Imagine moving into a non-smoking apartment, and a neighbor is smoking outside near your apartment. What would you do if you could smell the smoke inside? Would you confront the neighbor, talk to the landlord, or do nothing since technically they’re not breaking the rules since they’re outside?

In this story, one couple is in this situation, and the man confronts the neighbor about the smoke issue. That’s far from the end of it.

Keep reading to see how the story plays out from the perspective of the neighbor who smokes.

Complain to the apartments after I do what you wanted?

A few years ago, I was living in an apartment complex on the third story with no balcony. At this point, I’d been living there for almost four years.

The third story was the only floor that connected to the other half of the building for fire code access to two staircases.

There are some steps about halfway to the other side that I’d smoke cigarettes sitting on. I’d always take the butts with me and swept every couple of days.

I was a good neighbor: no noise, cat-sit for the guy across from me, taught the old Russian guy how to use his appliances, helped people move furniture in and out.

A new neighbor complained.

A new couple moves in.

After smoking a cigarette on those stairs in-between, new neighbor guy comes to me and says, “Hey, sorry to bother you. Do you mind not smoking here; we can smell it in our apartment.”

I say, “I’m so sorry – yeah, no problem. It won’t happen again.”

We both go inside and that night I walk down to the first floor each time I wanted to smoke.

Apparently, the neighbor complained to the landlord as well.

The next morning, I get a call from the apartment complex saying they received a complaint that I was smoking on the stairs in the connecting walkway.

I admit that I did do that and have since started going all the way down to the parking lot.

He says, “Oh, you don’t have to do that. Any stair landing area is allowed smoking. Pretty much anywhere except where you were.”

“Okay, thanks!”

Now the neighbor can’t complain.

I started smoking on the stair landing that forced them to walk past me and was closer to their apartment.

Speaking to me as a person: I walk the three flights.

Complain to the complex after I fixed the problem? Not going out of my way anymore.

The neighbor really shouldn’t have contacted the landlord after the problem was already resolved. But smoking is a horrible habit. The best solution would be to kick the habit.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

A non-smoker shared their perspective.

Another non-smoker knows what it’s like to have a neighbor who smokes.

But this non-smoker has a different perspective.

A smoker weighs in.

Secondhand smoke is not a joke.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.