Marijuana smoke entering other units

Hello All,

How does everyone deal with smoke smell entering other units? We have a problem with marijuana smoke in particular.

Ours is a non-smoking apartment complex but smoke from cigarettes and marijuana has always been an issue. It's a lease violation but almost impossible to police. We cannot enter a unit on suspicion alone or the word of a neighbor. When we enter for work orders or PMs we can report the evidence of smoking but that is rare, because we still need permission to enter. With PMs, which are mandatory, a resident can choose to schedule it so they can prep the unit before we enter.

Our apartments are only 10 years old and the apartments are like individual homes. Walls are double framed with fire rated drywall, insulation, and fire stops that extend all the way up each tier. Individual HVAC and ducts, plumbing, etc. Nothing is shared with adjacent units above or below. Windows and doors are good quality and seal well. Exhaust fans vent to the outside. There could be breaks or cracks in the fire caulk or gaps in materials or openings for wiring and pipes that aren't sealed but short of ripping out all the drywall, there is no way to find and address a problem.

Currently, our only options are to set up small HEPA type filters which barely do anything or air scrubbers that are so noisy the resident unplugs it as soon as we leave and they are not that effective for smoke removal either. We place deoderizing material in the air handler and have occasionally used smoke removal bombs. Nothing is that effective, especially against marijuana. In vacants, we have also used ozone machines with minimal effect.

Obviously, the only way to prevent smoke from entering a unit is to prevent smoking. Laws make it difficult to inspect for proof, however. Any ideas for investigating sources of smoking and preventing / removing it?

This is a great question. I am also dealing with the same issue. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

This is a great question. I am also dealing with the same issue. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

We've had similar problems. There are no great solutions. What we have done in the past is communicate with all residents telling them how they can report the problem to us anonymously by calling us after hours and dialing *67 before they call our number. Dialing *67 blocks the caller ID function. We get few calls ratting out the offender. The value is the offender knowing his neighbors might rat him out. This often solves the problem in an ideal way - the behavior stops and we don't have to throw someone out. But it doesn't always work.

This sounds like a joke but I am serious. You could have a resident event and have a vendor selling edibles there for people to take home with them. That is if they are legal in your state. People like to get high.

Buy a powerful!!! exhaust fan, (plenty to choose from on Amazon) install it on the wall to the outside,and just like that the problem will go away.
It is not possible to control smoking habits,
Inform the tenant that management has to do some work in the apartment.
That’s what I did. No more smells of any kind.

Buy a powerful!!! exhaust fan, (plenty to choose from on Amazon) install it on the wall to the outside,and just like that the problem will go away.
It is not possible to control smoking habits,
Inform the tenant that management has to do some work in the apartment.
That’s what I did. No more smells of any kind.

If you're operating in a state where either recreational or medicinal marijuana are legal, you might want to consider creating a communal designated 420-friendly smoking area at your community. Ideally, this would we an age-restricted area where minors under the age of 16 have no access or something along those lines. People who are legally able to smoke marijuana still face restrictions on where they can and can't smoke. They can't smoke in public. They can't drive around and get high. So, smoking at home may be there only option. Unless your community proactively provides another one that provides you all with a win-win situation. If you have balconies or patio areas, you could ease restrictions about smoking there if you don't want to communal stoner situation.