What is included
Complaint about smoking in the shared entrance, lift, lobby, corridor, stair landing and other shared indoor areas of an apartment building.
What the legal adviser does
- analyses the situation, documents and evidence;
- determines where to complain and whether court action has prospects;
- prepares reports to the local police officer, police, property management company or homeowners’ association, Russian consumer protection authority or prosecutor’s office;
- prepares a formal demand to the neighbour;
- builds the evidence base;
- prepares the statement of claim and legal position;
- helps recover non-pecuniary damages and legal costs.
What evidence is needed
- photos and video of smoking or smoke;
- dates and times of incidents;
- witnesses;
- responses from the police, property management company and Russian consumer protection authority;
- inspection records, correspondence and notices;
- medical documents where allergies, asthma or children are involved;
- a smoke or ventilation specialist’s report, if required.
Pricing
from 5 000 ₽. The final price depends on the evidence, dispute stage, need for a visit, complaints, a formal demand, expert examination and court proceedings.
A set of materials for recurring incidents
If smoking recurs in the shared entrance, keep a single list of incidents and reports. Each entry should show the location, time, observed actions and related materials. This distinguishes a report of a specific incident from a general complaint that “people smoke in the entrance all the time”.
Specify the part of the building: lift, stair landing, communal corridor or another room. Overview photographs help identify the place but do not replace recording the event itself. Separate information about a presumed participant from what the applicant or witness actually observed.
- Write a brief incident record and assign it a number.
- Link the entry to original files, witness information and the report.
- Keep proof of submission and the report’s registration number, if issued.
- Attach the full response, with its date and the inspection circumstances it states.
In a repeat report, show what new event occurred and what remained unresolved after the previous response. If the response concerns a different location or period, identify the discrepancy specifically. This is more useful than adding the same general wording to every document.
Next steps depend on the evidence collected and the responses. Requests to stop exposure, impose liability and award compensation serve different purposes and must not be merged into one unsupported promise. Legal analysis identifies which circumstances are confirmed and which still need establishing.