Landlord Quick Tip
One of the best ways for landlords to cut costs and attract good tenants is to go smoke-free.
Advocates for smoke-free rental properties, including HUD, HHS, the American Lung Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have joined forces to provide a free tools to landlords who want to switch to smoke-free rentals.
This new toolkit includes HUDs guidance to public housing authorities and multifamily housing landlords, a guide to implementing no-smoking policies, a sample resident survey, frequently asked questions, and other useful resources.
When instituting a smoking ban, landlords also are encouraged to:
Advertise units as non-smoking to attract tenants who either dont smoke or only smoke outside;
Talk to prospective tenants about their smoke-free policy when showing the property;
Include no-smoking policies in lease agreements and read through the rule with te-nants as they sign their lease;
Display no-smoking signage in buildings and on the property;
Consider partnering with organizations to offer smoking cessation support to residents;
Inform tenants that if they smoke in their units, they will be financially responsible for the costs of restoring the unit;
Use the same warning/enforcement methods for smoke-free rule violations used for any other lease infractions; and
Visit and inspect properties regularly.
See last week’s Landlord Quick Tip.
American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services for landlords related to your rental housing investment, including rental forms, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing. Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.