Smoke free ordinances are being passed by many cities banning smoking in multifamily apartment housing. In 2007, Oakland became the first city asking landlords to designate units as smoking and non-smoking. These ordinances being passed by many cities are controversial. Since smoking is legal, many tenants believe that they have the full right to smoke freely in the property rented by them.
The rationale behind this drive is the danger with the second hand smoke, which can affect the neighbors of the smokers.
Last year Santa Monica adopted an ordinance banning smoking in indoor and outdoor common areas of apartment and condo complexes. Now this ban could extend to other open areas like patios and balconies. Many apartment property management companies like Related Management are launching no-smoking programs in high-end properties in New York City and are planning to expand to other cities.
The fight might come down to whether such a sweeping smoking ban bumps up against the civil rights of renters. Read story about the pros and cons of extending smoking ban to apartments and condos by CLICKING HERE
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