Cigarette smoke from neighbours: how to raise it without a row

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 route. In flats, it often travels through shared ventilation, service ducts or gaps around ceilings, floorboards, skirting boards and sockets. If someone smokes on a balcony or by an open window, the smoke can blow straight into your home.

People who smoke often no longer notice the smell. Your neighbours probably have no idea it ends up at yours. They may think they are being considerate by smoking on the balcony, when that is exactly where the smoke drifts your way.

Start by showing understanding

Smoking at home is a sensitive subject. Stick to your own experience and ask for their help in working out a solution, not for them to quit:

"I do not want to tell you what to do in your own home. But we often get a smell of smoke in our bedroom, especially in the evening. I think it might be coming through the ventilation. Could we try to work out together where it comes from?"

If you have children, asthma or another reason the smoke affects you more, say so.

Things you can ask for

Choose one or two realistic agreements to start with:

• A different place to smoke. For example, not directly below your bedroom window or next to your balcony.

• Timing. For example, not smoking outside just when you open your windows to air the flat.

• Windows closed while smoking. Smoking by an open window often blows the smoke towards you.

• Sealing gaps. Gaps around pipes and sockets can often be sealed simply, by the occupier or through the landlord or managing agent.

• Checking the ventilation. A faulty or blocked system may be the cause. That is a question for the owner, landlord or managing agent.

What the rules say in general terms

Smoking in your own home is legal in the UK. The smokefree laws cover enclosed workplaces and public places, usually including the shared corridors and stairwells of blocks of flats, but not private homes. Smoke from premises can in principle be a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in England and Wales, but councils assess this case by case and drifting tobacco smoke is often hard to resolve that way. Most tenancy agreements and leases contain a nuisance clause, and if smoke gets in because of a defect such as faulty ventilation, the landlord or freeholder should look into it.

Cannabis is different, as it is a controlled drug. If you suspect cannabis is being grown, for example because of a strong smell day and night, you can report it to the police on 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. This is general information, not legal advice. For free advice, contact Citizens Advice.

Keep a log

If the smell keeps coming back, note for a few weeks the date, time, which room, how strong it was and the effect, such as poor sleep or headaches. Stay factual. Do not photograph your neighbours or their home, and do not post accusations in a local social media group.

In practice

Smoke really does travel between homes. A factsheet from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) explains that smoke drift through gaps, ducts and shared ventilation is a particular issue in flats and terraced houses, and cites research estimating that 10 to 40 percent of the air in a flat can come from other flats in the building (source: ASH). Sealing gaps and fixing ventilation is often more effective than arguing about who smokes where.

Landlords choosing support over punishment. Flagship Homes, a social landlord in the East of England, launched a smokefree homes project in 2021 that focuses on health and wellbeing rather than penalties (source: ASH). A supportive tone tends to work between neighbours too.

If you cannot sort it out together

Send a second, calm message with what you have noted. After that, a community mediation service can help. If you rent, report it to your landlord or housing association, especially if ventilation seems to be the cause. In flats, contact the managing agent. If you feel threatened, do not confront anyone: call 999 in an emergency, or 101 in a non-emergency.

Help with the first message

The CalmNotes pack for smoke smells from next door gives you editable example messages to raise cigarette or cannabis smoke calmly, with follow-up messages and an Excel log. You can find packs for other situations in our English packs for the UK.

Choose a suitable next step

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