Tobacco smoke smells may occur irregularly and disappear before a specialist arrives. An observation log helps describe recurring episodes and plan checks. It preserves your observations, but does not by itself establish the chemical composition of the air or the source of the smell.
Record circumstances that can be checked
For each episode, record the date, start and end times, room and nature of the observation. Separately note whether windows were open, the extractor was running and what was happening with ventilation. “A smell resembling tobacco is noticeable” is more accurate than naming a particular substance without measurements.
What to include in an entry
- Where the smell was noticed first or was stronger.
- The condition of windows, doors and accessible ventilation devices.
- Other observed events, without guessing who was involved.
- Witnesses willing to describe their observations independently.
- Reports to the property management organisation and the actual responses.
- Photos or video relevant to the episode and obtained lawfully.
Do not replace evidence of the source with assumptions
The smell occurring at the same time as someone is on a neighbouring balcony does not explain the airflow route. Air may enter through a window, gaps, ventilation ducts or shared areas. A particular explanation is checked against the building’s layout and available observations.
How to prepare for an inspection
Give the specialist the log for the available period, an apartment plan, the locations where smells occur and information on earlier work. This helps choose the inspection time and conditions. If the source appears only in the evening or with a particular airflow direction, a single visit in different conditions may yield little information.
Ventilation checks and instrumental air testing are agreed as separate tasks. A household sensor may record readings, but its activation cannot automatically confirm tobacco smoke or attribute the source to a particular neighbour.
What to preserve when conditions change
If window seals, ventilation settings or extractor equipment have changed, add this to the chronology. A reduction in smell after an intervention helps discuss causes, but does not turn a working hypothesis into a definitively established entry route.
Do not seal or alter communal ventilation ducts yourself. Work and testing methods must take account of safety and the building’s structure. In a legal submission, describe specific incidents and supporting materials, without assuming that any log will automatically constitute sufficient evidence.