Need Advice on Cigarette Smoke Issue in Calgary Rental
Hi folks.
TLDR: the cigarette smoke from an adjacent unit is making the townhouse I'm renting unlivable, and I don't think I have the mental fortitude to wait for a resolution to be worked out between my landlord, the other owner, and the condo board.
I recently started renting a privately-owned townhouse in Calgary. I discovered after I moved in (as it happens, of course) that the resident below me smokes inside their unit, and the cigarette fumes enter my unit from some gaps in a wood-burning fireplace and a crawlspace. It's a daily occurrence, smells strongly like someone is smoking in my unit, and spreads to all three floors. I'm a migraine sufferer, and sinus irritation is a trigger for me. As such, I hide in the bedrooms most of the day (work from home) to avoid the stench and potential migraines.
My lease agreement has a clause stipulating I may not smoke in the unit. I feel like being exposed to someone else's cigarette smoke contradicts the clause, but I'm not sure this interpretation holds any water.
After informing my landlord of the issue and my expectation it be corrected or I will consider ending the lease, my landlord raised the issue through the property management company and the condo board. We were just informed "a letter" will be mailed to the other resident with no explanation of the contents.
I just survived a month of my life that included health issues, extreme job stress, a medical leave from work (I just returned), exiting an abusive relationship, and a move (among other things). My BS tolerance is at a lifetime low. I don't feel I have the patience to wait the weeks or months while my landlord sits on his hands waiting for the condo board to coerce this person to quit smoking.
To date, my landlord has not taken any other action to ameliorate the issue. I have purchased a high end carbon air purifier (kind of helps) and attempted to seal off the fireplace (multiple attempts have failed). I do not want to sink any more time or money into trying to fix this myself.
So what do I do? Is there any case to be made to Calgary bylaw enforcement or AHS Environmental Public Health given this is a significant, daily nuisance? Do I go to RTDRS to file a complaint with an ask to exit the lease without penalty? I'm guessing I should start with another email to my landlord demanding he at least attempts to seal off the two access points.
I can afford to float rent on two places for a month or two, but I'm concerned my landlord won't be able to easily re-rent the place given the cigarette smoke issue, and I might end up paying rent all over the place for a lot longer than that.
Posted Jan 14, 2026, 12:06 AM UTC