If you have a nasty niff in the neighbourhood or perhaps a nuisance neighbour causing a stench, then there are procedures in place by which you can complain.
The Personal Approach
If the bad smell is being caused by a neighbour, then in the first instance, a polite, personal approach is usually best. Unless you fear an aggressive reaction, popping round and raising the problem in a friendly manner often sorts things out. Most people have no idea that there is a problem and are totally unaware that they might be offending people. They are often happy to resolve things and might even thank you for pointing out the problem!
If you don’t seem to be getting anywhere with this approach, then make a note of the date and time of your conversation and follow it up with a more formal letter in writing – but remember to keep it polite.
If a second or third follow-up letter doesn’t provoke a solution, then give fair warning to the person or company that you will be contacting the council.
Involving The Council
Your local Council has a responsibility to investigate all complaints about odour under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
If the problem is coming from an individual or household, they will visit the property and try to determine the cause of the smell. They will also speak to the householders and help them solve the issue.
If the problem is being produced by a local business or industry, then the Environmental Health team will determine whether the smell constitutes a Statutory Nuisance under the Act and whether they need to offer advice on good practise for minimising the odours or impose regulatory sanctions.
Complaining To The Council
If you have tried and failed with a personal and friendly approach to the neighbour or local business causing a problem, then your next step is to make a formal complaint to the Environmental Health Services of your local authority.
Write to the department with as much detail as possible as to the nature of the smell, the times and days it occurs and the effect it has on your life. You should also state what action you have taken so far.
An Environmental Health Officer will then be likely to ask you to keep a diary of exactly when the smell occurs, for how long it is present and perhaps the ‘strength’ or nuisance factor it causes each time. For instance if it is a beautiful sunny afternoon and you wish to be in the garden but find it uncomfortable because of the smell, then this would create more of a nuisance than if the weather were bad and you stayed indoors. All such factors are taken into consideration and help decide if the smell is to be ‘expected’ (and put up with, or if it can be classified as a statutory nuisance and action taken.
Investigation By Environmental Services
The Environmental team will visit the site causing smell pollution and if identified as a nuisance, will implement steps to reduce or solve the problem.
Part of their decision will be based upon whether the smell is deemed ‘expected’. For instance, each year, many people complain about agricultural smells and particularly odours from muck-spreading by farmers. However, while advice is given to farmers to help minimise the nuisance to the local community, it is considered that these smells are temporary and an expected by-product of living in the country.
In other cases, a foul-smelling industry, such as poultry manure farms, rendering plants or sewage works, may have a special licence or planning permission stating that the odour emitted is under Industrial Pollution Control, in which case further investigations will need to be done in conjunction with other parties. It may be just ‘bad luck’ if you live near such an outlet.
However, for any smell which is persistently causing a nuisance is not an expected outcome of a licensed industry, it is affecting the enjoyment of your property and/or can be shown to be prejudicial to health, the council has powers to take action.
Remedial Sanctions
If the Council has found the smell to be a statutory nuisance, then they have the powers to serve an Abatement Notice on the person(s) or company responsible.
Sometimes, if not already in place, the Environmental Officer can ask that Best Practicable Means are put in place, which means that if there are things that can be done to help minimise the odour, these steps are taken.
If your Council is not able to help, individuals do also have the right to take private action. They may complain directly to the Magistrates’ Court under Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as amended.
Should you wish for more information on complaining about smell pollution, do contact your local Council who will be able to assist you and who usually have a leaflet available giving practical advice.
There has been a really noxious smell in Mansfield and Ashfield for the past week now and many of us are feeling ill when outside, can’t find any information, can you help?
Please may I ask a question as I seek advice? We live above a property rented by relatives of the landlord who we co-own the property with. It is two couples who cook morning, lunchtime and at night with a deep fat-fryer, and other smell causing methods that are so intense and strong that at each time, the smell of their oil and food permeates into our property and leaves an odour that lingers for hours – we can wake with their smells and go to sleep with their smells. Their cooking manner triggers the smoke alarms, they have a bathroom fan they leave on to try an extract the smell that then makes a grinding noise and only fills our garden with their smells too. We have tried to mediate with them and explained what they are doing to us and that we have an 8 week old premature baby that has to breath this acrid odour and we can’t open our windows to ventilate but we are met with derision and statements like ‘we do not care about your baby’. We have offered to buy them a oil-free fryer which they have refused to entertain. In regard to their landlord, we have reported to him what they are doing to us and his property as the interior (we have had access) reeks of the same cooking and is developing a coating of oil but he has supported them, told them to carry on as we can do nothing to stop them. We have spoken to the Merton Council Environmental Health team who have told me that there is nothing they can do as it’s a domestic environment and the law doesn’t cover this aspect. I have read your page on this issue and scoured other councils’ pages on this matter and most say they will take action – who is right or wrong on this matter as we are at a loss and need help? Please can anyone advise me as we are struggling? Yours deeply sincerely, Damian
my neighbours only seem to cook onions at all times of day and night i wake up as my nose is burning and my eyes are watering my whole house smells what can i do did you get any solution
Hi i live in Lyminge kent ct188h and there is a really bad smell outside, so bad that you can still smell it with the house completely shut up, there is rumors around the village that it is human waste? it is really bad it must be something that is being spread on the fields but it is far to smelly and making everyone feel sick. please help.
My neighbours cooking is very strong and comes into my house making it smell awful. I am in chronic pain due to a bad operation and feel sick all the time. Its got so bad that I can get no peace being in my home. I have nowhere to escape from it. I can no longer hang my washing in my utility room as it ends up smelling of their food. I have asked them to do something about it and they reported me to the police for racism.The EHO said try the CAB who in turn said try the EHO. Please help as my life is hell
I am the neighbour that has complaints made against her. What can I do? Our house has been without a functioning kitchen for 6 months do to renovations. Now the kitchen is fitted my neighbour complains ever time I put my extractor fan on. I honestly think that he is just complaining because he has had no one living in the house next door and now were back. He is the type that doesn’t let the children in the street play near his car or windows, the type that doesn’t give them their balls back. However he has told me that when I cook it fills his house with the smell of cooking and it makes him feel unwell. He is a miserable old nuisance but I would hate to think I really was making him unwell. What can I do? I cant not cook, and. I do only cook once a day, and I don’t use a fat fryer. Any suggestions
Hi, my problem is cigarette smoke odour coming through, mainly the bathroom but occasionally the kitchen and spare bedroom. I have spoken with my neighbours but have got no where. The problems has started since the bad weather as they used to smoke outside but are now smoking inside. It is not just cigarette smoke odour either, I am sure you know what I mean. The problem is mainly when they have lots of people around which is on a regular basis. I open the bathroom door and the smell hits me. Its like walking into a tap room. I am a chronic asthmatic and have been since childhood and I had major lung surgery in Febuary 2011. So has you can guess the odour is not doing my chest any good either. I contacted enviromental health who said ” we dont know how to help you “. I have air purifiers and have just purchased some charcoal pellets to put in the bathroom as they absorb malodours. I do keep the bathroom door closed and am wondering should I leave it open? I have spoken with my relative , a fireman, and he suggested they should improve thier ventilation as they have no extractor fans and never have thier windows open. I have to have my bathroom window open all the time regardless of the weather. I just dont know where to turn.
Hi our new neighbour guts about 30 fish in the garden then cooks them every sat and sun. The smell is so strong i have to shut all my windows yet the smell still gets in. I would like to sit out in my garden but the smell is so strong this is not possible. I dont know if there is anything i can do?
Hello My Neighbour has a number of Scramble Motor bikes, he house them in his garage that is close to our house. He use these bikes on the odd occasion when they are not being used he leaves them in the garage. The smell from this garage can get quite bad at times to the extent that it is not nice to sit out in the garden, the smell is that of a commercial garage or repair shop, oil, petrol also cleaning solution, which he cleans the bikes with, he cleans them over a drain the rinse them of allowing the residue to go down the drain. I also feel that this garage is not only a health hazard but also a fire hazard as there are obviously stored fuel in the garage. Once he has cleaned these bikes he then stands them on the road and starts them up, he goes on the road to be away from the house as I did tell him about the exhaust fumes that were entering our house, the main thing now is the storing of these machines in the garage and the smell the emit at times it can be smelt around the garden. I spoke to him politely in the first instance this was because of the smoke and exhaust fumes coming from his garage I could smell whilst in the upstairs bedroom furthest away. I again a another time spoke to him and told him about the bikes and smell it was at this stage he took them onto the road when he started them up. The third time I approached him about the problem the problem I told him I would have no other alternative but to report the issue, his response to that was to say ” Well that’s what you will have to do ” with that he stopped talking to me altogether, probably thinking the problem “Me” would go away. Is there anything I can do about this. Any advice would be helpful
Our neighbour has complained that when we cook onions, bacon or similar food the smell goes into his house, he has said that he will contact environmental health. We are only cooking for family and friends at reasonable hours and would like advice on the situation.
@fred. Unless there is something wrong with your cooker extraction it’s highly unlikely that any action would be take for cooking smells at meal times.
My downstairs neighbours stink of weed, i know they grow it, everyone knows they do. The smell makes me feel sick. Don’t want to approach them, I’ll get a slap.
After the really heavy rainfall in London over the last few weeks I noticed a horrible strong musty type smell coming 1st from the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen. A council plumber came out and said there was no leak and blamed the smell on a cleaning cloth!! (well considering i’d just cleaned the windows with window-lene) despite that he could not smell anything else which I find totally baffling. Over the last couple of days the smell has got worse and quite unbearable, spreading from the cupboard through to the whole kitchen, i have to go out to eat as cannot cook in the kitchen with that smell. There is no kitchen door so I do not have the option to close the door. Called the council again and the guy in repairs REFUSES to send anyone out to investigate due to the plumber last week saying there was nothing wrong!!!!! I emailed the council again (no phone credit left as calls to council and being put on hold have used up my monthly minutes) the SAME guy rang me back ( he seriously must be the only one that works at the call centre? and I explained to him that I have have constant headaches and the smell is making me ill, it is getting worse, I said it smells musty/earthy like mold then he told me its my responsibility not the councils and I would have to fix it myself. I told him I am ill, I am disabled, how on earth can I do it myself. I even told him that under the environmental protection act of 1990 that councils have a duty to investigate odours, he still would not listen or give me his name (so I could lodge a complaint against him) and ended up trying to talk over me. I put the phone down as I was getting nowhere. Any advice would be great.
My neighbor smoking weed all time and all that smell coming imn my children room im scare to complain about them what I can do ?
Hi im just woundering if there is anything I can do as a family have moved in and the smell of them cooking every day is coming in to my hhouse is there any thing I can do
@bigal. You cannot usually complain about domestic cooking smells. Check with them that their extractor fan is working as it should. If you are next door to a commercial kitchen (eg. a restaurant or takeaway), you can complain to the council.
My neighbors attached to us have a dog. The dog is not trained. They leave the dog in the basement all day when they are not there. It pees down there, there house smells so bad of urine when we open our kitchen window we can smell it. When they open their front door it knocks you off your feet. Her twin boys smell so bad of urine my kids won’t play with them. I walked in their house the other day to drop something off and I had to hold my breath. Our town houses are shut put together, so now my basement reeks of dog urine. My kids classroom is down there and we put time and money into homeschooling our kids and I can’t utilize our basement. I’ve had to throw so much away due to the smell. I can’t take my kids out back to play because they won’t pick up the crap either. I don’t want to mean and I also feel it pointless to say anything, because I know them we’ll enough that they will not do anything…what are they going to do, get rid of the dog? Any suggestions????
there is a chemical.. plastic smell in the air today 21 nov 2014 and yesterday 20 nov 2014. i work security for 12 hour shifts.. it is very strong.. this smells very toxic. i want this investigated and people in area need to know of any health risks.
@shadow. If this happens again you should report the smell to the local environmental health office. They are obliged to investigate and should let you know their findings.
We have neighbours 2 houses away who are often smoking skunk. It stinks out the whole outdoors, and none of my family can use our yard or garden during these times. It is a council house – what can I do? I am prepared to politely ask them not to, but am confident will be told to eff off, or be ignored. I am anxious not to have an ongoing dispute if we sell the house.
@ben Ross. Unfortunately to make sure something is done about it, you will have to make a complaint to the council – you could try both the Environmental Health Dept about the pollution and also the housing dept as the neighbour is a council tenant. This may be unearthed at a future date, should you decide to sell, but the good news is that as they are council tenants, there’s a chance they may have been moved on by the time you sell.
We are situated on a business park and have had our unit for 20 years. It is mainly used as office/warehousing. A car body repair company has moved in next door and we are now experiencing fumes of paint & lacquer in our offices during different times of the day. it is not pleasant to work with. The smell I imagine is coming through vents or even the walls as they are attached to us. as a company what can we do. What equipment do they need to have in place to do this work and prevent fumes in our offices. Bernie.
@Bernie. This is one for the Environmental Health Department. Give them a call – they’ll come out and conduct investigations and if necessary serve a notice to the company to implement various measures.
I’m really upset but feel like a moaner at the same time. I’ve moved into a new flat (been here 4-5mths) and have every intention to only stay here until I find a house that I can afford to rent. But money’s scare for me at present so I’m slumming it where I live. I’ve experienced various problems with renting flats before e.g noise. So after this flat, I’m NEVER going to live amongst other people but in a house instead. Best way. Anyway, my neighbours who live below my flat never open their windows. The block of flats we live in is very damp anyway and combined with the stale air/smell from their flat and mildew, walking past their door is torture. Also when they open their door, WOW! you can choke to death from the stench. It’s an actual deathly stench. Even when you walk past the block of flats from outside, you can catch a wiff of their ‘unique smell’. It is disgusting. To add fuel to fire, they also cook without opening any windows. Their windows are shut 24/7. So their food smells, steam etc comes into my flat and whatever it is they cook, is putrid. You just want to gag! Today and quite often, they cook something that smells like onions, herbs and vinegar. If you spill vinegar for example, it has a sour, stinging smell that lasts for a while. This is what it smells like. Like someone has poured vinegar all over my flat and on me too! They finished cooking 5hrs ago and my flat still reeks!!! I’ve opened windows, sprayed whatever i can, used incense. Nothing helps! Sometimes my flat reeks for days. Often I’ve felt like crying and the cooking smell catches my throat and stings my eyes. It’s awful! My bathroom smells the worst when and after they’ve cooked. I can’t even go in there. The shared hallway too bears the brunt so you can imagine opening the front door and being hit with their smells. Worse still if someone drops by to visit. They are hit with the smell. Are my neighbours not aware just how bad their flat smells and cooking is? I’ve hoped things would improve (maybe, just maybe they might decide to crack open a window) I’ve used air fresheners etc but cannot keep buying things to cover the smells. It’s costing me alot of money. So today out of sheer frustration I set off my fire alarms so as to encourage them to open windows to let the steam out. I used the steam as reason my alarms went off, so fingers crossed this’ll encourage them to open windows in future. But I feel like a b*tch now. But honestly the smell gets so bad I can’t breathe. I’m don’t want to get sick from whatever they’re cooking. The smell does make me weeze as i’m mildy asthmatic.
My neighbours in the flat below are heavy smokers, both of them and their 13yr old son. The smoke comes up through various laces in my flat. One of the bedrooms is no longer usable as the smell is so bad. It also seems to come up in the hallway so there is no way of avoiding this and sometimes in the bathroom. I have asked them politely to open a window as I have to open mine, and I amso worried about my daughter’s health. They have fallen out with me over this stating they can’t help me. Aside from my daughter’s health which is obviously my main issue it absolutely stinks all the time. I am devastated. I have lived here for years. My flat is private but they are recently moved in council tenants, have rang lmh who own the other flats on the block, the ,day was so sympathetic over the phone but stated there were no laws to stop people smoking in their own home even though my daughter is breathing in their cigarette smoke every day. Do I have a leg to stand on. I am at my wits end. Thank you very much
@Emmab. There are no laws to prevent people from smoking in their own homes unfortunately for you. If the smoke and smell is significant enought to be causing you health problems, there may be something that your local environmental health department can do as the article states. Your neighbour’s housing department may also be willing to inspect their flat to ensure that it is not affecting the terms of their tenancy agreement.
My neighbour swills his path with disinfectant i have asked him to stop this on a number of times. He does this because he allows his dog to foul on the paths and patio the smell engulfs our garden some times I think it is done on purpose what can we do .
@tynesider. There are no laws to prevent people cleaning their paths. If your neighbour is using a chemical that is banned or known to be harmful then you can legitimately raise this with the environmental health officer.
Hi, I live in the top flat of a converted house. There is a revolting smell coming from the flat downstairs; it fills the communal hallway and often wafts up the staircase to the landing inside my flat. It is a rotten bin smell, sometimes like decaying bodies and vomit, (gross, I know.) I have tried to speak to the neighbours before about other unpleasant smells, e.g. cigarette smoke and petrol, (from a motorcycle they kept in front of my door!) and I think that they might be deliberately keeping rotting waste by their front door to antagonise me. The smell is so strong sometimes that I have to go downstairs and leave the outer front door open to draw the stench outside and I am concerned that now the weather is getting warmer, the odour will only get worse and stronger. I have looked for the appropriate form on my local council’s website, but they only seem to expect complaints about noisy neighbours, not smelly ones. Please can you advise me who or where to get help with this grim situation. Thanks in advance. Nutso
Hi, Over the weekend i have noticed and nasty onion/BO smell in our daughters bedroom, i cannot find any indication that it is coming from the bedroom, we have an old covered up fireplace and the smell is coming from there. Is it ok if i knock on my neighbour and ask if the smell is in the room next to ours? My partner thinks this will sound rude, but if i dont ask then nothing will be done about it. Its quite strong and doesnt smell nice at all.
Hi, the bar I work in has a horrible unknown smell which seems to be coming from one particular corner of the bar. It is unclear exactly where in this corner however, and it could be anything from a dead rat under the floorboards, stagnant water in the walls or a leakage of some other description. The problem is that the owner seems unwilling to tackle the problem in the hopes that it will just “go away”. However, it has now been 3-4 weeks with no signs of improvement, and he smell is unbearable at times. What is the best advised course of action? Thank you!!
@nusofish. Firstly are you and your neighbours both renting? If so it may be worth having a word with your landlord. If you’re owners, is there a management company etc – same thing applies. Alternatively, you can complain to your environmental health office. You are protected from odour nuisance which is the result of either bad waste management and/or a casual approach to dealing with household waste under the Environmental Protection Act.
@loulouj. Why not go round and say the smell seems to be coming from the chimney breast/fireplace but before you knock your wall out, you are checking to see if they have noticed it too?
@Danny. Gosh what an unusual situation. The owner should surely be worried about this as it will have an impact on customers if it gets worse. Firstly suggest that it may be a sanitation/environmental health issue and that he could be closed down when the next inspection is due. Hopefully that will be enough to get him to investigate/act. Secondly you could try, together with your colleagues, to raise a grievance saying you cannot work in the environment.a bit extreme but if you all act together, your employer may simply accede.
Hi please help us. Since moving into our new build housing association flat in 2012, our hlife’s been living hell. 2 main problems with smell. 1st, our flat is on the 1st floor, above communal bins for 38 flats. Was never told or shown bins being under our flat otherwise wouldn’t have moved in. Despite bins being emptied and cleaned once a week, our home smells daily of the bins which are always overflowing. H.A insist bin area cannot be moved despite complaints from neighbours also confirming bin smells affecting outside entrance, communal entrance, stairs and lifts bring over powering especially in warm weather. Next is sewage smells, neighbours cooking odours and bleach smell coming through our bath drain. Seperate sewage odour outside from carpark. H.A ignoredconcerns/defects for nearly 2 and a half years despite knowing the smells began affecting sons appetite, concentration and would make him heave, gag on often vomit. Friday to Monday since May 2012 and daily in holidays, the smells would often be so strong it can be detected from entering the flat despite bathroom door being closed. Have no window in bathroom. Environmental health state cannot get involved as they cannot deal with H.A tenants!, MP useless. Followed complaint procedure. Housing Ombudsman state my current waiting list for my complaint is 10-12 months before being taken on. H.A. They also informed MP, H.O and water company I was the only person to report smells/problems. Water company carried out further investigations, tests and surveys and found no fault. However found outside drains on our pavement before road were blocked. Responsibility of H.A confirmed by water company. No drains were unblocked and further complaints resulted in meeting with water company and H.A. Drain in car park was also blocked, property director informed our drains must be Unblocked. Fast forward next year(2015) over 3 years since reporting these nuisance smells, problems continue to rise. Contacted some neighbours who confirm similar smells most not as bad as mine who have complained repeatedly of the smells. I paid 2 private plumbers both stating fittings/workmanship poor and cheap, property built in that way and would never stop getting sewage/bleach smells. HA have never sent a plumber to investigate, instead sent a few people since autumn/winter as surveyors, however not one of the four staff attended were surveyors let alone qualified in that field. Even the property director stated he had no sense of smell, Accused water company despite promising them the smells would be resolved by end of Christmas 2014. Director also informed me my case would get thrown out of court, laughing in my face when I stated I had medical evidence and neighbours statements. Please help us we are desperate. These smells are totally sickening, it’s humiliating and too embarrassing as we cannot have friends and family over let alone breath naturally when smells too strong.
Hi, I have just been allocated a housing association flat. I have had my first visit today and yet to sign the agreement. The previous occupant was clearly a very heavy smoker. The walls, ceilings and wallpaper are yellow and saturated in tobacco stains – it stinks. I complained to the employee who showed me round but she just said “they would have wiped the walls down and that a coat of paint would do it”! I’m not convinced and worried that this is carcinogenic for me and my young child. Are they obliged to do more? if not, how do I get rid of it?? Many thanks for any help you can give, Ros.
Hi. I live near a Yorkshire water sewerage treatment works. The plant was given planning permission under the understanding that it would be an odourless process. This unfortunately is not the case and on most days the plant emits a rather discusting stench of sewerage which is unbearable and forces you indoors. The only reprieve is when the wind changes and some other poor souls have to suffer the smell. What are my options to force Yorkshire water to remedy the situation as it has been on going for at least 5 years.
@Chris. Start by complaining about the noise to your local Environmental Health Officer. They are obliged to investigate all complaints.
I don’t really know what to do. I live in a masionette and the problem is with the smell emanating from my neighbour’s flat, whose front door directly faces mine (our doors being on the side of the buildings). During the summer months, my neighbour has opened his bathroom window and there is a very strong smell of urine emanating from the same. Although very unpleasent, I do not often pass this window and have therefore not done anything about it. Last night when I got home from work, my neighbour was down the street talking to somebody but when I arrived at my front door, I noticed that he had left his front door ajar, propped open with a box, and the smell emanating from his house was totally overpowering, to the point that I was retching and very nearly actually sick on my front door step (I really am not exaggerating). The smell is of urine. As far as I am aware, my neighbour does not have any pets. I do not often see my neighbour and he does come across as a quite strange individual, his garden is totally over grown and he appears to keep used tea bags and parcel wrappings, tins etc as opposed to throwing them away (you can see this through his kitchen window). We always acknowledge each other if we see each other. I am a female living on my own and really do not feel able to talk to him about the problem and he is obviously aware of it himself as he has never before left his bathroom window open. Unfortunately, whatever the problem is, I do not think leaving the window open is going to fix it. I really do not know what to do about it, and really do not think I could actually speak to him about it personally. I would also not want him to know that I have informed anybody about the problem. Help!
You could try phoning the environmental health officer about the smell in general. They should be understanding about your desire for confidentiality.
Hi I live next door to a car spray garage and they daily spray cars outdoors and block my gateway with parked cars, this only door to my upstairs flat and only escape route if there was a fire. I have a 3 year old son who can’t play in the garden as the smell.is so bad. He’s been doctors on numerous occasions but can’t be diagnosed with ashma as he’s too young. Can the smell.of the car paint be hazzordious to our health? I dnt no what to do as I’m. Being passed from.Pillow to.post over this issue. Please can you advice me. Thank you
Our next door neighbours home absolutely stinks. We own our home but they rent theirs from a private landlord. It smells every day, but it’s worse on the weekends starting Fridays and it’s so overpowering we have to run to close any open windows or doors as soon as they open theirs. It fills the house with a smell I don’t recognize and I can hardly breathe it is so bad. Even with our doors and windows closed, somehow, the stench is still finding it’s way into the back bedroom where I used to sleep when I was on the afternoon shift, but I can’t breathe properly i there anymore and was waking up coughing like an old pit man. We’ve never really spoken to the couple next door because we think the smell is drugs and we’re not sure how they’ll react. But I have mentioned ,within earshot of them when I was in the back garden trying to enjoy the sun, that the stench is disgusting. The man is coughing quite badly every day which doesn’t surprise me at all living in that. What does surprise me is how he is still alive. Please help us..
I moved into a council flat Nov 2014 and immediately I had a problem with cigarette smell . I live in the 3rd floor and the smell was coming form downstairs flat . i complained to the council and they sent a repair guy who only spent about 2 minutes and told me there was nothing he could do . i kept calling my housing officer and nothing ever happened . the tenant has since moved . there was noone in that flat for some time . only recently someone has moved in . the cigarette smell is back . its worse in my kitchen but it fills the whole house , even my clothes smell of cigarette . i cant even invite anyone over cause the smell is just unbearable. any advice would be great
I have just moved into a flat above a laundrette. Their main vent is right next to my front door and they are not maintaining it. It is covered in dust particals which worried me as it indicates what I’m breathing in everyday. They also keep opening their back door when it gets too hot in the shop and the laundry fumes come straight up into my flat. The smell of laundry fragrances is so strong it’s giving me headaches and makes me feel sick. I have mentioned the smell to them and they said they are not responsible. Would this be deemed as “expected” smell? Also I’ve read that laundry fumes are cancer causing which has now caused me increase worry.
Ask your environmental health officer to check it out. They should be able to tell you whether it’s harmful and if necessary take action regarding anything the laundry is doing incorrectly regarding the extraction.
Whenever my neighbor cooks its smells horrible. At this exact moment I can not sleep due to the smells. I live in a apartment and my neighbor who lives under me is cooking food thats smells spoiled. It actullay smells like a dead rodent. Its been 2 hours and the smell is getting stronger. I had to open all my windows to help soften the smell but its 35 degrees outside and now Im cold. What can I do?? The smell is literally making me sick to my stomach…
My neighbours house smells so bad it actually fills my whole house. I’ve lived in this house for 6 years and I have never heard her hoover. A friends son stayed the night there and went home covered in bite marks my house is absolutely stinking and no amount of air freshener or plug in can get rid of it and it’s getting worse. I can’t say anything to her I don’t know her well enough so what can I do
If you have concerns about sanitary/health issues related to this, it might be worth a call to your enivronmental health department. If she is not coping or is failing to look after herself or her children, the social services may be able to assist.
My neighbour smokes drugs in her rented house. The smell is overpowering especially in my bedroom and mainly at night. We are sometimes woke up by the smell and I have also woke feeling very sick quite often. My husband and I are finding it very difficult to manage on constant broken sleep, feeling ill and working full time. I have witnessed her being very aggressive and violent in the past so I do not want to confront her.
We have had new neighbours move in next to us our kitchens are adjacent we have never had a problem with past neighbours but these cook very highly spiced curries several times a day they have a fan that churns out directly onto my kitchen and gets in all the cupboards and a downstairs bathroom. the smell gets all over the house.We cant go into the garden because of the extreme smell it makes me feel sick and ill my husband dose not mind the occasional curry but he can’t stand it. Have there been any instances like this before if so what has been done about it
We have had new neighbours move in next door we have never had a problem in the past but these cook very spicy curie night and day which makes me feel sick and bad my Husband dose not mind a curie but it is even too much for him They have a fan that belts all the smell directly onto my kitchen and downstairs bathroom. The kitchen units smell of it we cannot open windows go into the garden or have a shower when they are cooking help
For a few years now I have constantly complained to the Local Council about a neighbour who’s chimney constantly lets out black smoke with a nasty wife to it. I first approached the neighbour about 3 years ago but nothing came of it & they said to mind my own business. I reported them to the Council & took approx 50 photos over the period & sent them with times & dates. I was asked to keep a diary with times, dates & nature of smoke which I did. My neighbours work as gardners & I sent pictures of them off-loading tree stumps etc which they cut down & burn. The smell is so bad that we have to close our windows. Not so bad in winter but in the summer months our washing stunk & was te-washes sometimes 3 times! Is there anyone else I can contact as the local council don’t seem bothered.
@Boo – what did you do about your neighbour smoking drugs, I have the same issue and not even House of Fraser diffusers cover the smell and I am in a terraced house which I own and they don’t even work!!!!!
What can we do? the building was built in 1865 and converted into 5 apartments. The problem we have is that when the apartment downstairs is cooking the smell travels into our kitchen and into our bedroom and bathroom, they have a fan, but the smell is over powering. We’ve reported it to the council but they don’t do anything, they send inspectors out that can’t find a problem. It’s getting worse..
I live in the flat. Day and night coming badly smell. Some time smoke, some chemical, some food like burning onion, some caulk burn, some spirt acid vinegar I’m not sure but unbreathable and my eyes swollen ,face starting eczema ..what I need to do really I don’t know….
If you dont want to smell your neighbors move to a detached house ! Mrs frazers candles l!
We have really horrible neighbours who I believe are trying to drive us our out home. They park aggressively and go out of there way to make parking difficult for me. On two occasions our visitors have had their tyres slashed when parked outside their house. I am particularly fond of my garden. Initially whenever I sat out they would use their power tools etc to try to make sitting in my garden unpleasant. It was happening every time I say in my garden so not coincidental. It didn’t work. I just ignored it. Over the last 2 summers however they have started to use poultry fertiliser whenever I sit in the garden. This can be several times a week. No one needs to spread that much fertiliser. Again, if anything, it makes me stay outside longer. I will absolutely not be bullied. The fertiliser has a very strong odour and attracts flies. I know I could complain to environmental health but feel they would then know the smell is affecting me. Any advice?
My next door neighbour as ad a bathroom fitted in a upstairs bedroom and he as fitted his waste pipe on to our stench pipe it for ever leaking un bursting un all crap from bathroom un toilet is goin all over my yard can I remove his pipe
It’s not a good idea to simply remove the pipe. Talk to the neighbour first and ask them to get it done again (by a professional). If not seek advice from your insurance company.
We have been tired by stink cats food tins,alcohol cans,pets poo,rotten foods and mix of rubus he’s which couses smells …this problem we are struggling for years since…no any progress been ignored by racist naighbour… We find hard now to face her becomes. ..she is so aggressive especially she is I drugs .. We really need helps from coucill as soon as possible… We don’t know what to do with this issue… We have to live in missrable life breathing stink poison..in every day life.. Thank you for your time Rajab& B.Toms
Have this horrible odour coming from the chicken factory down the road. On a scale of 1 to 10 its a 10 most days or nights. When we moved in we where told that we would get about two days of smell a year. More like two days a year no smell , we have lived here for 7 months . The odour makes me to the point of vomiting , my husband is going through cancer treatment and this smell is not helping his recovery. Any suggestions would be gratefully excepted.
I live near a recently re opened recycling place! I live on a really busy road with lots of houses and 2 parks very very close It stinks so bad of rubbish and sewage and all things grim. Why the hell are they allowed to open a place like that in a busy built up area with lots of residents its beyond me i dont understand who suggested openening the place there and i dont understand how this was ok’d! The logical place to open a smelly place like that would be in the middle of no where! The council are a bunch of idiots
For the past 8 years my neighbour has deep fat fried chicken and fish at all hours of the day and night. The smell is rancid and gets into our curtains, carpets, clothes etc. I have complained numerous times to HA but that stops her for a week or two then it all starts again. The 3 fryers she had on the go used to be plugged into extension leads and put outside in her garden on the floor around her kids playing. She washes great big bowls out in the garden at 4/5am in the morning and tips the waste down the manhole in her garden causing rats!!!! Once she has cooked for a few hours a van comes and picks up what she has cooked. Surely she isn’t allowed to supply food to an outside caterers that has been cooked in a domestic kitchen???? Need advise on how to stop her doing this. My HA want me to document everything but then it only stops her for a week or two. Help!!!!
I’ve been living in my maisonette for two and a half years. When we moved in the business below was a hair shop, now it’s turned into a jerk chicken place. The smell of smoke permeated in our kitchen and front room just above the restaurant and grill and our bathroom always smells of their prep cooking early in the day. What are my rights regarding this?
You could try contacting your environmental health officer, who can check that all the necessary extractors etc are in place. However, this is a downside of living above shops/take aways etc…it’s likely that planning permission would have been granted for change of use to a food outlet.
I need some advice on how to go about an unpleasant smell entering my bedroom/office. Many years ago (2009) our neighbour decided to try and make more money by turning his house into flats (no planning permission..we checked). We have had disputes with him before i.e. a waste pipe that fell into a gutter causing a bad smell at the front of our house; we could even see the waste that was coming out from it (when we asked him to fix it politely, he put the same pipe, same as it was (open and falling into a gutter) near the back, next to our bedrooms we had to call the environmental health for him due to unpleasant smell). In 2009, he moved the bathroom from one side to our side (facing my bedroom) so I am stuck with unpleasant smells of poo coming in. The downstair neighbour has also placed a vent on the same side of the house (directly facing my bedroom) so I have the smell of poo and central heating vapours coming into my bedroom all the time. I work from home and this not only limits my concentration but also my privacy as the tenants are always in the bathroom listening to conversations and talking really loud even at 4 am. I smoke and they complain about my cigarettes (I know, what a cheek!) Its affecting my health and I really need some help in how to go about this. Please help (I’ve put up with this for too long) even as I am typing this the smell of poo is coming in.
What did environmental health do when you asked them about it last time. If there is a problem with a poorly fitted waste pipe they should be able to take action to force the neighbour to rectify it.
Me and my wife just moved into a 4 bed house on a little side street next to an industrial estate.. what we didn’t know is that there is a poultry factory not far from where we live… and the smell.. well it’s indescribable we’ve not been able to sleep because the smell is so vile, it’s woke us both up in the middle of the night, it’s made us sick! and the smell is going through the house, we swapped our bedroom for a different room but still no dice I don’t know what to do, moving isn’t an option. I don’t know weather it’s my landlords problem (maybe the windows need tending to) or if I can go to the council but just thinking I’m not going to get anywhere with that because it’s a factory. Thank you for any feedback
There’s not much you can do about it all unfortunately. You can check with your environmental health team to be sure that the factory is acting within recommended guidelines but it’s likely that they probably are. A landlord is repsonsible for renting a property that is in a good state of repair (including windows, roofs etc) but that doesn’t include keeping smells out.
Hi there, I recently moved into a flat above a “wine shop” which has also been selling fish and other very smelly products. The smell leaks into our flat and we’ve had to vacate the downstairs bedroom. We’ve had the landlady talk to the shop but they’ve done nothing. This is maddening and we need to let the bedroom to make up the rent! What should we do?
What we often find where folk describe powerful smells or air pollution is what we call the FUMER. The “Fumer” is a powerful device, often mains powered, that vaporises at high temperatures, pure alcohol often mixed with a little fragrance like patchouli or fragrances like urinal-cake and floor cleaner or laundry cleaners and softeners. Downwind you may notice the fragrance, often smells just like very strong flowers or laundry. The fume travels a long way and can fill homes downwind from more than 100 yards. Even if you can only smell it a little bit, that’s still a lot of fumes. The fume is a spirit dissolved 100% into the air-flow and blankets those downwind. Alcohol by itself cannot easily be detected, but as we know this is used to elevate ordinary smells for example as an evaporating conduit for increasing bottled perfume strength. Complaints of strong cooking smells and vehicle exhaust are usual with a Fumer in the area. Some Fumers are of such strength they can be easily detected for over half a mile. Those living right in the path of these solvents can be totally unaware due to regularly being saturated by the airborne chemical, it dulls the normal sense of smell and taste. If you wear fragranced antiperspirant you will think you are smelling that, but it’s likely being elevated by the solvent wafting past you. Breathing on these fumes even several hundred yards away and indoors, can easily alter the sense of breath because the fume evaporates and chills in the airway to fill slightly more volume. The abrasive nature of the air can sometimes feel peppery and invokes the natural recoil when breathing causing anxiety and the feeling of mild panic. The victim suffers the feeling of a panic attack. The fumes evaporate against the warm skin such as the face and can be felt like a tiny cold breeze, usually put down to draughtiness, this evaporating chill is the same winter and summer and obviously not a draught when the game is up. The fume can be felt on the eyes causing eye rubbing and poor eye condition. The natural oils in the eyes deteriorate if the victim does not regularly leave the house. Those with day-jobs may be very much less affected than those staying at home, since their eyes don’t get too compromised. The fume can be felt evaporate off the back of hands, the victim often smells the slight fragrance and goes off to wash hands, or scratches hands or backs of legs causing an eczema-like condition. Some victims living downwind of Fumers start to wash hands frequently and show other signs of OCD. They may go hunting for smells and start washing and cleaning unnecessarily. The wafting hum of the solvent to and fro induces a limited attention span and is bad for children. The fume is heavier than air, rolls along the floor and is bad for small children playing on the floor and pets sleeping. Actually complaining of smells to the Council is a waste of time. Councils have not worked out yet how to deal
My neighbours are smoking cannabis in their house, the problem being when the do smoke it my house absolutely stinks of the stuff! My daughters bedroom being the worst. She has to light candles to get rid of the smell. They have recently had a brush with the law and drug dealers. The police know drugs are involved but have not done anything. What steps should i take next? I dont use drugs or smoke and dont see why my house should smell so potent with drugs.
The house next door is rented and the new tenants whenever they cook their Indian food the smells come into my house. The smell is now seeping through my walls. I have contacted the Estate Agent, but nothing is really being done. I appreciate people should be able to live where they want and cook what they want, but a smell coming into my property and garden is an invasion to me. I have spoken to the family about this and they do open the kitchen window when cooking, but this does not help as it comes through any way it can and I am looking for any advice to try and resolve this issue? Have never heard of anything like this before, smells travelling from house to house? Any advice? Thanks
It sounds like inadequate building if the smell is coming through that badly. If so, your landlord should act.
We live behind a chip shop, and the smell is getting worse….it just used to be fish an chips but now they are doing kebabs, chinese, Indian,the smell is sometimes making me sick (I can’t relax in the garden because of the smell, also when they do the kebabs it sounds like mini plane taking off)…..what can i do to stop this pls?
Hi, we live in a new build of many houses,bungalows next to field which last year the farmer grew corn then rented the field to someone I think they are pop up farms,and put cows on it and out of the whole field he put the feeders approx 9ft away from our home, the ground has turned into a bog of cow poo and urine and the smell is terrible it makes us feel sick I get headaches,we cannot sit in the garden it is really bad,we tried speaking to the person but he made it quite clear he doesn’t want to know can anyone advise us please. Jimpl
I live in a first floor flat and have recently had a new neighbour move in below and my flat now stinks of cigarette smoke. As soon as I open the door I can smell it and have spent a small fortune on airfreshners but they are not remotely removing the smell. I would appreciate any advice you can give.
Me and my wife just moved into a flat, and from my neighbours on th hallway it is a very bad smell. Every time you leave the flat or come back, the smell is stuck into your noose, even in my flat is keeping to smell. I saw the neighbour, it is an old dirty guy. I think his flat is source of infection! What should I do? I do mention my wife is pregnant and we do not need this kind of smell near us. Thank you!
Firstly contact your landlord. They may be able to check on the other tenant and make sure they are sticking to the terms of the tenancy agreement (cleanliness, maintenance etc). If you’re concerned that it is a sanitation issue, you might want to contact your environmental health officer.
We have lived in our rented house for 13 years. In 2015 a hairsalon moved in. Our house goes besides and over the shop. The smell from chemicals coming through is awful. When she first moved in we talked to her about the smell but she denies it being from her. We have spoken to her again and again. It has gone so far that she said if we mention the smell again she will make our lives a misery. We spoke to the land lord in the summer 2016. He said he would do something but hasn’t so far. We now have a newborn baby. The smell is affecting the bedrooms of two of our children. As I am writing this the smell is coming through to the wall into the dinning room. The hallway is smelly, the smell is on the stairs and the smell is very much in my son’s bedroom. What can we do. Our problem is that we do not want to be told by the landlord that we need to move nor for her to make our lives even worst then they are. What can we do?? She said she contacted environmental health and they apparently told her they are not going to do anything as the smells are not toxic. But it is giving us headaches and not wanting to be in our own house. Is there a way of contacting people anonymously so she cannot take it out on us? She is a very aggressive person and so is her boyfriend. Both have hurled insults at us and our children.
Help..advice needed!! My neighbours breed snakes..(!!!!) They have a huge garage in which they keep them..I can just about cope with that..it’s the shed in which they keep the stinky rats and mice which they feed the snakes with that is causing me so much distress..I can smell the stench every day from my front and back garden and it is just unbearable in the summer months..I can’t leave windows open on that side of the house and sitting outside with friends is becoming a real problem. I have put up with this for over 3 years and now have had enough..I feel that this is having such a negative effect on how I can enjoy my garden and don’t know how to deal with it..I don’t want to fall out with the family that live there however I also don’t think I can tolerate it any more..what should I do??
Please Help..advice needed Unlicensed Garage, stripping cars revving engines in a residential area for over 3 years. This issue has been present to local Council to investigate about odour under the Environmental Protection on Nov 2016. it was resolved towards the end of last year 2016 but has slowly started to creep back. It started to return at the end of January 2017 and once again is starting to occur very often and becoming a real issue due to toxic smell being produced.
I recently moved into a house though guinness partnerships and since we moved in ive rang several times about a smell of canabiss in the property that no matter what we try it just wont go. It smells worst in my 18month olds bedroom but im also 6 months pregnant and no matter how many times i ring they dont seem to want to do anything. Im at my wits end its making me feel poorly all the time and my little boy seems to just sleep and eat all the time. Im not sure what else i can do i just want an end to the smell but they wont do anything
If you really feel your air is being polluted to this extent, ask your local environmental health officer to come and check it. If you’re feeling poorly and your son just wants to sleep, there may be something else more sinister to be checked out.
Hi, my husband, child and I became homeless 3 years ago after job losses and pregnancy, and failing to pay our mortgage. We were placed in a ‘non secure temporary accommodation’ 3 bedroom terrace, which we were grateful for, but the problem we now face is that the bathroom at the end of the property has rats in the flat roof and wall cavities as we hear them and have occasional rat droppings, the smell of urine is awful especially in summer we have to keep windows open and it is now smelling out the downstairs area of our house. The landlord paid for rat poison to be put down but we had dead rats then followed by maggots and flies in the bath and windows for weeks. The council won’t do anything and the landlord refuses to do anything apart from occasional rat poison what can we do?
Why won’t the council do anything? If there’s clearly a rat infestation or your property is substandard then they have a duty to investigate. Make sure you contact the Environmental Health department rather than any of the others at this stage.
We have been living out in the country in a rented property for the past 5 years and have throughly enjoyed it. Recently, one of the farmers, down the road, has opted to start breeding chickens on a mass scale for re-sale. The odour is that bad that it hurts the nostrils due to the ammonia smell wafting our way. To add insult to injury, our water has also tasted “offish” lately and we have started buying bottled water instead. Any advice on how we move forward with this is greatly appreciated.
Try your local environmental health office. They will certainly be able to look into the water issue to be sure that it’s nothing untoward. They will also check the smells and the poultry keeping practices of the farmer to be sure they are complying with the necessary standards etc.
We have lived in our rented house for 13 years. In 2015 a hairsalon moved in. Our house goes besides and over the shop. The smell from chemicals coming through is awful. When she first moved in we talked to her about the smell but she denies it being from her. We have spoken to her again and again. It has gone so far that she said if we mention the smell again she will make our lives a misery. We spoke to the land lord in the summer 2016. He said he would do something but hasn’t so far. We now have a newborn baby. The smell is affecting the bedrooms of two of our children. As I am writing this the smell is coming through to the wall into the dinning room. The hallway is smelly, the smell is on the stairs and the smell is very much in my son’s bedroom. What can we do. Our problem is that we do not want to be told by the landlord that we need to move nor for her to make our lives even worst then they are. What can we do?? She said she contacted environmental health and they apparently told her they are not going to do anything as the smells are not toxic. But it is giving us headaches and not wanting to be in our own house. Is there a way of contacting people anonymously so she cannot take it out on us? She is a very aggressive person and so is her boyfriend. Both have hurled insults at us and our children. It is getting worst and we are at our wits end. Please what can we do????? newmum
Why don’t you contact environmental health yourself? There may something that can make your neighbour do to ensure the smells are extracted differently from the property etc
We have tried bu they want all our details. This would mean that she will know we complained an as she and her boyfriend are aggressive they could take it out o us and as she threatened make our lives a misery. Her boyfriend has threatened both my son and husband.
Our neighbours cooking is generating a horrible smell that prevents us enjoying ojr garden enjoying our home as it permates through the walls housing say nothing can be done? The smell is horrible occurs most days.
I had police involved with thinking it was someone up to no good at side of house. Were air vents are within easy access. Everytime i was suspiscious ie hearing a hiss he was in garden with water hosepipe. But when asked he’d seen no one but it was like id just caught him. I even had plain clothes watching street. Because we have been victims of crime in the past. I think it’s been him all the time spraying the air-vent with butane gas. We have lived away, then returned. I’ve been A&E twice and vomited in past month. We had gas checked, we had minor leak. We put a new fence in which was needing doing. Started a gym as i have been really ill. Next door to them going oh they’re blocking you out.? I think it must be jealousy. Or i’m being victimised again. And it is a clique. Just relaxed thinking it was just my ill health after dealing with another attached neighbour for targetted harrasment. But it was shattered because they’ve had barby on without any warning and my throat is burning from having the window open. They know i have a diagnosis of asthma which i got on moving hear. I never had breathing probs before that. It feels like i’ve eaten cough mixture that burns my oesophagus. And have pain down one side. I have fallen over. Got weakness around arms etc.
For several years I have had a Fish & Chip Odour coming into my garden. It is obnoxious & have contacted (vial phone & email) the Environmental Health (EH). They have maintained the odour must come into my house before they will take action. your site information says differently. On a few occasions it has entered the house, mostly at times when EH is closed or on one accasion where no one was available. However, since retiring I spend much more time in my garden or at least try to. I noticed your site a month or so ago but have neen abroad for several weeks. Now back home the smell in the garden is as strong as ever and are about to engage with EH again. is there any advice you can provide before I contact them. Of note, the last time I reported the problem to them was 28/9/16. Obviously I’m not in the garden regular in winter months but Can smell the odour regularly
Environmental health will investigate complaints whether you’re experiencing them outdoors in your garden or within your home. If the odour is found to be “safe” and is not pervading your home, then the EHO might not class it as a nuisance as such. If the smell is from a local fish and chip shop and the shop’s owners are complying with all relevant extraction/disposal regulations, then it’s unlikely any action will be taken.
The next door neighbours are smoking in there rented house. I have spoken to them & also the owner of the house & I was told they will open there windows & it will go away. It seems like they are smoking more as 2 places in the house smells very bad now 24/7. My son Now has a cough & I feeling really angry with living in my house. Me & wife are starting to get tight chests & live with the bedroom window constantly open. Please advise the next step as I would love to put there windows though with a brick but they have to 2 small children that cry alot.
Having problems with smoke from the next doors neighbours house & we are now starting not to sleep in the front bedroom. We have spoken to the neighbours nicely about there smoking & it stops for a couple of days & then we start smelling it again. We have also spoken to there landlord & he seems to not have the answer to this problem as they stop for about 5 days. The last chat I had with the landlord was not good as he told me they need to open the windows when they need to smoke. I am feeling very upset as the front bedroom window is now never shut & the smell is always some where in the house.
22 months of complains Neighbours are dirty cat people have 18 cats the smell of urine is strong in mu property i am daily sick and on medication for this. Constant headaches and coughing till im sick. Council state the smell is slight. Environmental health came out and told me the smell isnt strong enough to act. My argument is i do not have any cats in my flat so how is it fair my flat smells of stale abd fresh cat urine and the dirty uncleanliness from the flat joining Smell is coming through joining cupboard Any advice
I live in a block of flats owned by a housing association. There is a rubbish shoot in the building which has recently started to smell really bad. When you come into the main entrance it’s the first thing that you can smell. Is there anything that the housing association must do in order to get rid of this, or do I have to put up with this smell every time I enter the building to get to my flat? Thanks
Have you contacted the Housing Association about the problem? If there’s a blockage they will be able to sort it out, but unless someone reports it, they will not find out about it. If the Housing Association does not resolve the issue you can report it to your council’s environmental health department.
My local council has for the past few months refused to investigate a very powerful smell of asian spicy cooking entering my house from the property next door. They dispute both the information contained on your website and the responsibility of the council to investigate. My neighbours are quite aware of the problem and are trying to mitigate the problem by opening there kitchen door to the outside. THe smell when entered my house lingers for a few hours and seem to be coating the furnishings with the odour. I am at a loss what to do next This has been going on now since my neighbours moved in 9 months ago Help!
Hi, I live next door to a cow shed/farm not 10m away from my home. The smell and noise pollution is horrendous I can’t open any window without the smell emanating throughout my home due to the slots in which the sh#te is held and silage he puts out to feed them! What makes this worse is that the cows will be brought in over winter and the NOISE of the cows roaring that keep my family awake all night every night is driving me mad! What can I do?
While you can also contact your local council about a smell from a neighbour’s house, domestic smells are not usually treated as a statutory nuisance. If the smell is coming from vermin etc they will investigate.
Unfortunately this is one of the downsides of living in a rural environment. While you can try your environmental health department, they do not usually act on smells related to normal farming procedures.
Hi, recently my neighbours used chemicals to fibreglass their house extension, the fumes seeped into my house. They were very strong that my eyes watered, and my nose swelled up. I have since lost my sense if smell and taste. What can I do about this?
You may have to take a private legal action against your neighbour to address this.
Hi my neighbour keep smoking at the entrance of the building ignoring the sign on the wall that this is smoke free area. I spoke to her and asked her to move away but she ignored me What can I do next?
Is there a landlord or management company you can complain to? They should be able to take action.
I live in a semi detached house , a joined to me is a couple whom have two large dogs and a cat , all three animals live in the house , they are let out periodically during the day to do thier business , this has never been cleaned up in the 2 years I have been here , as you can imagine , especially when it has rained is horrific , god only know what it’s like inside the house as when watering my hanging baskets in the summer the smell coming from their window was just as bad as outside if not worse . There are now also squirrels living in the roof !! How do I complain about this ? Kind regards
Firstly you could try talking to the neighbours to let them know your feelings, this may be sufficient to prompt them to do something. If that doesn’t work, call environmental health.
I rent a flat above a 1 bed apartment- the tenants constantly cook food be it 7am or midnight there is always a strong smell noticeable- I have tried everything to combat this in my flat however as we have floorboards it comes straight up- it gets into our drawers and can be smelt on our clothes and furniture. I also have reason to believe that there is multiple people living in the 1 bed which is also stressing me out. I don’t know the people and am very reluctant to approach them personally for fear of retaliation. I am desperate to move out however we are here for the foreseeable
Speak to you landlord in the first instance. They might be able to make improvements to your property. If they are also landlord of the people in the other apartment then they may be able to speak with the other tenants.
Contact your environmental health officer, they will investigate and take action if necessary.
Someone nearby to us is burning something at night and the smell is horrendous. It is very much like a chemical smell. I normally like to keep one of my bedroom windows open at night, even in winter, but recently I’ve been unable to do that because the smell is so bad, I cannot stand to breathe it in. In fact, it woke me up last night from a deep sleep and even after I closed my window the smell had permeated my bedroom and the rest of the house. I had to light a candle to get rid of the smell in my bedroom so I could go back to sleep. This problem has only just started within the past few weeks. We have lived in this same house for the past 4 years and I’ve never smelled this smell before. Since I’m unsure where it’s coming from and it’s very late at night, is there anything that can be done?
I recently visited my sister in her flat and the entire flat smelt like urine and i know its no65 as my stepbrother has seen a young male urinatine in the flat the smell is now in my sisters hallway and no matter what we do the smell doesnt go it ridiculouse as she has 2 kids under the age of 5 i dont want my nephews smelling that when they walk out of the door
She should make a complaint to the landlord, who could take steps to install better security and CCTV to prevent others accessing the hallway. If the problem persists it might be worth contacting environmental health.
I went to eat at this outback steakhouse on lake mead and rainbow Blvd and it smells very bad.
I own single family attached. our new neighbors when cooking use strong spice that gets me sick every time they cook when I’m at home. What can we do about cutting this down been at my home over 15 years they less then a year.
My neighbor cooks Ham aNd Bacon during the evening time around 6:00 pm till 8-9:00pm The smell is horrible and strong and bad I can’t even open my roof windows and back garden door.. Property is rented I don’t want to confront him or the landlord because I’ll end up having a fight and go into police custody. Please advise further on what action I can take.
I have these neighbors that use diffusers! It’s smells awful. I asked them to stop and spoke with housing. Housing told them to stop using it. They continue to do it. Is there a way I can get a medical note to get it stopped. I’m going nuts! Help! The smell is strong and nauseous. Makes us ill feeling. I’ve covered ever hole, I can find. The smell is unlivable! I have fibromyalgia and lupus. My mother has cancer, her white cells are low and constantly fighting respiratory infections. She’s on oxygen and a Nebulizer. Also has copd. What can I do? Please help!
Unfortunately there is very little you can do about this unless your neighbour is operating a business etc. You could try talking to your environmental health department about this to see if they can offer you any direct advice.
Strong fumes have been entering my home for 3 months on a daily basis. Found “gizmo” coming through their floor into rafters. I have pictures. Should I go to police, get a lawyer or what. The fume situation was intentional. Has ruined my life….I am a senior citizen…..I call it senior abuse.
My neighbour has a blocked drain in their garden which has caused foul water to flood their garden, this has been going on for the last 6 months and the smell coming from their garden is disgusting! I am unable to open the windows at the rear of the house as them smell is over baring and the neighbour states the sewer has collapsed underground and he doesn’t have the money to get it repaired what can I do?
We live in privately owned flats. In January the bottom flat had a blocked toilet/leak which lead to damaged pipes (this flat has its own sewage/waste pipes). For 3 months there has been a dehumidifier going on day and night. As of this week there is a very strong sewage like smell (as well as the usual mouldy damp smell) emanating into the communal areas and sometimes it can be smelt in my property. The neighbour is not currently living at the property. I have contacted the management of the estate to contact her but they are useless and are not responding. Is there anyone else I can contact?
My neighbor has a horrible smell coming from her house. She has multiple animals living in and outside of her house. She also feeds stray cats on her porch. Her family never pick up their dog poop either. This foul smell that comes her house is so disgusting that I’d rather cross the street, than to walk by her house. She has family including 2 small children that live in the house hold, and they have mentioned of having a plethora of roaches in their home as well. What can I do or who do I call in order for this to be fixed?
If the management company will not doing anything and you think it could be a health/sanitation issue for you, contact environmental health or your water company for advice.
The above article advises on who to contact etc.
There is horrible smell coming out of my neighbour bin and they are overfilling it and I don’t think they recycle waste or separate food waste and most of their waste is on the road and on the pavement. Just called council to report problem. I want to stay annomysus as I don’t want to get it the arguments, they cannot help as they need my details. My question is if I am willing to provide the details of the problem and give my phone number why do they need to know where I stay and my name???? Have already spoke to the people living there but no luck. The bin smells horrible and cannot even breath when you are walking on the pavement. Please advise.
This is always council policy they will not accept anonymous complaints. You can ask that they do not refer to you by name to the neighbour.
The building next to ours (opposite my bedroom, roughly 3 metres away from my bedroom window in a secluded area) has been demolished and is being rebuilt. In addition to the terrible noise pollution (often after authorised hours), my bedroom now fills with a very strong smell of welding. Due to the proximity of the window to the construction site the smell immediately comes through (even with a closed window- which is single glazed as most buildings in the area) and because the window is in a secluded area, it is difficult, nearly impossible, to ventilate. In addition, as temperatures are approaching 30’C this month in London, and as most historical flats in central don’t have an air conditioning, it is impossible to leave the window closed which makes it even worse with the awfully strong and poisonous smell. The smell is so strong I immediately evacuate the room. The welding is irregular therefore I cannot give specific times when this will happen, however lately tends to happen several times a day.The workers are very intimidating, yell, and continue to work after hours despite complaints therefore I do not feel comfortable approaching them. Please kindly advise on what can be done.
My next door neighbour is cooking a lot of bbqs and the wood chip he uses fills our house up with smoke. Every morning when i go downstairs I can smell the smokey smell and I have a new born baby. Please help x
Hi everyday when my neighbours back door or window is open I can smell cat pee from his house its horrible having to breath it in when I get back from work and this is what I breath all day I need help
I live next door to a unit that makes furniture, (have been here nearly 5 years) within the last year the furniture makers have also rented the unit next to them they use it as a spray booth to varnish the furniture they make, the problem is that the strong smell of varnish wafts into the garden, (which is made worse depending on which way the wind is blowing) We asked the owner about the smell but he says it is perfectly safe to breath in and the people who work for him don’t even need to wear masks. The smell makes me feel a bit nauseous, is there anything I can do? I really don’t want to keep smelling it every time I walk out the door.
Hi twice or thrice a week my neighbour do water intake in thire silver that produce horrible smell from his house its horrible having to breath it in.we talk lots of time with them but they didn’t solve this problem yet.plz suggest me what should i do or where I complain.
What can I do about local farmer spreading putrid slurry/ fertiliser over fields near me? On a warm summer’s evening the whole village has to close all doors and windows and it has clung to my washing which will have to be done again. The stench is unbearable but as it is ‘out of office hours’ there appears to be nothing we can do.
There’s a house being built across the field to our house. There is a constant smell of diesel which is making me and my family feel sick. There is constant noise too.
Your environmental health department may have an out of hours number to call. Make a note to report it the next day. We have noticed farmers have been spreading something much more unpleasant smelling than previous years recently.
Hello, we are in a new build semi detached house. We moved in at the same time as our neighbours last November. However over the last few months the smell from there place is getting worse as each day goes by (cigarettes, alcohol, stale food, vomit faeces all rolled into one smell) they have there back door open all day and it’s impossible for us to have our doors and windows open without the smell coming into our property. Even with our doors shut it’s managing to come in via window frames and key holes ect. We are social housing tennants the same as our neighbours, we’ve told tbe housing association and they said they would investigate, however to date nothing seams to have been done. Whats our options.
Hello i have a neighbor who lives behind my daughter and me he have Hogs there and this mail is excruciating it makes you sick on the stomach and almost vomit my husband is a diabetic and both of us as disabled my daughter has a baby he’s two years old he has bad allergies she can’t even sit on her back porch I can’t even sit on my back porch those Hogs stinks so bad too they make you vomit that smells bad in the morning and in the afternoon we don’t see anything he have chickens running all around in the yard digging up the grass and flowers and the trees both yards have all the chickens in it but we don’t say anything to you because it was incident in the family with him so we can’t talk to him like that all over to my house my daughter house the hog smell so bad to that make us gag especially when it’s hot back there and just like right now it smells so bad and we just all that stinking holes it and I will back door it be all in the front all in the back it smells so bad to the make us sick my granddaughter walk out in the morning time it stinking and she have to catch the bus in the evening time I should get off it stinking we have no protection and you know we cannot say anything because we know nothing is going to get done but this scent is awful out here they can call this the rule area but it’s houses and nice houses here and they had I’m spanking Hogs we can even sit out there and barbecue on the back neither one of the porches because it is gross stinking and the Flies who is taking over it is a shame because we don’t have a voice in this situation thank you but please help us
Hello. I’m the premises manager of a tv company in Clapham and recently Thames Water built 4 or 5 large storm drains all along our road. One of the drains is located right outside our reception door and each week a sewage smell comes from the inspection drain cover and blows right into our building. The smell is so overwhelming I’ve had staff tell me they’ll not come into the building as it smells worse than a sewerage farm. I’ve contacted the owners, Thames water, on several occasions and told them to investigate but they always call me back to say there isn’t a problem. I’ve contacted Lambeth council but they just say it’s Thames waters problem. I think what’s happening is they are storing rain water and sewage in the drains until 7.30am and then releasing this for treatment as I’ve heard the rush of water and the smell disappears at this time. Can you offer any advice as it’s been going on for years. Thank you
The person that resides in the apartment above my apartment about 2 weeks ago seems to be making something that has caused toxic chemicals to invade our environment. My wife and I can barely stay in our apartment, because of the toxics. We mentioned it to the manager and they haven’t done anything about it. The manager finally came in and nonchalantly, we must spilled over some type of chemicals or something. We stretched to her it was coming from upstairs, she said she will check on it, and went on vacation. What can we do, it’s hard to live in here?
I ordered the laminate flooring from UK Flooring Direct Limited online and fitted in March 2018.After that i noticed very bad pungent smell in my room and contacted the customer service,they replied their product never had this problem before and they refused to do anything about it. then I have no idea where to go for next step and i believe the pungent smell will be vanished after couple or three months but after 8 month till now the pungent smell is still there even i keep my window and doors opening most time of a day.That pungent smell make my nose and throat feeling very bad and causing some phlegm as well if i stay living room for over one hour.i really don’t know where could i make complain and can’t imagine how many families bought this bad quality product probably causing big damage to their health.That’s why here today i would like to share my story hoping i could get some help to stop this sort of issue products trading in the UK’s market.
My neighbors house house stinks of stale old food. Stale rice and tomatoes and the smell is potent! Is horrible and strong and I’ve just woken up to the stench in my bedroom. I can’t escape. My son hates that nearly every time he comes home as soon as you walk though the door it stinks. Just to explain… I live in a maisonette and I’m upstairs. When I first moved in there was a lovely elderly couple that had had live downstairs. Sadly they passed away. And the smells have started since week one. I just don’t think they understand the concept of windows when cooking!! It’s soooo bad. And also all over the house. They’re not very friendly either. Very arrogant and justified. What can I do. Please
I live in a house with a neighbour who is filthy dirty. Keeps being sick in his room and Letton the smell go though the house. It is so un hygienic. There is 6 people living in the house but this neighbour don’t care about the smell. It’s unbearable as I don’t wana leave these premises. And he has dog poo and cats poo in his room too. Need some advice
Our is doing pig farming in a township. The smell is bad when it is hot is unbearable… We are forced to keep the door clesed. The green flies are all over. We tried several times to talk to him but nothing changed. When it is raining the following day the pigs will be running at street. The ward councillor is doing nothing about it also. We need assistance
Neighbors have a bad smell coming from there yard. It’s been that way for a few weeks now.. I know they have alot of dogs as well it smells like trash and poop.. and it gets overwhelming..
My neighbour has 2 dogs infront close wth a plank no space to run jst bark whl day and the smell off dog poo stinks so bad i cant open my windows or eat in dinningroom we eat in our rooms at the back i ask him very nice to do something cause ramadaan is near n that smell makes me vomit bt he makes empty promise n my health n my kids are suffering i need help and a contact nr to make a complain and have health inspector come have a look pls
Excellent and thanks for your guidence Hope that I will be receiving such good materials from your end.
We stay in a flat in Silverton. There is a Mr Daantjie whose flat is stinking so much, that you can hardly breath upon entering in his flat. His carpets is black of all the dirt. It is the main reason of the stink. He never cleaned it for the past 10 years. There is so many cockrouches that it is crawling on the walls, roof, is in his foodstuff, clothes. He have 2x children age 12-14 years old. They are not allowed to play outside, and he kept them inside That dirty unhygienic flat. They are not allowed to play with other children who stay the same block of flats. A fumigator was arranged December 2018 to fumigate the block of flats. The fumigator told him that he Mr Daantjie can’t stay in that manner. And that he must clean his place. That the fumigator was suppose to report him at the health authority. He Daantjie was warned to clean his flat properly, and that the fumigator will come back after a couple of months to inspect the flat. During February 2019 an appointment was made to come and fumigate his flat again and he was once again warned to get his flat cleaned before the follow up fumigation and inspection. Upon getting to Mr Daantjie flat, it was found that it is still in the same state as before. Mr Daantjie become rude and told the fumigator that he don’t want him there anymore. A report was submitted about the state under which the flat was found and re om ended that Mr Daantjie was to be reported to the health authorities. The board of trustees can do nothing as the Agent allege that it will be an infringement of Mr Daantjie human rights. What do we do.
We live opposite a travelers sight. For a year we had sewage smells and methane gas in our close. The local council were not willing to admit there was a problem. Always fell for a story or excuse. Environmental health tested the Mso – called clean water runnung into the ditch and it is not clean. It got better for a couple of months but now it is ramping up again. We cant be in our garden or open our windows. No one seems ro care.
Hi, I have ongoing issues with my neighbours as I have MCS and am very sensitive to toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrances. I cant go out my back garden when my neighbour’s washing is out, which is everyday except when it rains. I cant go out my front door because my neighbour upstairs has decided to ‘bully’ me by spraying a very toxic air freshener or cleaner into the hallway – I have asked politely several times if he could stop because of my disability but its just gets worse. He now deliberately spray whatever this is everywhere. He is a very aggressive, vindictive and horrible man so feel I cant ask him directly to stop. I dont know if I should complain to the council as we are both council tenants as I am afraid of the repercussions from him. Also they will say its on sale so therefore safe to use. Now I have daily migraine headaches because of the smell which gets into my flat – I have to have fans going all the time and an air purifier even though I cant afford the electricity – I feel so depressed by this and spend my days crying. If I do have to go out I have to change and wash all my clothes and have a shower after passing thru the smell in the hall….please advise thank you .
Hi, I have ongoing issues with my neighbours as I have MCS and am very sensitive to toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrances. I cant go out my back garden when my neighbour’s washing is out, which is everyday except when it rains. I cant go out my front door because my neighbour upstairs has decided to ‘bully’ me by spraying a very toxic air freshener or cleaner into the hallway – I have asked politely several times if he could stop because of my disability but its just gets worse. He now deliberately spray whatever this is everywhere. He is a very aggressive, vindictive and horrible man so feel I cant ask him directly to stop. I dont know if I should complain to the council as we are both council tenants as I am afraid of the repercussions from him. Also they will say its on sale so therefore safe to use. Now I have daily migraine headaches because of the smell which gets into my flat – I have to have fans going all the time and an air purifier even though I cant afford the electricity – I feel so depressed by this and spend my days crying. If I do have to go out I have to change and wash all my clothes and have a shower after passing thru the smell in the hall….please advise thank you .
Hi, I have ongoing issues with my neighbours as I have MCS and am very sensitive to toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrances. I cant go out my back garden when my neighbour’s washing is out, which is everyday except when it rains. I cant go out my front door because my neighbour upstairs has decided to ‘bully’ me by spraying a very toxic air freshener or cleaner into the hallway – I have asked politely several times if he could stop because of my disability but its just gets worse. He now deliberately spray whatever this is everywhere. He is a very aggressive, vindictive and horrible man so feel I cant ask him directly to stop. I dont know if I should complain to the council as we are both council tenants as I am afraid of the repercussions from him. Also they will say its on sale so therefore safe to use. Now I have daily migraine headaches because of the smell which gets into my flat – I have to have fans going all the time and an air purifier even though I cant afford the electricity – I feel so depressed by this and spend my days crying. If I do have to go out I have to change and wash all my clothes and have a shower after passing thru the smell in the hall….please advise thank you .
My neighbors have bad smell of pig poop in piggery. What will I do.
help us please, we have lived in our house 12 years, love it have not intention to move as have just spent thousands last year doing it up. next door neighbour attached has been in house for 5 years now, for 5 years we have struggled, argued, compained about, discussed with numerous people how to resolve this major pong. the house absolutely pongs of bad bad bad cooking, old dirty cooking oil, spice/garlic/herb mixture, burnt meat and fish, it is seeping into our house, we cannot open doors or windows when she is cooking, cant go outside when she is cooking, the door is opened the windows the extractor fan on full blast. she cooks at all hours of day and night seems to always be the same smell. it makes us physically sick. i literally dont feel i could go through summer with being closed in and not being able to enjoy my garden. we have written so many letters to the landlord complaining, have tried to speak to them but just get a mouthfull of abuse…..what can we do there must be something that can help
The farmer has dumped 8 artic lorry loads of chicken muck 40 yards from my house it is to be there for 2 months till it is spread after harvest. It’s unbearable! My house stinks inside and out even with the windows closed. My clothes and car also stinks, I think I may have to move out! Discussed with the farmer and he offered to cover it but has so far done nothing. It’s so unfair and inconsiderate.i know things smell in the countryside and can live with a day or two of muck spreading but months of this stench is too much. I’ll never get rid of this smell,What can I do?
My Neighbor does catering every day and for his shop – which is already illegal does from his home and take to the shop and catering places – mixture order and gas, vessels sounds is too loud everyday. There is too much of noise and toxic smoke spoiling our walks and late night sleep of everyone. It is disturbing everyone around the premises and also has manhole sewage water is always been blocked every alternative days in week We have reported complained to police and he has warned the person also been taken acknowledgement about the same. Inspite there is lots of harassment and smoke noise from the sweet seller They is no actions on the cleanliness nor his attitude, he is least follow any rules or regulations of the food and anything – from water, oil, toxic smoke spoiling and age old parents effecting their health conditions also pregnant ladies are been effected. So how can we stop this illegal activities from this neighbor at late nights after 11pm until 7am – Nothing has worked with him in decent or food habits nor living habits always ready to quarrel and fight with the customers and neighborhood. From the childlabour to hygieneness its so dirty all over and selling from home. He is so happy that Government has not question or taxed him so far, always run away from his illegal activities till now. Entire neighbor is sick of his activities and having cough and losing health. Spitting gutkas and smoking bidi and throwing in our premises. These habits are so disturbing everyone in living home. Please advice and help with the permeant issues to resolve. Please suggest how can we stop this sweet seller from doing these activities
I live in a ground floor maisonette (rented) and have upstairs neighbours on the first floor who own their property. For the past maybe 6 months, every time they turn their electric shower on it makes a very gross smell in my flat. Kind of like a sewage sort of smell. I have spoken to him numerous times, tried to give him products to clean the plug holes in his flat and he has refused saying he already puts products down there. He is refusing to call a plumber. I have contacted my landlord and asked him to get involved. He has spoken to my neighbour who is refusing to contact a plumber. Thames Water have already been and confirmed there are no issues in the outside drains. Where do we go from here? I can’t live like this any longer. Thank you for any advise you have.
Ive been living in a 1st floor flat nearly 3 years now, and 2 month ago we had new tenants move in below with dogs, after 2 weeks the communal hallway was filled with a ransid smell, a week after that the same smell starts to pretrude into my flat, kitchen/bathroom and now it’s making it’s way around my whole flat. i literally wake up on a morning feeling sick the smell is almost a dirty stale urine smell ive complained to the council multiple times but the more i o the worse it gets is there anything i can do i have electric airfreshners all over the place but doesnt seem to help and if it does it only covers it for an hour tops tia.
I believe that you should have a few words with them
Hi My mum owns her own home she is 82 and has lived in this house for over 50 years Her neighbours house really stinks and it is coming into her house. We have mentioned it to them not wanting to hurt there feelings. But enough is enough. Is there anything we can do. The council said they can’t do anything because it is private houses. Any idea what we can do.
My neighbour has 4 adults, 3 dogs, that never seem to leave the house, and at least 8 cats, and when they open the back door the smell is horrible, I don’t like my kids playing in the back yard in the summer because of the smell, we can’t have people over due to the embarrassing situation and I have no idea what to do about it, have spoken to them but nothing is done. Where do I go from here?????
My neighbour cooks what smells like sorry for being crude old underwear they are South African and it reeks for days afterwards my bathroom smells so bad even with wax melts on