Bad smells from neighbours

[ElsieD]

What can we do about horrible smells coming from the house next door? Is it something the council - environmental health - can help with? They are private tenants, and their landlord is currently trying to evict them, but in the meantime we have to put up with the smell. Any ideas? I am getting very despressed by it.

[mongos bird]

Hi ElsieD, contact your local council, they should be listed in the telephone directory or have a contact tel/email address on their website.  They will have a specific dept which deals with nuisance neighbours, beit smells, noise, etc.  They should act on your complaint but preserve your anonimity.  Good luck!!

[smudge]

What sort of 'horrible' smells?

[Goofy]

Environmental health is probably your best bet, as they have some powers. If their landlord is trying to evict them, the council won't be ablt to do any better.

[ElsieD]

Hi Mongos, Smudge, Goofy. Smudge - there seems to be several types of smells - one caused by the fact they keep blocking the drains, by putting animal fat from cooking down it. The man from a drain clearing company has explained to them that that's what the problem is, but they won't listen. Another smell comes from strange things they cook - dried fish (yum!) and god knows what else, but somehow the smell seeps through into our house. And the third problem is that, although the floorboards are plain, waxed (originally) they clean them twice a day by chucking a bucket of water over, and sloshing it about. So the floorboards are rotting and it is all damp underneath. This is partly why the landlord is trying to get them out, as they are wrecking the floor. The landlord also what to get their home back, to move back in.
The tricky thing is - how do you measure a smell? It comes and goes, usually worst about 4.30 when they start cooking, and running water.

[smudge]

Well no wonder you can't wait to get rid of these neighbours. I can't really add anything further to the other suggestions - but I do wish you luck very soon.