I have a smelly problem with another tenant. Help!

Hi Aunty,

My business has just gone from strength to strength and now we have moved out of our home bungalow and into our own offices, which are leased or purchased by other companies.

Currently I am the second tenant, plus another tenant who are electricians is in another office. We share bathrooms, tea rooms and the one hallway connects all of the offices.

The problem is, the other tenant smokes in their office. We know, because the smell comes under their door and fills the hallway and is horrible.

I went and spoke to them and mentioned that maybe they could smoke outside as they have an adjoining factory and they didn’t think that the smell would get out as their doors are closed, but there is a gap between the floor and the bottom of the door, so it runs through the hallway. I am under the impression they have moved from a factory type setting (where you can do as you please) to a shared factory/office and don’t quite see the issue this is causing.

I’m not sure what else to do… Do l go and speak to them again, buy them a carpet snake to stop the smell from leaking out under the door, or just contact the Body Corporate about it?

I’d love to hear what action you think l should take.

Belinda (non-smoker)

Dear Belinda,

Clever you on growing your business! I was imagining how proud you felt moving into your own offices and could see you carrying in all your stuff and settling in, only to sniff the air and smell foul smoke! Yuck!

Here is what you must do. Pulling rude, uncouth and unhealthy people such as smokers into line is the job of police, councils and body corps. Not you.

So you immediately contact the Body Corporate and ask them to deal with it as a matter of urgency because they need to know the law is being broken under their very noses. Mention in passing passive smoking issues and potential law suits from your staff. Tell them you are expecting WorkSafe to knock on your door any moment (which you should be) and you have also invited the Victorian Government in to do free health checks on everyone (which is a good idea). God knows what they are going to think as they grope their way up the smoky hallway. Make sure you cough and pant in a disgusting way while you are talking to them.

The second thing to do is install a smoke alarm right outside their office just like the ones they have in airline toilets. If it doesn’t go off enough, sneak up and light a ciggie yourself right under it and then run off when they rush out.

What you won’t do is this. You will not contact them about it. Whatever happens in life, you get on with your neighbours for the simple reason that many people are stark raving bonkers and if you so much as rub them up the wrong way or rub them at all in fact, you could end up with your nose on the other side of your face.

As for the snake? Definitely buy two. One for each side of the door. And a lavender candle while you are at it.

Be smart,
Your Aunty B

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