As a lifestyle choice, no smoking is a hit with many people. This includes landlords and their tenants, who will not only benefit from the health effects but also from the significant savings. We will explore some of these reasons below. This connects well with The Budget Socialite’s central theme of living richly on a budget. In this case, we will examine how a simple no smoking rental agreement clause will help you do so.
- No Smoking Reduces Maintenance Costs
It is a fact that smoking indoors leads to a myriad of issues for both the landlord and the tenant. One of these issues involves maintenance. A landlord may find that the amount of time needed to upgrade the property in between tenants is a lot reduced when no indoor smoking is permitted. When tenants have indoor smoking in your rental property, they are going to damage the carpets, window treatments, walls and even appliances like the refrigerator or oven. When you ban indoor smoking, you are ensuring that your maintenance costs actually go down. As a result, you stand to save quite a bit of money. - Health Benefits When Taking Smoking Outdoors
Studies have confirmed that secondhand smoke can be very dangerous. When you make it impossible for your tenants to smoke indoors, they are forced to take their habit outside. When smokers go outdoors, you are protecting them, their guests and also your other tenants. You are preventing infants, children, teenagers and even adults from being exposed to smoke indoors. - Insurance Savings
This may surprise some of you, but there are insurers out there that will give you a break on your premiums if you make the decision to ban indoor smoking. You will have to check around to see if your current insurer is one of them. - Value Preservation
You already know that allowing indoor smoking will lead to damage to the property. By banning indoor smoking, you are actually saving yourself the trouble of having to fix all of that damage. Even the fabrics in drapes and on upholstery can be harmed by smoke, so your furniture won’t have to be replaced or reupholstered as often. - Government Incentives
It has been common for some governments to offer incentives to landlords and tenants for implementing or following a no smoking policy. For example, a city may grant a percentage off the water bill for a year if a household participates in no smoking. Or the city may offer to pay a portion of the cost to replace carpets or appliances after a tenant moves out. Many cities even have large social programs in place to encourage smoking cessation. - Convincing Your Landlord
In some cases, a tenant may actually want a no smoking rental agreement clause put into writing. If this is the case, the tenant and/or his or her smoking friends can present a letter to you going over the reasons for putting the clause in the contract. Chances are the tenant’s positive reactions to the local and health-related reasons for making the decision to limit or eliminate indoor smoking will help you make the right choice for your agreement. Tenants can even mention their willingness to help enforce the policy, giving you even greater peace of mind. - Smoke-Free Alternatives
For those tenants who do smoke, they will have to take their habit outdoors. You should consider providing them with a designated spot if you have the space. Be sure it has a safe area to put out cigarette butts. Alternatively, see if there is room for a smoking shelter. Any smoke-free place will allow your tenant to enjoy his or her habit without making life miserable for neighbors or other tenants. - More Renters!
Staying smoke-free is one of the best services you can provide to your tenants. With increasing awareness about the health issues associated with smoking and secondhand smoke, tenants appreciate that you are giving them a clean, fresh environment in which to live. - Testimonials
While you may not have heard from tenants who are involved in smoking cessation programs, you may have heard them say that they wished they could quit. Keeping the windows shut and your rental home smoke-free can help them to achieve their goal. - Bringing the Two Parties Together
Even if your rental agreement doesn’t specifically mention the no smoking policy, the bottom line is that a tenant should observe the rule. If he or she lights up indoors and is caught, you will have to step in. If you and the tenant can use the No Smoking Agreement to put something in writing, then it can be easier to enforce, both sides agree to the terms, and it makes it more likely that the tenant will not violate any rules.
For more information on the health impacts of smoking and secondhand smoke, you can visit the CDC’s page on secondhand smoke.