I moved into my apartment about a year ago with my two children and our two fur babies. When I first moved in it smelled like fresh paint and that work had been done prior to us moving in. While unpacking I noticed nicotine stains on my white cabinets in both bathrooms. After weeks I finally got the stains out (thank goodness). But after a few weeks the paint smell died and the smell of cigarettes filled our apartment. (Mind you I do not smoke as I had quit smoking 3 years ago. I also have the nose of a blood hound.)
So I scrubbed my walls with hot water and vinegar and the water was so yellow I wanted to throw up. My children’s room and bathroom was were the smell was the worst as well as my bathroom. That wall to those rooms is shared with my neighbors. So I cleaned and scrubbed and the smell would go away for a bit but it would keep coming back. One day my neighbor invited me over to show me something and when I walked into her unit the walls were so yellow and the smell hit me that a train. Her unit was filthy. Mind you my neighbor is very nice and we have had no issues. Fast forward to now. It’s been a year and the smell just keeps getting worse and coming back even after I clean and scrub. I’ve tried everything I can think of to get it to go away but I feel like I’m losing a battle with the odor. I did mention to my neighbor that my children who are 6 & 8 that their bedroom keeps smelling like cigarettes and I worry they might get sick. She said it could be from the old tenant that lived there before me. I am a super clean freak so I’m sure if it was from the past renter I would have well gotten the smell out long ago. In the past week it was time for me to renew my lease. I don’t feel like moving as I like where I live and it’s a very large apartment and affordable for me being a single mother and a full time employee and student. So when I went to our leasing office to renew my lease I asked if there was a way to have the air vents cleaned (thinking this might be the issue). They asked me for a reason and I said my apartment continuously smells like cigarettes and I don’t smoke. They asked what I believe it was coming from and I told them my neighbor smokes in their unit and I don’t wish to get them in trouble but something needs to be done. My leasing person said they will look into it as it is not permitted to smoke in units other than the balconies. I just feel bad that this may bring a issue to my neighbor but I can’t live smelling this and having my children exposed. Am I the AH for exposing my neighbor?
Also and tips for getting the smell gone is greatly appreciated!
(And no I can’t move or move units because where I live is nice and my unit is one of the newly upgraded units with a larger area. Also I have another year on my lease and want to stay until I can afford to buy my own house.)