WWYD - Frequent Marijuana Smoking in Apartment Complex

[Anonymous]

I am pregnant with my first child. I live in a luxury apartment complex that has a clear no smoking policy. New neighbors moved in about five months ago and there has been frequent weed smells wafting through the hallway and into the adjoining apartments; sometimes daily and other times 3-5/week. I've reported this to management/concierges and was asked to report each time it happened because they've received numerous complaints from my floor and others about the smell (which is so strong). I was told by the complex that they were working on getting legal documentation from the reports made from tenants to pursue eviction and they now know which unit it is coming from.The smell seems to exacerbate my morning sickness, is so strong, and I'm becoming increasingly concerned about negative health consequences to the fetus from the second hand smoke that lingers.

My question is WWYD as a pregnant women in my situation? My lease is not up until early next year but I was planning to stay longer if the weed smell is remedied. I do have a health condition for which I was told to avoid scents/smoke, plus a high risk pregnancy, neither of which I have told the complex about. My question is would you wait this out and hope the eviction goes through and continue to report to management/concierge, look for other options to escalate (e.g., I'm trying to figure out if this is something for example I could report to the police given the non-smoking building policy or if there are local ordinances against this), or just cut your losses and move out early (there would be substantial fees for breaking the lease early)?

FWIW, I do have two large Honeywell air purifiers running and the smell still hangs around for quite some time after each occurrence.

[Anonymous]

I would move now. Ask to break your lease. They should have put a stop to this sooner. It is supposed to be a nonsmoking building.

That said, this is why I voted against marijuana legalization. I went to a college with lots of pot smoke and I knew I did not want to live like this again. SO frustrated that I need to stay in s SFH to avoid crap like this. Though I've seen posts from people who are bothered by it in SFHs too!

Alternatively, maybe they would put you up in a corporate apartment for a month while they got rid of this person?

Or maybe you should do that for a few weeks, if you can afford it, and see if the get rid of it?

[Anonymous]

The police? They are not breaking the law. They are in violation of a contract.

It's unpleasant but unlikely harming you or the baby. Smelling it does not mean you're exposed to significant amounts of the smoke.

I'd wait it out. Stay elsewhere as often as you can. Hotels as much as can afford - you might get some of it back one day.

[Anonymous]

I’m no expert (legal, medical, real estate, or other), but I’d start with telling the apartment complex about your pregnancy and other health conditions. It may help them take action against the smokers, but at the least it may give you more leverage if you want them to accommodate you somehow or allow you to break your lease. Pregnant mothers are naturally sympathetic and leaving this issue unresolved seems like it is not only bad PR, but might potentially be grounds for a lawsuit. Unfortunately, while I would also consider secondhand smoke to be dangerous to the baby, marijuana smoking has become so common that even if they evict the current smoking tenants or if you move to new apartments, I don’t think there’s any assurance that your new neighbors wouldn’t also smoke marijuana.

I doubt the police care about your building’s no-smoking policy. If you live somewhere where marijuana hasn’t been legalized, you might be able to have them arrested, but in today’s climate, unless they’re dealing to kids from their apartment, I doubt the police would bother.

I don’t know if it would be helpful, but here’s a study about the exposure of children to marijuana smoke in multi-unit housing:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7882144/

[Anonymous]

There is nothing you can do but move.

[Anonymous]

Even if you move you could still have this problem. No guarantee that it won’t happen in your next location.

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity, is this a Bozzuto building?

[Anonymous]

I would talk to my doctor. I would guess that second hand smoke from another apartment with air purifiers running, even for a few months, is not a super serious risk to your baby, but that’s a medical question. My doctor’s degree of concern would impact my choice here.

[Anonymous]

The Police can’t do anything. Marijuana use in your own home is not a criminal offense.
If the apt building is not holding up their end of the contract you could threaten to take them to civil court.
It’s been 5 months. Thats 4 months longer than you should be dealing with this. If they won’t enforce their own rules break your lease and threaten court if they try and make you pay.
Agree with the PP thoigh tbat says this could happen in the next place you move to.

[Anonymous]

Smelling weed a few times a week for a seconds at a time is not going to hurt you. Keep reporting it and eventually theyll get evicted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Police can’t do anything. Marijuana use in your own home is not a criminal offense.
If the apt building is not holding up their end of the contract you could threaten to take them to civil court.
It’s been 5 months. Thats 4 months longer than you should be dealing with this. If they won’t enforce their own rules break your lease and threaten court if they try and make you pay.
Agree with the PP thoigh tbat says this could happen in the next place you move to.

Disclose the medical issues, remind them of the times you have complained about the smoking, then formally asked to be released from your lease. They might let you out of your lease or they might issue an eviction order to the smokers

You're not gonna want to bring a baby up in this

[Anonymous]

I would ask the management if you can move to another floor, but you might have to pay your own moving costs. Maybe you can negotiate for some help with those costs or some free rent to help off-set.

[Anonymous]

I would move. Eviction takes time and unfortunately rule one of parenting is that no one else gives a darn; you need to be the one to put in the effort. But do make them let you out or your lease since you’ve helpfully documented all of your efforts to get them to adhere to their own rules— nice of them to make sure you have a paper trail!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am pregnant with my first child. I live in a luxury apartment complex that has a clear no smoking policy. New neighbors moved in about five months ago and there has been frequent weed smells wafting through the hallway and into the adjoining apartments; sometimes daily and other times 3-5/week. I've reported this to management/concierges and was asked to report each time it happened because they've received numerous complaints from my floor and others about the smell (which is so strong). I was told by the complex that they were working on getting legal documentation from the reports made from tenants to pursue eviction and they now know which unit it is coming from.The smell seems to exacerbate my morning sickness, is so strong, and I'm becoming increasingly concerned about negative health consequences to the fetus from the second hand smoke that lingers.

My question is WWYD as a pregnant women in my situation? My lease is not up until early next year but I was planning to stay longer if the weed smell is remedied. I do have a health condition for which I was told to avoid scents/smoke, plus a high risk pregnancy, neither of which I have told the complex about. My question is would you wait this out and hope the eviction goes through and continue to report to management/concierge, look for other options to escalate (e.g., I'm trying to figure out if this is something for example I could report to the police given the non-smoking building policy or if there are local ordinances against this), or just cut your losses and move out early (there would be substantial fees for breaking the lease early)?

FWIW, I do have two large Honeywell air purifiers running and the smell still hangs around for quite some time after each occurrence.

You are a royal pain in the posterior.