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Apartment Trends Magazine
September 2008Is there a Trend for Smoke Free Housing in Colorado?
By Pete Bialick, Susan Sobkoviak & Johnn Young
Have you been thinking about the possibility of a no-smoking policy for your housing complex? If you’re like other property owners/managers in Colorado, you may be getting a little tired of all the time and money it takes to repaint, re-carpet, and turn over apartments that have been smoked in. You know that smoking is a major fire hazard and a liability for you.
Maybe your tenants have been complaining about tobacco smoke drifting from their neighbors’ units. Some may have even threatened to move out or take legal action. You’ve heard that other property managers have gotten rid of these hassles by adopting a no-smoking policy, and you’re wondering if it will work for you, too.
Well, good news! You CAN adopt a no-smoking policy. Just like you might prohibit pets from your complex, you can prohibit smoking. You can have a no-smoking policy for individual units, as well as outdoor areas
In December 2007, the National Apartment Association had a feature article in UNITS titled, “Clearing the Air: Industry Discuses Trend Toward Smoke Free Housing.” The article covered a variety of topics on the trend of smoke-free housing, the reason to implement no-smoking policies, the legal implications, and how to renovate units where smoking has occurred. A reprint of the article is available at www.mysmokefreehousing.org along with many other resources for landlords and tenants.
Concerns and complaints by tenants, an increased knowledge about the dangers of secondhand smoke, economic savings, and national appeal are the key reasons for this growing trend.
Coloradans are experiencing the health benefits of smoke-free environments at work, in public places, casinos, restaurants, and bars thanks to the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act that was passed by the legislature in 2006. However, exposure to secondhand smoke continues to be an issue for many people when it infiltrates in their residences through doors, windows, or ventilation systems, and leads to serious health consequences. As a result more and more tenants are complaining about the problem.
Survey after survey across Colorado and throughout the United States indicates that most residents in the rental market would prefer a non-smoking building.
In Colorado
81.3% of Colorado households reported having smoke-free home rules according to a 2005 Colorado State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership survey.
A January 2008 survey of 467 apartment unit residents by the Boulder County Housing Authority indicated that 66.3% supported no-smoking policies within individual units. Most would also support no-smoking policies on patios, balconies, or entrances.
Many market leaders across the country are discovering that, contrary to conventional thought; when they eliminate smoking from their residential communities they attract new residents---those seeking apartments that do not allow smoking.
In addition, realtors are finding that a non-smoking policy is an amenity that appeals to prospective tenants.
There is a forum in the Denver-metro area for landlords, property owners and managers that meet to exchange and share information, ideas and suggestions regarding smoke free properties.
Smoke-Free Housing On the Move!
More than 1,000 multi-unit apartment buildings with more than 100,000 units are smoke-free across the country, and 80 local housing authorities have adopted smoke-free policies for some or all of their buildings. The Boulder County Housing Authority adopted a smoke-free policy April 29, 2008 and all of their units will be smoke-free by the end of 2009. The newly launched Colorado Guide to Smoke-Free Housing at www.mysmokefreehousing.com now lists nearly 100 multi-unit residential buildings in CO with 4,500 units that are smoke-free. Golden West Senior Apartments in Boulder is the largest building listed, with 311 units, followed by AMLI at Inverness in Englewood, which will open this fall with 309 units and has a no-smoking policy that covers the entire property.
The trend for smoke-free housing continues to grow across the country. Denver Public Health, Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment, and the Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution are working and are available at no cost to members of the Apartment Association of Metro Denver who are interested in exploring the benefits of no-smoking properties.
Johnn Young is from Denver Public Health, Susan Sobkoviak is from Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment, and Pete Bialick is from the Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution.
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September 2008
By Pete Bialick, Susan Sobkoviak & Johnn Young
Have you been thinking about the possibility of a no-smoking policy for your housing complex? If you’re like other property owners/managers in Colorado, you may be getting a little tired of all the time and money it takes to repaint, re-carpet, and turn over apartments that have been smoked in. You know that smoking is a major fire hazard and a liability for you.
Maybe your tenants have been complaining about tobacco smoke drifting from their neighbors’ units. Some may have even threatened to move out or take legal action. You’ve heard that other property managers have gotten rid of these hassles by adopting a no-smoking policy, and you’re wondering if it will work for you, too.
Well, good news! You CAN adopt a no-smoking policy. Just like you might prohibit pets from your complex, you can prohibit smoking. You can have a no-smoking policy for individual units, as well as outdoor areas
In December 2007, the National Apartment Association had a feature article in UNITS titled, “Clearing the Air: Industry Discuses Trend Toward Smoke Free Housing.” The article covered a variety of topics on the trend of smoke-free housing, the reason to implement no-smoking policies, the legal implications, and how to renovate units where smoking has occurred. A reprint of the article is available at www.mysmokefreehousing.org along with many other resources for landlords and tenants.
Concerns and complaints by tenants, an increased knowledge about the dangers of secondhand smoke, economic savings, and national appeal are the key reasons for this growing trend.
Coloradans are experiencing the health benefits of smoke-free environments at work, in public places, casinos, restaurants, and bars thanks to the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act that was passed by the legislature in 2006. However, exposure to secondhand smoke continues to be an issue for many people when it infiltrates in their residences through doors, windows, or ventilation systems, and leads to serious health consequences. As a result more and more tenants are complaining about the problem.
Survey after survey across Colorado and throughout the United States indicates that most residents in the rental market would prefer a non-smoking building.
In Colorado
81.3% of Colorado households reported having smoke-free home rules according to a 2005 Colorado State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership survey.
A January 2008 survey of 467 apartment unit residents by the Boulder County Housing Authority indicated that 66.3% supported no-smoking policies within individual units. Most would also support no-smoking policies on patios, balconies, or entrances.
Many market leaders across the country are discovering that, contrary to conventional thought; when they eliminate smoking from their residential communities they attract new residents---those seeking apartments that do not allow smoking.
In addition, realtors are finding that a non-smoking policy is an amenity that appeals to prospective tenants.
There is a forum in the Denver-metro area for landlords, property owners and managers that meet to exchange and share information, ideas and suggestions regarding smoke free properties.
Smoke-Free Housing On the Move!
More than 1,000 multi-unit apartment buildings with more than 100,000 units are smoke-free across the country, and 80 local housing authorities have adopted smoke-free policies for some or all of their buildings. The Boulder County Housing Authority adopted a smoke-free policy April 29, 2008 and all of their units will be smoke-free by the end of 2009. The newly launched Colorado Guide to Smoke-Free Housing at www.mysmokefreehousing.com now lists nearly 100 multi-unit residential buildings in CO with 4,500 units that are smoke-free. Golden West Senior Apartments in Boulder is the largest building listed, with 311 units, followed by AMLI at Inverness in Englewood, which will open this fall with 309 units and has a no-smoking policy that covers the entire property.
The trend for smoke-free housing continues to grow across the country. Denver Public Health, Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment, and the Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution are working and are available at no cost to members of the Apartment Association of Metro Denver who are interested in exploring the benefits of no-smoking properties.
Johnn Young is from Denver Public Health, Susan Sobkoviak is from Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment, and Pete Bialick is from the Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution.
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