Smoke-Free Communities - What's your take?

Question to my Marketing and Property Management Nerds: Do you have Smoke-Free communities? If so, what has been the response to the policy? Also, have you reverted communities to Smoke-Free after being open to it? How was that experience? We're considering a Smoke-Free policy at all our properties and would love your feedback. Thanks so much!

Hi Mark,

While I currently do not have any "smoke free" sites, I do recall my experience as a Multi-Site Restaurant operator and our "smoke free" policy during that time. While I initially did lose some clientele, in the long run more people appreciate the clean environment and ultimately the policy paid off hugely. I don’t know if I would go "smoke free" on all my communities, but it would be a great endeavor on a few.

Thanks,
Pedro

Pedro, I can see how it may not work for all properties. We have 1 property we most likely won't make the change with.

Thanks to Lisa Trosien for sharing this today on Facebook. Chicago Renters Willing to Pay More for Smoke-Free Housing

Ugh, that is a toughie! I have never had any that are totally smoke free, but we have been able to designate some buildings as smoke free at some communities. We ran into a problem at an affordable community about 5 years ago. Two HUD offices duked it out between both sides of the issue. I am no longer with that management company so i am not sure how it ended up, but as I recall we were going to grandfather in current smoking residents but any new residents to that building could not smoke in their homes.

How would you "police" a smoke free community? If you see a resident smoking, what do you do? While I think all of our lungs could use a little less smoke, I just dont really see how this could be monitered to be successful. Its just like most pet policies. You have the honest residents that come in a register their pets, pay a pet fee and do the right thing. Than you have those residents that sneek in two or three pets thinking they are above the community policy and say and do nothing. Seems like a lot of work to make sure the community stays a smoke free community.

My company has actually started taking a lot of their elderly properties and turning them into smokefree properties...I really haven't heard how it has gone and I have a family property, so it hasn't been something I've had to worry about...yet...I know they have plans of trying to turn all their properties into smokefree ones...

I know they mentioned the cost of doing so because needed to create a place for people to go to when they want to smoke...a shelter of sorts, etc...

Again, I have a family property and I think I would actually have residents leave if I told them we were going smokefree...I have a lot of smokers...I personally would love it if they did, if it wouldn't be for the vacancies...I'm not a smoker and when I go into a smokers apartment...my lungs just hurt/burn...But if I had to weigh the odds...I would stay a smoker property...it's easier for me to wear a mask to go into the units then it is to try to find renters...grin...

I've done it both with new buildings and existing buildings that already had smokers living there. Worked great as long as you have a plan, and communicate it well to everyone. Designate certain areas as "smoking areas" otherwise, the smokers WILL smoke at the front door or the building and that's never a good. AND, make sure you have smoking receptacles in the designated smoking areas. Also, don't apologize for it - sell it as a positive thing for everyone. It's an indoor air quality issue. In the end, everyone that has been affected by this has been happy with the outcome, save for the die-hard smokers - of which we only had a handful. We actually attracted more prospects than the handful of people we lost.

Also, here's a great website and vendor I have partnered with in the past: livesmokefreemn.org/ - they have policies, guidelines, and suggestions on how to convert to a smoke-free building.

Hope this helps!

-Daisy

Thanks Daisy and right on! It's all how we sell what we have. Another resource is MIsmokefreeapartment.org. I attended a PMA luncheon where Jim Bergman spoke; he was awesome. I was surprised by the number of questions people asked on this topic and he had great ideas and suggestions. I also have a Model Smooke-Free Lease Addendum that he gave to us.

That website should have stats on the advantages of having smokefree buildings based on surveys done.

Any smoke-free property in Michigan can advertise on MIsmokefreeapartment.org - for free. Also, any smoke-free property nationally can advertise smoke-free on ShowMeTheRent.com. Both websites are part of The RentLinx Network. Just go to RentLinx.com and click on the big green button.