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Condominiums and community associations
Public Health supports policies that protect people from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke in multi-unit housing.
If your homeowner or community association is thinking about adopting a no-smoking rule, below are tools to help you move forward.
These materials are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for obtaining legal advice. Consult an attorney to assist you in developing a no-smoking rule and amending your governing documents.
These materials were developed in collaboration with the Oregon Smoke-free Housing Project and members of the Oregon Chapter of Community Association Institute in Portland, OR. Many thanks to Minnesota's Live Smoke Free, the Public Health Law Center, and the Massachusett's Smoke-free Housing Project for generously sharing their materials for adaptation.
Rental housing
Landlords and property owners have many reasons for implementing a no-smoking rule for their properties, including:
- Market demand
- Reduced cleaning and maintenance costs
- Protecting property from fire
- It's legal to prohibit smoking inside your rental units
- Avoid liability
- Protecting the health of your tenants
A Landlord's Guide to No-Smoking Policies (PDF)
Sample Lease Language (PDF)
Secondhand smoke
Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS), also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a mix of smoke coming from the end of a burning tobacco product and smoke exhaled by smokers. This complex mixture has more than 4,000 chemicals, 50 of which are known to cause cancer in humans. The 2006 Report of the Surgeon General confirms that secondhand smoke is not only dangerous, it's a killer. In early 2005, the California Air Resources Board identified secondhand smoke as a toxic air contaminant. Both of these agencies warn that no amount of secondhand smoke exposure is safe.
People exposed to SHS are more likely to develop a host of preventable diseases including lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and breast cancer, especially in younger, primarily pre-menopausal women. Each year in the United States, secondhand smoke is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and tens of thousands of coronary heart disease deaths among people who have never smoked.
How do I find a non-smoking unit?
There are many resources available to help you find smoke-free rental housing:
For more information, please call (360) 397-8000 ext. 7378.
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