Oh!! And one more thing.. when they first moved in, my husband discovered a ROACH!!! Also, in talking to one of my neighbors, who did not smell the odors, they also found a roach. I keep my home immaculate and so does my friend. In the five years we have lived here, we never saw a roach... only when the smelly neighbors moved in.

The smelly neighbors did get the exterminator in... but what does that say about them?? smells, roaches?

I burn incense. It pretty much takes care of odors.

If I wasn't the incense type, I'd move out if my being bothered by things I couldn't control outweighed the convenience of staying put. First, though, I'd bring it to the management's attention that I plan to move out if they don't address the odor issue, and wish them luck in renting out the place to anyone else.

Fifteen years ago, when I was a college student lacking maturity, I might have worn heavy shoes and clunked around at odd hours to drive the stinky folks out.

If I had disposable income and didn't want to move, I might offer to hire a professional to take care of the stink for the folks downstairs.

There would probably need to be more than one complaint to summon the health department. The situation as it stands doesn't seem grievous enough.

As lazygardens said, ask her if she needs help.

Because you smelled bleach odds are she is doing the best she can.

If you can't help for one reason or another. Sometimes all it takes to change the day of a care giver, is a "Hi, how are you today?"

Imagine her life before you judge her.

lazygardens put it much nicer than I would have...

I wonder if you would do as well in her position.

I would talk to management. As long as the source of the smell is not in your apt., you shouldn't have to smell it. This is not a judgment of the source. In a way, the privacy of both you and your neighbors is being infringed upon. You should be able to keep smells to yourself.

Being neighborly to these people is a given, but as far as pointing out that it smells and/or offering to help with it....first of all, you can't *definitely* say that they are causing the odor. You might offer to help based on the fact that you've noticed the brother is sick, but of course, not on the basis that he smells. So this neighborliness is not likely to solve your smell problem.

I'm curious as to why you can smell anything coming from your neighbor's apt, unless the windows are open in both. I used to smell cigarette smoke from a neighbor, which was annoying but additionally it causes me health issues (and longterm, doesn't it give everyone health issues). So I said something to the housing dept. They pointed out to me that they couldn't stop my neighbors from smoking (and for different reasons, perhaps your neighbors will always smell) However, the housing dept. *was* concerned about the fact that I could detect smells from another apt. They sent a carpenter and we finally figured out that the wall of a closet separating my apt. from the neighbor was damaged somehow and "leaking" the air between the two. They were interested in fixing it due to the fire hazard potential...so I don't know what kind of building you live in (I guess if it's a woodframe, the fire hazard thing is probably not applicable), but maybe the simple existence of a connection between your two units would be an issue that would interest your underactive housing management. While the exchange of air is an acute annoyance to you right now because of the odor, this transfer must go both ways. Undetectable germs that might come from you and your husband could endanger the health of the "sickly" brother or the oily residue emanating from your Glade air fresheners may bother his lungs. So correcting this is not only in your best interest.

The single roach wouldn't worry me too much.... keep sticky traps in corners if you are still concerned -- then you'll have specimens to show management. Or you'll have blank traps to give you peace of mind. Good luck - hope things improve!

A wise man once said: "Never criticize someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away AND you've got their shoes!"

I too have the same problem in a small studio. The neighboor directly next to my door smokes cigarettes and "misc." I purchased a door sweep and some rubber weatherstipping type stuff at the home depot. It comes in a box -- 17' worth. Total cost was like $8.00. Has anyone had success with simliar efforts?

THANKS

Did the door sweep and weatherstripping solve the problem?

I am sympathetic to someone caring for an eldery person and would recommend that the OP tell the manager asap about the problem so that a solution can be worked out for everyone's benefit. That saintly sister needs a lot of help and possibly a new living situation.

If those odors are present, that apartment is being damaged by that tenant and her brother. That's not fair to the owner (who will ultimately suffer financial loss) or the OP (who is losing the enjoyment of her home). There are so many agencies who can help.

About the roach: Good advice to set traps so you can determine if the building is being infested.

In fact -- after a week of use with the rubber weather seal and the door sweep... it has provided great results! Not only has the fix cut down on ambient noise from the hallway, it has also DRAMATICALLY (and i can't stress that enough!) reduced any smells from cooking and next door neighbors smoke. I can still smell it a TINY bit sometimes if its HEAVY smoke or HEAVY cooking but nothing at all like before! Get a Glade Plug-in in your favorite scent and youre good to go. I had family over this weekend and they said everything smelled great inside (third party review :)

Your results may vary depending on your door, width of gap, and amount of "smell" Home Depot had a variety of different sizes of the weather sealing and it required NO drilling ... all self-stick and has held well so far! I'm pretty pleased.

I live next to a Brazilian family of four in a split one bedroom. I live alone. Apparently we share the same supply/return duct for heat because they start cooking at 10am and eat dinner at 5 or 6 pm. I have lit incense in the hallway and the fire alarms have gone off and that doesn't help. I'm at the point where i have to turn off my heat when they start to cook "X" stink meat and dishes. I'm pretty worldly with food but this smells like garbage out of a NYC dumpster all day long. I need this stink out too, suggestions are welcome.

Room air purifier. I was given an EdenPure G-7 (for 3000 sq ft), does an excellent job but have only had it a couple months. That solution would be worth researching before purchase, there are so many out there. (Allergy sites are pretty good.)

Natural Magic or Citrus Magic tubs. Lowe's, Home Depot (both near cleaning supplies), small hardware or paint stores. Doesn't mask odors, absorbs it. I've mentioned I use in rentals I'm showing all the time. Leaves them neutral odor-wise, so feels fresh. It's generally 1 tub per 400 square feet, I'd at least double or triple at first.

hi,
id start with expanding foam inbetween their ceiling and floorboards also gaps inbetween studded walls, holes for pipes and wires, plastic sheeting over the floor boards with silicone around the sides, door (brush) draught strips and door and window (foam) draught strips on every window and door. put fabric softeners and febreeze and etc on radiators in hallways and in your apartment, maybe even shake n vac too. plug in airfresheners a must

I happened to encounter that kind of neighbor 2 years ago. To be honest, I don't relay my sentiments to the management so I go directly to the door of my neighbor and told him about my concern in a friendly way. He apologised for it and I just tell him that its okay for as long as the sound is tolerable.

I live above people with cats, hot summer they never open there windows, they smell, do not have a washing machine. From 10 fett away in the street they smell. I am pissed off as I work and they are mentally ill. I come home from work and there is a smell in my Flat i cant describe, they have been here 6 or 7 years, i have been 5 months. New to the area i feel im treading on eggshells, they complain when i play music and that is rare but now im thinking i am being abused by the stink through my concrete floors on a daily basis. I am spendinding over 10 pound a week on air freshners, so that added to my rent. that is aprox 560 a year, over ten years thats 5600. this is wrong. smell carries through pourus material. what do i do, They get benifits, are mentally ill, they have cats in a flat that they never let out, they never open windows, and to add insult to injury use a de humidifier at night that sounds like a bass tone, going out my mind

You can buy charcoal filters that fit into heating ducts that keep the smell out. For some reason, my neighbor's smoke smell comes through my bathroom duct. I bought one of those filteres and VOILA! No more smells!

I just went through something like this at my place. I got these new neighbours on both sides of me a couple of years ago, and I swear the food they cook smells like dead bodies. No joke. At first I thought they were cooking drugs. For the last year it has been really bad during the pandemic. About a dozen times there was a smell coming into my apartment, and one day I just had enough. I called the super and complained. It was ok for awhile and then it started again. Its obvious they dont care about what the supers say so I let it go for a few more times, and then I called the head office. I spoke with the main secretary of the head office and told him what is going on. Then he told me to send him an email, and the owner responded. Since I have complaint its not that bad. Like, I understand its hard to complain about this issue because it is a sensitive one. However, if you work hard to pay the rent and you follow all the rules, why should you have to put up with a smell that is going to ruin the contents in your apartment to a point where you will have to throw out your furniture when you move out? Its not right. If you feel annoyed, say something and stick up for yourself. Who cares what they think! If they had respect for your in the first place and/or the property, they would of boiled water and vinegar on the stove while they were cooking it.

I'm going to try to get some or ask my landlord if he could buy some charcoal filters that fit into the heating ducts. I have been buying incenses by the bulk, I mean I buy a pack to 2 incense a day (insane), already... Having to burn a couple every (3-8 incense) time the people downstairs cook. I'm hoping that the charcoal filters will be effective in addition to the use of glad plug-ins. 🙏🏼

....

Im going through this with the new neighbors down stairs. They have a big dog down there that goes outside 1-2 times a day. I smell dog urine and filth coming into my apartment. The landlord came out him and his daughter smelled orders in my cupboards,bathroom,my bedroom. The neighbors down stairs had a mattress on the floor for their dog that had alot of urine in it. The landlord asked them to get rid of it idk if they did. Now they have roommates down there and the smell is still there. The neighbors tried to blame it on the roommates there. But the smell was there before the roommates. I've complained to my landlord I'm having to wash clothes over n over do to the smell. My landlord said get a air purifier like seriously. I'm so tired of living with this smell from them. My lease is up in December. But can't move out till end of March due to winter months. Idk what to do someone please help

had the same problem in the past. best thing to do is get some air pump piping and stick it in to the place you think it is popping out and stick the over end in to a bottle or out the window lol it dose work also open the oversite window and blow it back at them

Oh no

Oh

Remember Jeffrey Dahlmers neighbors.

Vinger DOES NOT WORK! my Niebur( below me does it 24/7 it makes me cough so much plem ! This is dangerous