Landlord Bans Smoking in All Apartment Buildings

• June 17, 2013
• 8 Comments

by UrbanTurf Staff

A Related Companies building in Manhattan.

New DC apartment buildings started doing it about five years ago, but now a national property owner is taking a healthy ban to a new level.

Related Companies, the owner of over 40,000 rental units across the country, will ban smoking in every section of its buildings, including the units themselves, The New York Times reported this weekend.

The ban will take effect gradually for existing residents, but start immediately for new tenants. From The Times:

New tenants must sign a contract promising not to smoke anywhere in the building, including their private terraces or balconies. If they break the rules, they can be evicted. But those already renting will not face the same fate until after they renew their leases and sign the no-smoking contract. With a turnover rate of 10,000 a year, Related’s apartments could conceivably be smoke-free in a few years’ time.

As UrbanTurf reported back in 2010, there are a number of apartment buildings in the DC area that have instituted this ban. 220 20th Street became the first apartment building in Northern Virginia to implement a no-smoking policy when it opened in June 2009. The DC apartment project 425 Mass followed suit in 2010 as did the Millenium at Metro Park in Arlington. A few other buildings in the region have instituted similar policies since then.

Would you live in a completely non-smoking building? Let us know in the comments.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/national_landlord_bans_smoking_in_all_buildings/7209

8 Comments

1. kob said at 7:58 pm on Monday June 17, 2013:
   Only one or two tenants in my building smoke. But the smoke has drawn complaints from other residents who say the smell gets in the halls and into their units. I think its really smart to ban smoking. It may turn out to be a competitive edge.

1. h st ll said at 9:10 pm on Monday June 17, 2013:
   This is cool except for those who puff that Bob Marley. That should be exempted - agreed that cigarette smoke is nasty, though.

1. Ryan said at 10:32 pm on Monday June 17, 2013:
   Inside units is one thing because smoke travels into hallways, vents etc, but banning on outdoor patios/balconies seems extreme.

1. TS said at 3:33 pm on Tuesday June 18, 2013:
   I'm so happy to see this. I had someone who smoked on their balcony below my apartment every morning. So each morning if my windows were open, I was awaken to the nasty smell of smoke that filled my apartment. Management didn't care, so I started "washing" my patio with hot soapy water each morning...the smoking stopped 😃

1. Duponter said at 6:32 pm on Tuesday June 18, 2013:
   I think for rentals this is fine. I might feel differently for someone who owns their unit. As for the commenter who suggested that there be an exemption for smoking weed, I'm sorry, but in my years of apartment living, I cannot recall dealing with the smell of cigarette smoke, but I have often had to smell marijuana. I have zero moral hangups on people who do that, but I actually find the smell repulsive. And far more intrusive than cigarette smoke. I also think I should be able to smoke on my balcony. There's a difference between a health concern and a nuisance. Close your windows if you don't like it. I might not like the smell of what you're cooking in your kitchen, but I don't think I have the right to tell you to not do it.

1. Pier Parks said at 8:18 pm on Tuesday June 18, 2013:
   Here in our condo build we have banned smoking in the building/units or around it.

1. power of flight said at 8:10 pm on Wednesday June 19, 2013:
   It feels me with existential dread that young Americans can get excited about behavioral bans.

1. James said at 8:59 pm on Wednesday June 19, 2013:
   I have a single-family home (with yard) rental property. In the lease I specifically ban *any* type of smoking *anywhere* on the property, inside or out. Apartment dwellers who smoke on balconies probably also flatulate on elevators and don't see a problem with it.