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With the passage of House Bill 2 and other previous bills, smoking in public places is becoming a thing of the past. Private homes and residences are some of the few places in which tobacco use is unrestricted. However, there are a few communities across the country that have implemented smoke-free living policies to protect residents from secondhand smoke exposure and from the danger of cigarette-related fires. Barrington Place Apartments in Charlotte has successfully
implemented a smoke-free living policy and residents are enjoying the
many benefits.
The smoke-free policy at Barrington Place Apartments was implemented on July 1, 2008, in response to a recent increase in cigarette-related fires on the property. During a one-year period, nine fires occurred resulting in $50,000 in damages.
Teresa Sandman, Vice President of Property Management explained that before a ban could be considered, it was critical that current residents be given an opportunity to voice their opinions. A survey was distributed to residents asking them a range of questions from willingness to go outside to smoke, if the smell of smoke was a bother, and if they had concerns about fires. The majority of the surveys showed support for a ban on smoking with some residents noting that smoke from adjacent units permeated into their living space.
While smoking inside was bothersome, smoking outside in the breezeway was also something that residents were not pleased with. Property managers noticed a trend in people choosing to smoke outside of their apartment rather than inside. While this did help the indoor air quality, other residents were exposed to the smoke as they would come and go. In addition, these common areas became a collection place for discarded cigarette butts.
The ban, which applies to all rental units and common areas such as the building breezeways, the pool, playground, and clubhouse, was phased in gradually. All new residents signing leases on or after July 1, 2008, were required to comply with the new regulations. For residents already living in the Barrington Place Apartments, they had to comply with the ban in the common areas, but the ban on smoking inside the rental unit did not apply until their lease was up for renewal.
What has been the response to this new ban? Ms. Sandman says the residents have been overwhelmingly supportive, and rather than dealing with complaints from residents about the ban, Barrington Place Apartments has received a lot of positive feedback. It has even become a selling point for the community!
With any ban, once the implementation phase is over, the next challenge becomes enforcement. Residents may report if they see someone smoking in a prohibited area or if they suspect someone smoking in their unit. The first step after a violation is to give the individual a written notice. Subsequent complaints result in increasing fines and possible eviction. Any and all fines collected will be donated to the American Lung Association. While charitable donations may be welcome, property managers have not had any issues enforcing the ban.
The ease of this transition should come as no surprise as property managers have made thoughtful efforts to create safe and accessible places for smokers. Ms. Sandman’s philosophy was “when you take something away, you’ve got to give something back.” To give back, Barrington Place Apartments invested nearly $10,000 in the property to post smoke-free living signs and to create designated smoking areas that are handicap accessible, well lit, and offer receptacles for used butts.
The money initially invested to establish smoke-free living at Barrington Place Apartments is off-set by the savings in cleaning costs. When a resident moves out, the vacant unit is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for new residents. The average cost of cleaning a unit lived in by a non-smoker is $1,000 - $2,000 less than cleaning a unit lived in by a smoker.
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