WARNING TO RENTERS: Don’t Be an Involuntary Victim of Second-Hand Tobacco Smoke in SA Apartments (Long Post) (San Antonio: apartment complex, condominium)
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The purpose of this post is to provide information to potential renters in the San Antonio area regarding a health hazard and nuisance that is difficult to detect prior to signing a lease.
This is, admittedly, a long post, and possibly quite controversial. Given the discomfort I have experienced, I want to ensure: (1) as many renters as possible are aware of the problem, and (2) proactive steps are taken to minimize a renter’s exposure and vulnerability.
THE PROBLEM: Tenants, in an upscale apartment complex, are forced to breathe dense second-hand tobacco smoke emanating from adjoining apartments. The second-hand smoke invading the apartment cannot be stopped using simple or conventional means.
DISCLAIMER: It’s not my intention to offend or denigrate residents who smoke tobacco products. However, given the well-researched and publicized dangers of breathing second-hand tobacco smoke, I believe this issue needs to receive as much attention as possible. Furthermore, I want to provide a warning to new residents to San Antonio intending to lease. If you’re a smoker, or you’re a non-smoker and don’t mind filling your lungs with second-hand smoke (to the point that the smoke causes pain in your bronchial tubes), then you may disregard this post.
BACKGROUND: For the past eight weeks, I have rented a 1-bedroom corporate apartment in the greater San Antonio area. I’m paying about $1,400/month. The monthly rate includes all utilities, expanded cable TV, and a telephone (local calls, only). The apartment complex is well managed and secure. The corporate apartment is completely furnished and comfortable (except for the tobacco smoke). For the first three weeks of my tenancy, the temperatures and humidity in San Antonio were not yet uncomfortable, and it was unnecessary to use the air conditioning. To the credit of the management, there was absolutely no smoke or odor in the apartment upon move-in. The problem started when I switched on the air conditioner, and has continued despite extensive efforts on my part to resolve the problem.
DISCUSSION: I’ve lived in numerous apartments and homes, worldwide. I’ve never encountered this phenomenon in the past. To reiterate, the problem involves significant second-hand tobacco smoke filling my apartment, especially when the air conditioner is used. Despite using numerous commercial products to thoroughly clean all ducts and vents of any tobacco-smoke residue left over from previous tenants, the problem is pervasive and a real nuisance. I also have an Air Purifier (owned by the apartment complex). It’s useless against the dense tobacco smoke. This is not a trivial problem, and I’m not ultra-sensitive to tobacco smoke. Unfortunately, the second-hand smoke is dense enough to cause pain in my lungs and bronchial tubes. Needless to say, the smell is horrendous for a non-smoker!
SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM: The management’s maintenance supervisor initially informed me the air conditioner in my apartment is a closed-loop system (i.e., prior to being cooled, the source of air is the air already inside my apartment, and from no other sources). After failing to resolve the smoke problem by thoroughly cleaning the ducts, vents, and interior of the air conditioner, I closely inspected the area inside the wall and underneath the air conditioner. To my surprise, and contrary to the statements of the maintenance supervisor, I found the air-conditioning system to be anything but a “closed-loop” system. Actually, air is pulled from a large interior space that connects all the air conditioning vents of all apartments in the building. Thus, my air conditioner is pulling in tobacco smoke from numerous other apartments, and unless I find a way to block the space (an enormous challenge), there’s nothing I can do about it. Most recently, the problem has been compounded, and second-hand tobacco smoke now enters my apartment from a bathroom vent, through a floor vent underneath the air conditioning unit, and possibly through unseen cracks in the walls/ceiling, and it’s invading my apartment without the use of the air conditioner. The invasion of smoke without using the air conditioner occurred simultaneously with the tenancy of tobacco smokers living directly above my apartment.
QUESTIONS / ALTERNATIVES: I wonder if this problem is caused by poor building design and/or construction flaws. Is this problem unique to Texas apartment buildings? I don’t know the answers. This apartment complex is neither old nor cheap. Never before have I encountered such a problem. Unfortunately, it appears I will have to live with the smoke, refrain from using the air conditioner (or use it sparingly), or find another place to live. Another alternative is to purchase one or more air purifiers that actually work against dense tobacco smoke. I believe there are a few air purifiers that are effective, but they are not inexpensive, both from a standpoint of purchase price and long-term costs to run/maintain.
OTHER COMMENTARY: The apartment manager in my complex understands the problem and has tried to assist with finding alternatives to minimize the hazards. Other managers may not be as understanding. The manager realizes it’s a difficult problem, and is considering alternatives. One alternative is to have entire buildings reserved for non-smoking tenants. Another alternative is to ban smoking inside all the apartments. These are business decisions that could initially be very costly to the apartment owners. Concurrently, there are questions regarding discrimination if smoking is disallowed in residences. To my knowledge, there are no city ordinances forbidding smoking in apartment complexes in the San Antonio area.
CONCLUSIONS: BUYER BEWARE! Before you sign that long-term lease, turn on your air conditioner (or heater in the Winter), and make sure you’re unaffected by second-hand tobacco smoke emanating from shared air space from the apartments of your neighbors! Ask the manager if there have been previous complaints from tenants regarding second-hand tobacco smoke invading living spaces. If you despise the odor and health hazard of breathing second-hand tobacco smoke, you may wish to place an addendum in your lease agreement to allow you the right to move without affecting your good status as a responsible tenant that upholds lease agreements.
You lost me on the part about the air intake sucking air from multiple apartments.. I have seen a very large chiller unit that you only control the fan on. like a chiller provides coolant via a coil to every apartment and there is an individual fan that can blow over that coil (to cool your apartment) or not turn on.
However, the air intake is always from the room. Are you saying there's a massive air intake the size of several apartments? That would mean it was something like 100 feet long at least and obviously would stick out like a sore thumb..
or is there one massive air conditioner for the complex that you open a vent to allow air in or close it to keep it warmer inside your apartment? That would be odd and very inefficient, but I suppose it's possible.
Finally, is this actual smoke filled air? or air that smells like smoke? seems the only way air with actual smoke could get in your unit was if someone was smoking right next to the fresh air intake, which would mean it was outside and that's really not common.. however, it's easily remedied by making that area a non-smoking area for common sense purposes.. reminds me of when I was stationed on the USS America and our "fresh air" intake was fed from a vent by one of the jet blast deflectors on the flight deck.. nothing like eating JP-5 fumes all day long..
BTW, I'm not protecting smokers. I quit on 1 May and so far am maintaining it. although for some reason it's been really hard lately. you'd think the urge would go away, but it doesn't.. evil drug that nicotine..
You lost me on the part about the air intake sucking air from multiple apartments.. Are you saying there's a massive air intake the size of several apartments? That would mean it was something like 100 feet long at least and obviously would stick out like a sore thumb..
The air intake is DEFINITELY shared by all apartments in the building, and is an INTERIOR intake (inside the walls of the building, and hidden from the outside).
Quote:
Originally Posted by rd2007
Finally, is this actual smoke filled air? or air that smells like smoke?
The smoke is DEFINITELY "second-hand" tobacco smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke, which originates from a burning tobacco product (typically, the end of a cigarette), and the smoke exhaled by tobacco users.
Can they let you out of the lease? I wouldn't want to share air with other people and it obviously has health risks..
It's a corporate apartment, and I intended for it to be temporary, until I determined my housing preferences, and specific location. Soon, I'll be able to leave without breaking the lease. Nevertheless, it's an important issue I will never forget, and I hope it's an issue being addressed by environmental activists and government leaders at the local and State levels.
It's a corporate apartment, and I intended for it to be temporary, until I determined my housing preferences, and specific location. Soon, I'll be able to leave without breaking the lease. Nevertheless, it's an important issue I will never forget, and I hope it's an issue being addressed by environmental activists and government leaders at the local and State levels.
Worldly, I appreciated your original post, albeit long, it was quite informative. I am in the precarious position of researching corporate/short term housing in the SA area as my job may be bringing me to the area in the very near future. I went to the web to conduct a search for corporate housing and recalled your post reference smoke. I want to avoid the situation you are now experiencing. Short of asking which complex you are currently residing, I will ask the general area of SA your complex is located. I will need housing on the North/Northwest side of SA.
I have left messages with answering services for various complexes in SA and do not know quite how to broach the topic of "smoke" and ventilation. I am very sensitive to residual smoke and have moved from one hotel room to another just because of the aroma left by someone who had smoked in a non-smoking room. Again, thanks for the heads-up. I wonder if there are no-smoking corporate apartments available. I guess I will find out, because this is a preference.
I believe it was here in Michigan, that tenants in an apartment building were eventually forced to smoke outside the building, because the other tenants complained so much about the smoke smell in their units, getting in through walls and plumbing(which has happened to me, but not to your extreme). It went through the court system, too. Even though the tenants who smoked paid their rent, the space still didn't belong to them and so on and so forth. I wish I could find that information for you! I've always remembered that, when moving to a new apartment! Hopefully you'll get out soon!
Short of asking which complex you are currently residing, I will ask the general area of SA your complex is located. I will need housing on the North/Northwest side of SA.
texasborn,
I sent you a personal message. I'm reluctant to publicize the name of the apartment complex on the forum. It is NOT in NW or North SA.
Also, watch out for ALL high-rise apartment buildings. I have experience with two in San Antonio and they both had the same problem. All the apartments were connected via the hallways. In one building, there were "fire dampers" every six floors, so there was also air traveling between each floor in each section of six floors. When a heavy smoker moved into the building on my floor, every apartment reeked of cigarette smoke. If someone smoked while waiting on the elevator - the odor immediately reached all apartments on that floor. I understand your situation and I think it is a problem in all high-rise buildings.
Many of the single or two-storied buildings are individually cooled/heated and the a/c units are precisely like a normal home system. I would definitely look into that design issue so that you don't share odors but also so you don't end up cooling a neighbor's apartment on your electricity.
I believe it was here in Michigan, that tenants in an apartment building were eventually forced to smoke outside the building, because the other tenants complained so much about the smoke smell in their units, getting in through walls and plumbing(which has happened to me, but not to your extreme). It went through the court system, too. Even though the tenants who smoked paid their rent, the space still didn't belong to them and so on and so forth. I wish I could find that information for you! I've always remembered that, when moving to a new apartment! Hopefully you'll get out soon!
New no-smoking frontier: condos and apartments
Seniors are leading the way in the new battle to ban smoking from communal environments.
Giving more teeth to the push is a finding in the US Surgeon General report last June that there are no safe levels of secondhand smoke. Last year, the California Air Resources Board declared secondhand smoke to be a toxic air contaminant on par with other industrial pollutants.
For their part, condo and apartment owners are beginning to realize the additional costs of getting units ready for new tenants after smokers have lived there.
Across the state of Michigan,12 of 132 housing commissions have banned smoking in multiunit apartments and condos in the past two years, Mr. Bergman says. Two-and-a-half years ago, no one could find a smoke-free apartment listing anywhere in the state; now there are more than 5,000, he says.
About two or three public housing commissions in Michigan are adopting smoke-free policies each month; elsewhere in the US, Bergman says, perhaps another one commission per month is doing the same. So far, that means that the public buildings owned and run by such commissions – such as Arlington Courts in Sault Ste. Marie – are taking such actions voluntarily.
But that could change next month in California. In Belmont, the city attorney and city council are expected to break new ground by passing a law that affects all public and private apartment and condominium owners in the city, requiring them to adopt smoke-free policies for a certain percentage of their units.
"Belmont will be watched nationally to see how far it goes in requiring apartment owners to have smoke-free policies," says Bergman. "Since no other city has passed a law requiring private apartment owners or condo associations to have a percentage of their units be smoke-free, this will be unique in the nation and other cities will seriously consider taking the step as well."
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