Is not renting to smokers a good idea?
Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2019 · 46 posts · 63 votes
I’m in the process of buying my first rental property and I don’t want to rent to smokers. It’s a personal decision but I don’t want to it harder to rent out my property. What do yal think?
We are very careful to prohibit behaviors not people.
We can prohibit the act of smoking on the property, or at least inside.
We don't prohibit people who identify as smokers from renting with us - we just tell them they can't smoke on the premises (however we define that) and then outline what the consequences of violating that policy will be.
@Justin Reyes https://www.jondon.com/total-zone-tz-2-ozone-generator.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2qe9zpfK5AIVTAOGCh3cWAvPEAQYDCABEgJQ7fD_BwE
Well worth it just set it and forget about it
Interesting...I have not run into that problem with vaping. Do you happen to know what they were vaping? what nicotine level? or if was thc, or cbd?
We don't rent to smokers. ie, we don't prohibit smoking in the unit, if you smoke "at all" we won't rent to you. Too many hours removing nicotine and tar from walls and ceilings helped us form that decision. Also reduces fire danger.
I would check out your local laws to make sure you aren't violating any by charging a fee for smoking in violation of the lease. It may be perfectly legal, but I'd want to be sure.
I have caught a tenant smoking in a house before (they said it was too cold out. Ugh. Buy a coat!) and I was advised to send a Notice to Cure. Basically, they had to correct the violation (stop smoking indoors) and if it happened again I could evict without notice.
We do not allow smoking indoors, by the tenants or any of their guests, outdoors only and must use proper disposal containers. Its in the lease, and I always make a point to specifically cover that point. I hadn't thought about vaping...I need to add verbage for that for sure!
I bought a house once where the lady had smoked for 10 (20?) years. The smell wasn't the worst...absolutely every surface had a sticky yellow film on it. Took me 12 coats of about 4 different products to paint the kitchen ceiling. Yuck.
renting to smokers deters future non-smoking tenants. That smell lingers.
so you're allowing the minority ruin your chances with the majority.
What's worse is, your security deposit probably won't be enough to cover the damage.
Two months ago, I spend four hours wiping vape residue from bathroom walls. Tenant smoked in the bathroom with the fan on and thought the residue would magically all be removed. You could see drip marks down the wall from the residue. I got a sick stomach and headache from the odor. I was using hot water to remove the residue and I must have activated it airborne. Every time I rung out the towel it was dark brown, so that is what people who vape are putting in your lungs. Either the flavoring or nicotine made me sick. Another property I had the same thing in a bedroom. There was a film on the walls and the paint would not sick. It turns out the tenant said they vaped before bed in the room. He said, "what is the problem it is just water vapor". Ignorance at its best.. Vaping 100% damages the property, but of course it depends on how often it is done and size of room. That residue attaches to walls, windows, carpet, etc. It is very much like tar from cigarettes. It doesn't smell as bad, so people are tricked into thinking it is harmless.
I don't even allow candles in rental properties. The smoke will stain walls worse than cigarettes. Another air borne concern is cooking with grease. The film will coat everything in your kitchen and is very difficult to remove.
I do rent to smokers, but just have a strict "no inside the property rule". Although it seems people who vape don't follow that rule because they think it will go undetected.
This really really sounds like the person smoked cigarettes in there, and tried to pass it off as a vape...
@Justin Reyes
If you don’t want to rent to smokers, then figure you have cut out 30-40% of the people who will call about your place. Smokers are not a protected class, so you do not have to rent to them if those are your guidelines.
I have also found smokers to be liars when it comes to not smoking inside when they offer that up. In the middle of winter when it’s freezing cold outside they are not going outside. If they just finished a zesty Saturday session with the Girlfriend, they aren’t going outside, they are smoking in bed.
Smokers often flick the unsmoked portion of their cigarettes wherever they like in the yard. When you mow the grass it’s a 10 minute cleanup or a big mess when you hit a few butts and they blow up.
Smoke gets into everything on/inside the house, including all your ductwork, blower and furnace, and it’s very difficult to ever get rid of the smell without spending a fortune. You will also see Carpet burns where they dropped a lot cigarette when they fell asleep and hopefully didn’t burn your rental down.
When you are advertising don’t list your rental as non smoking, or they will lie when they call. When you screen them, ask if they smoke. At this point they don’t know what your policy is but they are usually truthful. If they or any other anticipated occupant is a smoker, screening interview is over. If you meet a new prospect, at your place, get close to them and see if they smell like smoke. Also get near their open car door, smokers always smoke in their car and it’s usually strong smell due to the confined space.
Funny story. I had a guy who told me during the screening he was not a smoker. He pulls up to the showing, steps out of his car with a cigarette in his hand and when I said something he flicked it in the grass of my rental yard and said he only smokes in his car. I turned around, got in my truck and left, while he was yelling “what, you not even gonna show me the place now that we here?” To funny
Two months ago, I spend four hours wiping vape residue from bathroom walls. Tenant smoked in the bathroom with the fan on and thought the residue would magically all be removed. You could see drip marks down the wall from the residue. I got a sick stomach and headache from the odor. I was using hot water to remove the residue and I must have activated it airborne. Every time I rung out the towel it was dark brown, so that is what people who vape are putting in your lungs. Either the flavoring or nicotine made me sick. Another property I had the same thing in a bedroom. There was a film on the walls and the paint would not sick. It turns out the tenant said they vaped before bed in the room. He said, "what is the problem it is just water vapor". Ignorance at its best.. Vaping 100% damages the property, but of course it depends on how often it is done and size of room. That residue attaches to walls, windows, carpet, etc. It is very much like tar from cigarettes. It doesn't smell as bad, so people are tricked into thinking it is harmless.
I don't even allow candles in rental properties. The smoke will stain walls worse than cigarettes. Another air borne concern is cooking with grease. The film will coat everything in your kitchen and is very difficult to remove.
I do rent to smokers, but just have a strict "no inside the property rule". Although it seems people who vape don't follow that rule because they think it will go undetected.
This really really sounds like the person smoked cigarettes in there, and tried to pass it off as a vape...
Nope, I have been doing this 15 years. I am an ex smoker and used to rent to smokers. It is very easy to tell the difference. Also I had interacted with both tenants, seen them vaping outside and never smelled smoke on them.
Hmm.. I wonder what kinda weird flavor of liquid they're using?
I've been vaping in my house for years, and never had any residue or smells build up. It would be easy to notice, as there are a lot of shiny surfaces (and because we usually only get good about dusting when we expect visitors! 😅).
Could it be that it's an older house that someone smoked in years ago? Sometimes the smell fades after a couple decades, but the tar is still there.
Hmm.. I wonder what kinda weird flavor of liquid they're using?
I've been vaping in my house for years, and never had any residue or smells build up. It would be easy to notice, as there are a lot of shiny surfaces (and because we usually only get good about dusting when we expect visitors! 😅).
Could it be that it's an older house that someone smoked in years ago? Sometimes the smell fades after a couple decades, but the tar is still there.
Every smoker and in the two vape incidents, they claimed they couldn't smell anything or see residue. We are standing side by side staring at it, lol. My guess is deadened senses and some major denial. Chemistry is not a matter of opinion. There is glycerin and various other chemicals in the vape. Those chemicals go in your lungs and whatever doesn't stay there, comes out. Anything airborne will attach to surfaces. Not just vaping, like I mentioned grease from cooking and candles are a problem too.
There are hundreds of different vape compounds and devices. I am sure some produce more residue than others. I know some vape devices produce way more vapor output than others. Some people hold it in and blow barely anything out, others it looks like a freight train letting off steam. So it may be be that your compound and device is letting off less residue.
Honestly I am not going to spend the time trying to figure it out. I can't police good versus bad vape. I don't care what people do, I just don't want to be left with the mess.
I would not suggest you renting to a smoker cuz you don't know that would damage your property.
@Justin Reyes well at least they wouldn't be able to afford cigarettes for a while 😂 That's for cartons which means 800 less cigarettes smoked in your property
I don't allow tenants to smoke on the property but it's tough to enforce. I evicted two tenants and saw that one of them was smoking in the bedroom (they didn't move their stuff out and the locks were changed on the 11th day - I didn't even know he smoked until I saw the ashtray).
Most smokers will smoke in an apartment. During the winter they'll rationalize 'it's cold outside... I'll just open the window and smoke next to it'.
Someone needs to invent a nicotine alarm.
My 2nd rental was bought from smokers. As I removed the popcorn ceilling the walls were bleeding toxins. One of the most foul things I've experienced.
I would never rent to smokers if I can prevent it. Even if they don't smoke inside, the odor sticks on them and is dragged inside. It's only a matter of time before they rationalize smoking inside. Not only will it cause the entire house to smell, it damages your HVAC unit as well.
Avoid them.