# Smoking in yer apartment. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2015, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157 "2015-08-18T07:16:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clowdieyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Clowdieyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clowdieyes)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/1 "2015-08-18T07:16:53Z")
Can the maintenance man tell if someone is smoking weed or cigarettes in their apartment if they keep it clean n use air freshener and candles? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/2 "2015-08-18T07:21:39Z")
Depends on how much you smoke, but if you’re a heavy smoker no amount of air freshener and candles is going to conceal the fact completely. ---
**Author:** ![Obtenebrate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9f8e36/32.png) [@Obtenebrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obtenebrate)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/3 "2015-08-18T07:25:42Z")
> [@Clowdieyes](#): > > Can the maintenance man tell if someone is smoking weed or cigarettes in their apartment if they keep it clean n use air freshener and candles? Tobacco causes yellowing of the surfaces that are exposed to the smoke- move something that’s been sitting for a long time in a smoker’s house and you can see a spot of the original color surrounded by yellowing. I’ve never seen that happen from marijuana usage, even heavy usage, but it woulldnt surprise me if it was possible due to the resin. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/4 "2015-08-18T09:27:54Z")
I am thinking what it would be like in your apartment with all that smoke, plus the chemicals from the air freshener, plus fumes from the candles. Best not keep any pets. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/5 "2015-08-18T10:07:35Z")
Air freshener and candles don’t do squat. You have to use an air purifier, running during and well after any smoke. Even then, it will likely be detectable by a non-smoker/toker. The problem being the non-using people have a far better sense of smell than the users. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/6 "2015-08-18T11:11:51Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Air freshener and candles don’t do squat. You have to use an air purifier, running during and well after any smoke. Even then, it will likely be detectable by a non-smoker/toker. The problem being the non-using people have a far better sense of smell than the users. 100x this. It can be extremely obvious when someone has been smoking anything (vaping, weed, tobacco). I speak from the experience of someone smelling it, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/7 "2015-08-18T11:23:33Z")
> [@Clowdieyes](#): > > Can the maintenance man tell if someone is smoking weed or cigarettes in their apartment if they keep it clean n use air freshener and candles? Yes. Instantly. Regardless of your efforts to the contrary. 30 years ago when everything everywhere was contaminated by other people’s cigarette smoke not so much. But most non-smokers today can smell a single cig at 100 yards. Or tell if a rental car has ever been smoked in since it was new. MJ’s not much different. Your only hope is if the maintenance guy is a heavy smoker / toker with a burned out smeller. Or doesn’t give a hoot about enforcing the rules. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/8 "2015-08-18T11:50:59Z")
My ex- smoked cigarettes and weed periodically. Every time I walked in the house I knew she had (I didn’t care either way). She’d be jokingly pissed once because she said she had done it in the morning and was practically sitting in the window and I got home in the evening. But I don’t smoke at all, so it’s very apparent to me. As has been mentioned unthread, if your maintenance man smokes, you might be ok because he might not notice. If he doesn’t smoke, he probably will. Whether or nor he cares is another matter of course. As my lawyer college roommate tells me, its a two step process. Someone has to catch you, and then they have to care enough to do something about it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/9 "2015-08-18T11:54:41Z")
> [@Clowdieyes](#): > > Can the maintenance man tell if someone is smoking weed or cigarettes in their apartment if they keep it clean n use air freshener and candles? Yo, Towlie! I’m curious; why would someone care? Are there no-smoking apartments? ---
**Author:** ![Toy\_varen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Toy\_varen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toy_varen)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/10 "2015-08-18T12:04:35Z")
Put it this way: if your apt does not allow smoking, they probably have a clause in your lease to kick you out. If they suspect weed, they don’t need a clause, they just call the cops to come and search your place. They don’t need to smell weed to call the cops. ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/11 "2015-08-18T12:14:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’m curious; why would someone care? Are there no-smoking apartments? Yes. It’s fast becoming the standard, here in Chicago anyway. It can be hard to find new tenants for an apartment that’s been smoked in a lot, since smoking is not that common anymore, so landlords will often put a no-smoking clause in the lease. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/12 "2015-08-18T12:33:38Z")
Wow. I last rented an apartment in 1989. Things sure have changed. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/13 "2015-08-18T12:53:15Z")
> [@Clowdieyes](#): > > Can the maintenance man tell if someone is smoking weed or cigarettes in their apartment if they keep it clean n use air freshener and candles? Boy, howdy can he (if he’s a non-smoker)! I’m always amused at smokers who think they can hide/disguise the smoke. Yes, those of us who are not smokers can smell that you smoke in your apartment. We can smell your desperate attempts to hide it. We can also smell it on your hair and skin and breath no matter how much you shower or how much mouthwash you swill. > [@kayaker](#): > > I’m curious; why would someone care? Are there no-smoking apartments? Yep. “Decontaminating” a smoked-in residence can be done but it’s a pain in the ass, at the least requires oil-based covering primer on the walls and ceiling, extensive cleaning or replacement of any carpet or fabric covered furniture, and in the worst cases would require replacing drywall. These days, lingering smoke smell and yellowing are considered damage. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/14 "2015-08-18T13:46:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Wow. I last rented an apartment in 1989. Things sure have changed. I had an apartment in Pittsburgh in 1989 and it was definitely no smoking. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/15 "2015-08-18T13:49:56Z")
We went on a cruise in 2012 and the people in an adjacent cabin complained that it smelled of smoke. They had a team of three people armed with all kinds of equipment and chemicals in there most of the day. The next day they were moved out because it still smelled - my wife went in with them and agreed. That cabin stayed empty for the rest of the cruise. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/16 "2015-08-18T13:50:34Z")
> [@Toy\_varen](#): > > Put it this way: if your apt does not allow smoking, they probably have a clause in your lease to kick you out. If they suspect weed, they don’t need a clause, they just call the cops to come and search your place. They don’t need to smell weed to call the cops. In the USA, cops cannot search an apartment with only the landlord’s permission. It may be the landlord’s property, but it’s the tenant’s place of residence, and they’d need either a search warrant or the tenant’s permission to search it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/17 "2015-08-18T14:01:37Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I had an apartment in Pittsburgh in 1989 and it was definitely no smoking. Huh. I was in Philly then and never heard of such a thing. Hotels rooms, sure, but I remember a friend who lived with his parents (30 years old) coming over many evenings to have a few cigs. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/18 "2015-08-18T14:04:34Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > In the USA, cops cannot search an apartment with only the landlord’s permission. It may be the landlord’s property, but it’s the tenant’s place of residence, and they’d need either a search warrant or the tenant’s permission to search it. Furthermore, not many cops are going to go to the effort of busting into your place and going all gonzo on someone who is a recreational weed smoker. Unless the landlord can convince them that you distribute. But the landlord can still evict you if your lease has a non-smoking clause. Don’t need the po-po to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/19 "2015-08-18T14:15:25Z")
No, but you need to go to court. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157/20 "2015-08-18T15:52:20Z")
Yes, non-smokers and ex-smokers can smell it, no matter what you do to cover it up or air it out. I’m an ex-smoker, and when I was smoking on the sly, I was fooling no one but myself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-in-yer-apartment/728157.md?page=2)