out how the smell gets in, how to raise it kindly and what you can do if nothing changes. Why cannabis smell travels so easily People who smoke get used to the sme

The heating season has started, and with it the smell of wood fires in the evening air. Wood smoke from neighbours can be cosy at a distance, but when it drifts into your garden, through your windows or into a child's bedroom every evening, it is a different story. This article looks at why it happens, how to raise it calmly, what you can ask for and what the rules in the UK say in general terms. Why the smoke ends up at yours Wood burners, open fires and fire pits have becom

You open your front door and notice it straight away: a sharp smell of cat urine on the landing, in the stairwell or drifting through the vent. A cat litter smell from neighbours is an awkward thing to bring up. Yet there is often a simple cause and a simple fix. This article explains where the smell tends to come from, how to raise it tactfully and what the rules in the UK say in general terms. Why your neighbours may not notice it When you live with a smell every day, your

Every evening around six, your whole home smells of fried fish, garlic or chip fat, while you have not even started cooking yourself. Cooking smells from neighbours are awkward to bring up, because everyone has to cook. Yet a smell that comes into your home every day can be genuinely wearing. This article looks at how cooking smells reach you, how to raise it tactfully, which solutions exist and what the rules in the UK say in general terms. How cooking smells get in The caus

You come home and smell it straight away: cigarette smoke in the hallway or the bedroom. Cigarette smoke from neighbours finds its way into many houses and flats without anyone meaning it to, through gaps, shared ventilation or an open window. Sometimes it is tobacco, sometimes cannabis. This article looks at how the smoke reaches you, how to raise it calmly, what you can ask for and what the rules in the UK say in general terms. How the smoke gets in Smoke always finds a rou

It is a warm evening, your windows are open, and suddenly a thick cloud of smoke drifts into your living room. Neighbour BBQ smoke is a familiar part of British summers in gardens and on balconies. Once is no problem, but smoke in your bedroom every weekend is something else. This article looks at why the smoke so often ends up at yours, how to raise it kindly and what the rules in the UK say in general terms. Why the smoke comes your way How much it bothers you depends on wh