The Amenity 80% of Renters Desire...

In the competitive apartment industry, property management companies must seek out opportunities to provide amenities that align with the desires of today’s renters while still protecting their property and their bottom line.  As a result, property managers are implementing smoke-free policies at their communities since they are both beneficial to their residents and to their profit margins.

Smoke-Free Policies: A Growing Trend

Survey findings indicate that 80.7 percent of Florida adults are non-smokers, and four out of five would prefer living in a building with a smoke-free policy, so smoke-free living is in high demand! Tobacco Free Florida has been assisting apartment communities across the state to implement these policies for the last 8 years, and the number of properties with smoke-free policies grows exponentially each year.  Over 1,000 properties in Florida have now implemented smoke-free policies.  Almost all the property managers at those properties reported that their smoke-free policies either helped or had no effect on their occupancy rates.  In fact, 56.2% stated that the policy had a positive effect on their occupancy; 43.6% said that the policy had no effect; and only 0.2% believed that it had a negative effect on occupancy.

Smoke-Free Policies: Beneficial for All

Protect Your Residents

Smoke-free housing policies protect residents from harmful secondhand smoke exposure.  Up to 65% of air can be exchanged between units, and current heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems alone do not control secondhand smoke exposure.  The only way to effectively eliminate drifting secondhand smoke is to ban smoking in buildings.

Protect Your Property and Your Bottom Line

A smoke-free policy can also decrease turnover and repair costs.  Non-smoking units require less time and money to turnover when a resident moves out, and reduced turnover time means that the unit is ready for a new renter more quickly.  After implementing a smoke-free policy, you may also be eligible to receive insurance discounts and tax credits which will further benefit your bottom line.

Each year in the United States, an average of 7,600 smoking-related fires occur in residential buildings, and smoking is the number one cause of residential fire deaths in the United States.  A smoke-free policy can decrease smoke and burn damage to property, lessen smoking-related fire risks, and reduce liability for managers and owners.  

Tobacco Free Florida Can Help

If you would like to learn more about implementing a smoke-free policy at your community, visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com/smokefreehousing, or Email Me Directly.  Our services are completely free and include conducting resident presentations, providing free cessation services for your residents and staff, assisting with the development and implementation of a comprehensive policy that is right for you, and so much more!

Florida Apartment Association Smoke-free Certification

If your property has already implemented a smoke-free policy, promote it!  One great way to do that is through smoke-free certification.  The Florida Apartment Association has partnered with Tobacco Free Florida to promote smoke-free policies and to give you a way to brag about your property!  To learn more about smoke-free certification, visit https://www.faahq.org/smoke-free-housing.