A Checklist for Recording Neighbour Smoke

A good record answers four questions: when did the smoke reach you, how long did it last, where did it seem to come from, and what did you do about it. That is what the provincial guidance we found asks for, as of 27 October 2026. No government publishes a single official smoke-drift form, so this checklist is assembled from the complaint pages of several provinces.

What do the official pages ask you to record?

Each source stresses something slightly different.

• Ontario. The tenant must show how the smoking or vaping interferes with reasonable enjoyment of the home, and the Board decides each case on its own facts.
• British Columbia. A tenant alleging a breach of quiet enjoyment must show the smoke is ongoing and affects their health and enjoyment of the unit.
• Manitoba. Document the problem and show you tried to work toward a solution. Include health concerns and, if possible, a doctor’s letter.
• Quebec. The tribunal’s guidance on noise advises a written record of when it occurs, how long it lasts and where it comes from, noted daily or even hourly.
• Ontario condos. The Condominium Authority says whether smoke or vapour is unreasonable depends on its source, amount, duration, frequency and effect on someone’s use and enjoyment.

The checklist

1. Keep a log. For every incident write the date, start and end time, which room, and what you smelled. Add the weather or window state if relevant. One line per event is enough; the habit matters more than the format.
2. Note the likely source. The Ontario condo guidance lists other residents, common elements, ventilation and outside sources such as passersby as common origins. Say what you know and what you are guessing.
3. Record the effect. Manitoba points to health concerns; B.C. makes health and enjoyment the test. Write down symptoms, sleep lost, rooms you stopped using, windows you had to close.
4. Record what you did. Manitoba suggests talking to the neighbour and looking at sealing gaps. Log each attempt, with its date and the result.
5. Raise it with the landlord or condo corporation in writing. Ontario and B.C. both say to start with the landlord. Keep a copy of everything. A letter generator gives a starting layout.
6. Send a formal notice if nothing changes. Quebec’s tribunal suggests a notice with a deadline (it gives 10 days as an example), a copy kept for you, the original by registered mail with proof of receipt.
7. Line up witnesses and evidence. The Quebec guidance advises bringing witnesses who can confirm the problem, the copy of your notice and other supporting evidence to a hearing.
8. Keep paying rent. In B.C. tenants must keep paying rent during the dispute-resolution process.

What will happen with the record?

In a B.C. participatory hearing both sides present their case and show evidence. Applications in B.C. go to the Residential Tenancy Branch, online with a basic BCeID account or on paper. Which body takes the complaint in your province is laid out in where to complain about smoke in an apartment.

If you own a condo unit, the route is different; see smoking in a condominium. To see why smoke matters to health in the first place, read the health effects of secondhand smoke, and for the wider tenant picture, smoke-free apartments and condos in Canada.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Your lease and your province’s tenancy law decide what counts.