Smoke-free housing is healthy, legal, and in demand

If you live in an apartment, condo building, or other multi-unit housing setting where people smoke in their units, chances are you have faced drifting secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can enter through shared ventilation systems, patio doors, windows, electrical, and other openings in the walls and ceiling.

If you are a landlord, you have probably tried to deal with these complaints with limited results. There is a solution. Work to make your apartment building, townhouse, or condo smoke-free. It's a move that is healthy, legal, and in demand.

Benefits of smoke-free housing

Only 1 in 5 adults in Simcoe Muskoka smoke and 87% of Ontario adults believe that smoking should not be allowed in multi-unit housing with shared ventilation, so it is no surprise that smoke-free housing is in demand. Some of the other benefits of smoke-free housing for tenants and landlords include:

• Smoke-free buildings protects you and your family or tenants. Secondhand smoke has been linked to cancers, respiratory problems, heart disease, and strokes. In children, exposure can cause middle ear disease, respiratory tract illnesses, low birth weight, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). More information about secondhand smoke can be found on our website. Smoking is also the leading cause of fatal home fires in Ontario.

• Smoke-free residential buildings reduce insurance rates. Some insurance providers, like the Housing Services Corporation, have begun to factor no-smoking policies in their premium allocations.

• The cost to refurbish a smoke-free unit is much lower than a unit with smoking. It is estimated that costs to clean and turnover a rental unit where there has been regular smoking can be as much as two to three times more than a non-smoking unit.

Introducing a no smoking policy

The Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 (SFOA, 2017) specifies public areas in apartment and condo buildings, such as hallways and laundry rooms, must be smoke and vapour-free to protect the public from secondhand smoke and vapour. The SFOA, 2017 does not cover private units.

To close this gap, a landlord or condo board can introduce a No-Smoking Policy that would require private units to be smoke-free. It's important to note that the policy cannot be imposed on existing tenants.

We have resources that include smoke-free housing guides for landlords, property managers, and tenants; a tenant survey; signs; and commonly asked questions about making your property smoke-free.

Promote your smoke-free building

Has your apartment or condo building introduced a no smoking policy? Call us to let us know and go on and add your building to the Smoke-Free Housing Ontario.ca registry.