Short answer: to remove the smell of tobacco from a flat before renting or selling it, start three or four weeks before the viewings. Empty and wash the textiles, clean walls and ceilings, paint with a primer that seals in the nicotine and leave a nebuliser running with the Aloe Vera neutraliser until viewing day. No perfume on top.
This guide is for owners, landlords and estate agents with a flat where people have smoked for years. If you want to remove the tobacco smell from your own home, where you live, we explain it in how to remove tobacco and damp smells from your home.
Why a smoker's flat smells even when it is empty
Smoke leaves a sticky residue on walls, ceilings, woodwork, fabrics and ducts. It is known as third-hand smoke. Airing the flat or a quick clean will not get rid of it, because surfaces release it little by little.
One detail worth knowing: damp reactivates it. A flat that seemed clean in summer can smell again as soon as it rains or stays closed for a few weeks. That is why the order of the work matters as much as the products.
How much time you need before showing the flat
There is no exact figure. It depends on how many years people smoked there and what is left inside. As a practical reference, give yourself some margin:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Empty the flat, remove or wash textiles, deep clean walls, ceilings, furniture and filters |
| Week 2 | Paint with a sealing primer and then regular paint |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | Neutraliser running and daily airing |
| Viewing day | Air the flat first, leave the device on low and show the flat |
If there is little tobacco build-up, you can shorten this. If people smoked indoors for a long time, do not rush: a first viewing with a smell is very hard to recover from.
The order of work to remove tobacco smell
1. Take out what smells
Curtains, fabric blinds, rugs, cushions and covers: wash them or remove them. A heavily impregnated sofa or mattress rarely recovers fully, and in a flat for rent it is usually better to get rid of it. Also check the inside of wardrobes, which hold a lot of smell.
2. Clean surfaces
Walls, ceilings, doors, frames and furniture, with water and neutral soap or a mild degreaser. Nicotine leaves a yellow film you can see on switches and ceiling corners. Do not forget the air conditioning filters and extractor grilles.
3. Paint with a sealing primer
This is the step that changes the result most. Painting straight over the yellow usually fails: the stain and the smell come through the new paint. First a sealing or stain-blocking primer, then the finishing paint. Ask for advice at the paint shop for your type of wall.
4. Neutralise the air
Even with everything clean and painted, some smell remains in the air and in corners you cannot see. This is where a nebuliser with the Aloe Vera neutraliser comes in, the one we use for tobacco, damp and pets. It goes into the diffuser like a fragrance, but its job is to reduce the bad smell, not to perfume.
Leave it running during the weeks before in the room where people smoked most, usually the living room. If there are closed bedrooms that smell, one device per area is better than turning up the intensity of a single one.
Which device to use in an empty flat
In an unfurnished flat, or one with the electricity cut off, plugs are a problem. For that case the BENDIS FLOW works well: it covers up to 120 m², runs on batteries (up to 81 days) or USB-C and is programmed from the app. If the flat has power and you want a wall-mounted device, the BENDIS LUME covers up to 100 m².
The neutraliser costs €29.99 for 150 ml and €34.99 for 250 ml. A 250 ml bottle lasts about a month with the device running 24 hours on high, and much longer if you programme it for a few hours a day.
What to show at the viewing (and what not to do)
- Air the flat before anyone arrives and leave the windows ajar if the weather allows.
- Do not use strong perfume. A flat that smells heavily of air freshener makes people think something is being covered up. If you want a scent, neutralise first and then use a soft fragrance, such as Green Tea or Lemon, on low.
- Show what you have done. New paint, changed filters, washed curtains. Telling the tenant or buyer reassures them.
- Watch out for rainy days. If the flat has been closed, switch the device on a while before the viewing.
If the flat also smells musty or damp because it has been closed for a long time, read how to remove damp smells in closed houses, basements and storage rooms.
For estate agents with several flats
If you manage several properties at once, buying a device for each one does not always pay off. With the monthly scenting subscription you get the device and fragrance included, from €29.90 to €94.90 + VAT per month depending on the device, with no minimum term and 30 days' notice to cancel. Only in Spain and Portugal. More information in scenting for estate agents and businesses.
You may also be interested in how estate agents use scent at viewings.
Frequently asked questions
Can you remove tobacco smell without painting?
If there has been little smoking, cleaning, washed textiles and a neutraliser are sometimes enough. If people smoked indoors for years, painting with a sealing primer is what makes the difference. Without it, the smell usually comes back.
How long before renting should you start?
It makes sense to start three or four weeks before the first viewing. That gives time to clean, paint, let everything dry and have the neutraliser running for a few days with the flat finished.
Does an air freshener help for the viewing?
No. An air freshener mixes with the tobacco and the result smells worse. First you neutralise the bad smell and then, if you want, you add a very soft scent.
What if the flat has no electricity?
Use a battery-powered diffuser, such as the BENDIS FLOW. It covers up to 120 m² and lasts up to 81 days on batteries, so you do not need to reconnect the power just for this.
Does the neutraliser leave its own smell?
It leaves a discreet, clean, green background. It is not a room fragrance: its job is to stop the flat smelling of tobacco.
