‘I can’t live like this’: Furious homeowner lashes out at neighbour over frustrating smoking habit

A homeowner, who claims to be at the “end of (their) tether”, has sparked debate online after taking to social media to vent about their neighbour’s smoking habit.

An enraged Brisbane resident who says they can no longer cope with their neighbour’s smoking habits, has caused a stir online after venting their frustration in a post coined “a rant to smokers”.

Taking to Reddit, the displeased homeowner explained they’ve had to deal with second-hand smoke infiltrating their home of 30 years, since their neighbours moved in six months ago.

“Please note, I am actually on the verge of needing serious help. I can't cope anymore. I can’t live like this,” the redditor said.

“Our clean washing STINKS, we can no longer use our back deck. Our windows stay shut 90 per cent of the day, so we're living in a prison.

“This person is shifting the burden of their health choice onto us.”

The redditor proceeded to write that their situation was nothing like a barking dog or crying baby, in a bid to stamp out any criticism of that nature.

They then continued by calling smokers “incredibly selfish” and “in the wrong” before taking aim once again at their neighbour who has been warned about their habits from their real estate agent twice.

“YOU choose to smoke, I do not. You deal with the effects of your habit, that's not my responsibility,” the redditor concludes.

A Brisbane local has lashed out at smokers online after putting up with her neighbour’s frustrating habit over the last six months. Picture: Getty

The post has since attracted more than 630 comments, with many admitting that they’re able to resonate with the Brisbane local’s situation.

“I had the exact same thing … The woman smoked 40 a day and the bloke was about 30 a day. It was tough for me as smoke triggers a migraine so I spared no expense in “dealing” with it,” one woman commented.

She then suggested buying an outdoor fan from Bunnings and burning incense as a measure to cope with the stench.

Meanwhile another redditor who experienced a similar situation said they turned to “blasting punk, metal (and) screamo music” to persuade their neighbour to smoke elsewhere after a written letter about the matter was ignored.

Although not all reasonable, other solutions posed by commenters included setting up a sensitive smoke detector, investing in an air purifier, reporting them to the council, taking it to court and simply knocking on the neighbour’s door to talk with them.

While the homeowner admitted that they should have raised their concern with the renters directly, they reiterated that they “were at the end of (their) tether” and just wanted to go outside without having to breathe in second-hand smoke.

The homeowner claimed the smell of smoke was infiltrating their house, clothes and backyard. Picture: iStock

The Brisbanian’s heartfelt pleas for help were also noticed by former smokers and vapers who were sympathetic towards their situation.

“As an ex-smoker I sympathise with OP (original poster). I also cringe to think I used to be just like these people. You really don‘t appreciate how disgusting and harmful smoking is until you stop,” one former smoker commented.

“I vape so I don’t have to worry about the smell, but I understand what a horrendous smell it is and how badly it clings to everything. I sympathise with OP but I hope she takes reasonable first steps to talk with her neighbours,” said another.

But not all were so forgiving, particularly those who found themselves at the target end of the homeowner’s rant.

“Really? Your back yard is unusable? Your washing stinks? I don’t believe that someone could smoke enough cigarettes to make your home unusable. Just sounds like a hysterical anti-smoking rant. Feel sorry for your neighbours,” a redditor commented.

“This is ridiculous ha. People have a right to smoke on their own property. If it‘s drifting into your property then that’s unfortunate but again, your neighbour reserves the right to smoke on their own property,” a second said.

According to the Queensland Government, there are few rules in regards to smoking at home given it’s a private property.

Meanwhile, lighting a cigarette in a vehicle is not permitted if there are passengers under the age of 16, or if the car is used for business purposes.

As for the Brisbane local’s situation, we may never know how it pans out as their account has since been deleted.

Originally published as ‘I can’t live like this’: Furious homeowner lashes out at neighbour over frustrating smoking habit