Renters --- Where do you smoke?? (tenant, house, carpet, landlord)

[Squirl]

Sooooo, I have had applicants for my rental property who confessed to being "light smokers" when I asked (we specifically advertised "no smokers) but insisted they ALWAYS smoke outside and if the weather is bad they just "don't smoke." "We never, never, never smoke inside."

If you are a smoker, do you always smoke outside?

[brocco]

My boyfriend is a smoker and ALWAYS smokes outside, but he also lives in his own home. If he were renting a place I doubt he'd care as much

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Don't believe them unless 2 previous LLs say they don't. They may honestly have good intentions but smokers aren't going to go a few days with a cig. Your weather is not conducive to outdoor activity for a good 6 months.

[ivanabacowboy]

I always smoke outside on my patio.

[tilli]

I am a non-smoker, my husband is a light smoker. He really does only smoke outside, neither of us like that smell inside.

[new jersey mike]

As a landlord I would look at it as a marketing issue. If you can afford not to rent to smokers and or any others like pet owners stand you ground.

People are people and it's a good chance he will smoke at some point. If you feel the damage from this action limited or full time would require remediation of any type could cost more then continued lost rent, your time to continue to show it and all the other cost associated with the vacancy, again stand you ground.

I look at this as an investment, my place is a 2 family. I never lived there and have not formed an emotional connection the way some people who are renting a home they lived in.

It is still my property and when tenants damage and destroy it that effects me.

So I don't think anyone can answer this for you, how important is this issue and much value do you apply to it.

If you are governed by bi-laws it could put you in jeopardy and that would be important to consider because you are ultimately responsible.

Let us know what you decide.

[wireyourworld]

I've had tenants say they don't smoke, or will only smoke outside, and its been a lie in both cases. And weather didn't matter, there is a screened porch out front and a porch with an overhang in the back, so there is NO excuse for smoking in the house. I would rather have to clean up after pets than after a smoker any day of the week. At least pets don't ruin your ceiling, ceiling fans, ac units and most of your walls in the process of living there. With smokers inside you get all that fun to fix and new carpet too! In my opinion once you rent to a smoker, you might as well just give up ever renting to a non smoker, they sure won't want to live there unless you do a deep cleaning of every crevice, you'll be renting to smokers all the time after that.

[CarlitosBala]

I stopped smoking inside when I realized that its nasty, it kills your electronics, and all your stuff smells like crap.

Only outside for me, or occasionally, in the bathroom so long as I can keep the window open and I take a steamy shower afterwards.

This is both while renting and while owning.

I don't even smoke inside at friends house, even if they do and insist. What is wrong with people???

[wireyourworld]

One tenant smoked heavily in the bathroom near the window, which was also near the shower stall. The entire stall was coated with yellow tar. And the whole bathroom stank. Took me forever to clean the crap off the stall (THATS in your lungs) and I had to wash the walls, then prime and repaint, also had to wash and repaint all the walls in the house. The tenant was only there 7 months before eviction.

[Sherifftruman]

The problem that most smokers don't realize that for the next few minutes after they smoke, lots of that crap comes back out of their lungs, plus their clothes smell. So unless they plan to stay outside for 5-10 minutes after they are done, even if they never smoke inside, it is still going to stink up the place.

That and the fact that any smoker I've ever met will just smoke inside anyway or they leave the door open, etc. like the previous post said, if you can avoid renting to smokers, don't.