Owners/Managers

Healthy Environments Against Tobacco Serving the cities and unincorporated areas of North County

Owners & Managers of Multi-Unit Housing Complexes

A smoke free policy for your community can benefit you in many ways:

Landlords and apartment managers can save money by reducing the damage that smoke causes (e.g., extra cleaning bills, paintings costs, butts littered in the landscaping and property damage such as cigarette burns on carpets, counter-tops). 

Smoke-free units reduce fire danger, which may also reduce insurance costs. Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, etc.) is the leading cause of home and total fire deaths in the United States. 

In 2003, there were an estimated 25,600 structural fires caused by smoking material resulting in direct property damage at approximately $481 million.*

During 2003-2007, the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department recorded 116 fires in multifamily dwellings that were caused by cigarettes, matches, or cigarette lights.

A Smoke-free policy means a healthier environment for your tenants.

*Hall, J.R., Jr. (2006). The Smoking-Material Fire Problem. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association.

Here are a some links that owner/managers may find useful:

    Surveys:

• Secondhand Smoke Survey: Summary of Key Findings for Multi-Unit Housing
• Secondhand Smoke Survey: Summary of Key Findings

      How to adopt a smoke-free policy:

• Smoke-free Housing Enforcement Flyer
• How Landlords Can Prohibit Smoking in Rental Housing
• Non-Smoking Areas Lease Addendum Model
• Smoke-Free Lease Addendum Model
• Creating Smokefree Policies for Affordable Housing in California

       Additional Information:

• The Federal Fair Housing Act and The Protection of  Persons Who are Disabled by Secondhand Smoke in Most Private and Public Housing
• There is no Constitutional Right to Smoke
• HUD Encourages PHA's to Become Smoke Free
• Tobacco Smoking at Residential Rental Properties – CAA Background Paper
• List of Smoke-Free Apartments in San Diego
• UCLA study on turn-over costs
• San Diego County Tenant Survey
• News Release on SB 332
• Understanding California's Smoke free Housing Law