Episode Details
Back to EpisodesShould You Allow Smoking in Your Rental?
Description
If you've never had a smoking tenant, consider yourself lucky — and unprepared. A smoking policy for landlords isn't just a nice-to-have anymore. It's the industry standard. But if your lease only says "no cigarettes," you may have more gaps than you realize. Vaping, e-cigarettes, cigars, and cannabis all need to be spelled out — and most older leases don't cover them.
Here's what often gets overlooked: the stakes are completely different depending on what kind of property you own. A single-family home carries primarily financial and fire-related risk. But in a duplex or multi-unit building, secondhand smoke travels through shared walls, vents, and HVAC systems — and a non-smoking tenant who's being exposed may have grounds to claim a breach of the implied warranty of habitability. The bigger the building, the higher the legal liability.
In this episode, Kevin and I cover why smoke-free is now the industry standard, what your no-smoking clause actually needs to say, how enforcement works when a tenant violates it, and a real story from our Sacramento six-plex during COVID that made the cost of a weak smoking policy very, very clear.
Nothing on this podcast is legal advice. Please consult a real estate attorney in your state before finalizing any lease language.
Links & References Mentioned in This Episode
Episode 128 AI Is Your New Business Partner
American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation
ChangeLab Solutions (Smoke-Free Housing Resources)
EZ Landlord Forms State Specific Leases for Landlords
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