Going Smoke-Free

Benefits of an Apartment Ban

By Jessica Fiur on Aug 8, 2013 in News

Banning smoking in apartments is often a controversial move that might be met with some resistance, especially if the building didn’t originally have this as a restriction. If residents are smokers, they might resent being told that they cannot smoke in their own homes. However, there are many benefits to banning smoking in a community.

Beyond the health concerns—second-hand smoke can infiltrate other apartments—smoking increases the risk of fires. Additionally, property managers who put a non-smoking clause in the lease could often see a greater ROI on their units when they turn them over. When a resident smokes in the unit, the property manager must pay to get the smoke smell out, as well as pay to repaint walls discolored by smoke and to fix any damages caused by cigarette burns.

Related Companies recently decided that not allowing smoking in their communities would greatly benefit both them and their residents.  The real estate company announced that its national portfolio would be completely smoke free. For those residents who are smokers, once it’s time for their lease to be renewed, they must sign an amended copy signifying that they know they cannot smoke in their units.

Of course, a smoke-free initiative at a community might be hard to enforce, especially if a smoker isn’t caught in the act. But having written warnings, fines, or even the threat of eviction in the lease agreement will seriously curtail smoking in the community.

Though smokers might not be thrilled with the smoke-free clause, overall, Related has already received positive feedback from their initiative.

Jessica Fiur is News Editor at Multi-Housing News. Find more of her insights on multifamily living on the “What Renters Want” blog.