Sample log format
| Date and time | Room and spot | Strength (1 to 5) | Fresh or stale | Conditions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday, early evening | Bathroom, under sink | 4 | Fresh | Cold, windows closed, heat on | Faded after about 30 minutes |
| Weekday, late night | Bedroom closet | 3 | Fresh | Cold, still air | Woke up to it |
| Weekend, midday | Living room window | 2 | Fresh | Warm, window open | Saw someone smoking on balcony below |
| Weekday, morning | Kitchen cabinet by shared wall | 2 | Stale | Heat ran overnight | Smell present before anyone was up |
What makes a log useful
- Write entries at the time, not from memory days later.
- Use the same strength scale every time, even if it is rough.
- Separate fresh smoke from stale odor; they point to different causes.
- Record weather and whether heat, cooling, fans or windows were in use.
- Note the exact spot where the smell is strongest: outlet, pipe, door, window or vent.
- Keep a few weeks of entries before drawing conclusions, unless there is a safety concern.
- Leave neighbors' names and guesses about who is smoking out of the log.
Reading your own log
After two or three weeks, patterns usually appear. Smells clustered in the evening and at night, strongest in cold weather and near plumbing or outlets, suggest smoke traveling through the building from a unit below or beside you. Smells tied to open windows and warm days point outside, to balconies, fire escapes, courtyards or the sidewalk. A steady stale note that shows up even when no one nearby could be smoking, especially in the morning after the heat ran, points to residue already in your own unit.
Those three patterns call for different responses. Drift through the building calls for sealing and the building's smoking rules. Outdoor smoke calls for rules about outdoor areas, and for small changes to how you use windows and fans. Residue calls for cleaning and treatment by the landlord. A log that shows which one you have makes the conversation much shorter.
Questions to include when you send the log
Attach the log to a short email so there is a dated record of when the landlord received it.
- Can maintenance check and seal the spots I have noted as strongest?
- Does the building's smoking policy apply to the area the smoke seems to come from?
- Has anyone else reported something similar?
- When can I expect an update, and who is my contact?
Common questions
Should I confront the neighbor directly?
That is a personal choice. Some people find a friendly conversation solves it quickly. If you are uncomfortable, go through the landlord or manager and let them handle it.
What if the landlord does not respond?
Send a follow-up referring to your first message. A tenant resource organization can explain options under Colorado law.
General information for Capitol Hill, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.