Riga Panel Block Resident Asks What to Do About Smoking Neighbours and Unpaid Bills

In a multi-storey panel apartment building in Riga, several disputes over living conditions have arisen since a family with many children moved into a neighbouring flat. A resident named Ilze told the newsroom about her experience, while questions about how to respond were answered by Edgars Jelagins, operations director at the housing management company Civinity Mājas.

What happened

Ilze says a large family moved in about a year ago, and cockroaches appeared soon afterwards. Residents tried to get rid of them on their own for about three months without success. Eventually she and the owners of four other flats hired a professional pest control service, and the insects were gone.

Another problem followed: someone in a neighbouring flat smokes regularly, and the smell reaches her home through the ventilation and gaps. What worries her most are utility payments. The building is run by a cooperative, whose representative reportedly said the new neighbours' flat already has a considerable utility debt. As the heating season begins, the municipality is warning of possible tariff increases.

Expert advice on smoking

Jelagins recommends informing the building manager in writing and checking the ventilation system, since in older buildings improperly altered connections or blocked ducts can carry smoke. Smoking is prohibited in stairwells, corridors and other shared areas, as well as on terraces, balconies and loggias if a resident reasonably objects. There is no direct ban on smoking inside flats, so a manager cannot simply forbid it. He advises recording how often and in what circumstances the disturbance occurs so a complaint can be substantiated if needed.

On debts

The expert confirms that one flat's debt can affect the finances of the whole building, especially if several flats fall into arrears. However, other owners do not automatically have to take over a neighbour's debt, and recovery must be pursued against the debtor. Under the Law on the Management of Residential Buildings, a manager may not use owners' savings to cover individual debts on its own initiative. This is allowed if the community of apartment owners has decided so.

Jelagins suggests asking the manager in writing for information on payment discipline and debt recovery, and checking whether payments to heat suppliers are overdue. If answers are unclear, owners can jointly request a detailed financial report.