My neighbor smokes every 20 minutes, leaning out his window, which causes the smoke to come directly into my apartment. I asked him to smoke outside, but he was not receptive. What can I do?
Some New York apartment buildings have policies making them 100 percent smoke-free, but if you're not in one of those, you may need to have a chat with your neighbor, or ask your landlord to intervene, according to our experts.
If you're not in a smoke-free building there is no law prohibiting your neighbor from smoking in his own apartment. Smoking in building common areas, however, is against the law in buildings with 10 or more units. The city Health Department recommends that if smoke is coming into your apartment, you begin documenting the incidents, and then consider approaching your neighbor, your landlord, or both about the issue.