I need advice about how to approach my landlord about this issue. Who better to ask than a bunch of landlords?
I moved in to a tri-plex with a 12 month lease at the beginning of April. The building was originally a duplex with full basements for the tenants on either side, but at some point one of the owners blocked off the back half of each basement, and converted the space into a third unit. I am renting a top level unit with the attached half basement.
When I began my tenancy in April there were no foul smells in the house. Three weeks ago my new downstairs neighbor moved in. She, her boyfriend, and her friends all smoke like chimneys which would be none of my business except that the second hand smoke has completely invaded my basement and is now making its way upstairs. My basement (where the clothes washer is located and where I used to hang dry my clothes) is completely unusable right now. I have moved all of my belongings out of the basement except a few pieces of furniture that simply won't fit upstairs. Luckily, it's spring and my furnace, which is located in the basement and thus pulls air from the basement, is off for the summer. I don't have central air, so I won't be running anything through the ducts until late fall. I have taped over all of my vents to trap the smell as much as possible, but it is now emanating from the basement door into the kitchen. I keep my windows open and fans on constantly when I'm home, but the smell is just getting worse.
How do I approach my landlord about this without seeming unreasonable? I will move out early if these conditions persist. I don't mean that as a threat, simply a statement of fact. All of my belongings will be ruined if I have to spend a winter cycling my filthy basement air through my house. Further it is a constant nuisance. I cannot use about 1/3 of my floorspace right now, and I don't want to be in my home with this smell. It's worth mentioning that I have talked to the new neighbors three times now about opening a window or smoking outside. Each time they are receptive and agreeable, but the smell just keeps getting worse. Talking to them has not worked. I want to stay in my house. I do not want to move again. How can I broach this with my landlord so that we can come to an amicable resolution? How would you want a tenant to approach you about this situation?