Protect the health and well-being of your residents by removing secondhand smoke. Going smoke-free can save you money and help attract more tenants. Here’s how:
Save money.
Multi-unit apartment owners may spend three to five times more to rehabilitate an apartment where a smoker has lived. These costs include scrubbing, priming and re-painting walls covered with tar and nicotine, replacing carpet, replacing counter tops that have cigarette burns, and scrubbing fans in bathrooms and kitchens that have tar and nicotine. A smoke-free policy may also make you eligible for additional savings on your insurance premiums.
Increase your business.
National and local research consistently shows that demand for smoke-free housing is rising. Approximately 85% of Boston’s adult residents are non-smokers.2 As a result, smoke-free properties will likely attract new renters quicker than comparable properties where smoking is allowed. Realtors who assist buyers and sellers agree: As the number of public places protected from smoking has increased, so has the number of homebuyers and renters seeking smoke-free homes.
Despite increasing demand, few apartment buildings are completely smoke-free.3 A recent survey of Massachusetts residents showed that 81% of prospective tenants are less interested in a development if they smell smoke in the building.4
Decrease the risk of fire.
Smoking is the leading cause of fatal household fires. Every year, cigarette-related fires cause more than $350 million in residential damages.5
Reduce potential legal liability.
Under Massachusetts state law, landlords have a duty to provide their tenants with a safe environment. Residents have brought successful legal actions based on exposure to secondhand smoke.
Remove a bone of contention.
Smoke-free policies tend to lower conflict between tenants and help eliminate the amount of time you spend dealing with complaints and rent lost to turnover. In a recent survey, 39% of landlords reported that a smoke-free policy lowered tenant conflict.6 While you might think that starting a smoke-free policy is difficult, 90% of landlords report that implementing a smoke-free policy was easy.7 Additionally, it is well-established that building ventilation and filtration systems do not eliminate health risks or prevent smoke from moving between units.8 The only way to eliminate the health risks caused by indoor exposure is to eliminate indoor smoking.