Smoke-free Housing Information for Tenants

 

Going smoke-free protects your health and your home.

Today, thousands of rental properties across Washington state have gone smoke-free. Everyone benefits from smoke-free housing. You can ask your landlord or property manager for a no-smoking rule in your building.

Find a Smoke-free Apartment

There's an apartment search engine designed just for landlords who want to advertise their smoke-free apartments—and for tenants who are looking for one. Visit the American Lung Association of Washington to start searching for a smoke-free apartment building.

Questions to Ask Before Renting

Ask the following questions about the smoking rules at rental properties you visit. Properties advertised as smoke-free can have very different rules.

  1. Find out if the smoking policy is written in the lease or community rules.
    • Does it apply to everyone or just new residents?
    • Does the rule cover indoor common areas, rental units, decks, balconies and patios?
  2. If there are residents who currently smoke inside or out, where they are smoking?
    • If they are smoking anywhere in the building, and there is a shared ventilation system, it is likely that secondhand smoke will get into your unit.
    • If they smoke outside near your windows or doors, it could also drift inside your unit.
  3. Ask about enforcement.
    • Does the landlord check to make sure nobody is smoking?
    • How would the landlord respond if you made a complaint about a smoking neighbor?
    • If a tenant or their guest is smoking, what would the landlord do about it?
    • Are signs posted to make visitors aware of smoke-free areas?
  4. Did the previous resident in your unit smoke? If so, what did the landlord do to clean the apartment?
    • Leftover odors and contamination from secondhand smoke—also referred to as thirdhand smoke—can be hard to remove if an extensive cleaning is not done properly.

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