Housing Inequality

Smoke-free housing should not be an unattainable luxury. Every New Yorker, including families living in public or affordable housing, deserves to breathe smoke-free air. NYC Smoke-Free is working to expand the availability of smoke-free affordable housing to ensure that no family or child is exposed to harmful secondhand smoke in their homes.

While luxury condos, co-ops, and rentals are increasingly going smoke-free, this positive trend has been slow to reach New Yorkers living in affordable, public, or rent-regulated housing.

Over the last 10 years, NYC Smoke-Free has worked with building owners, landlords, and property managers to implement smoke-free protections for over 19,000 apartment units, impacting over 50,000 residents. In 2018, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) implemented the HUD-mandated Smoke-Free Policy, positively impacting over 400,000 New Yorkers living in NYCHA developments. While significant progress has been made in increasing smoke-free protections for New York City residents, many neighborhoods still lack access to smoke-free housing options.

New Yorkers who struggle in the city’s competitive housing market or are rent-burdened have few options but to stay where they are, even when their children and families are subjected to dangerous secondhand smoke pollution in their homes. NYC Smoke-Free can help you go smoke-free today – contact your local borough office for guidance, technical assistance and help with signage.

What is Smoke-Free Housing?

Smoke-free housing has strong public support and saves money for landlords and property owners. There are two types of 100% smoke-free buildings: those where smoking is prohibited anywhere on the premises, including individual apartments and common indoor areas, and those where smoking is restricted to a limited outdoor area.

What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke is toxic. It is a mixture of the smoke from burning any tobacco product and the smoke exhaled by a smoker. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and even minimal exposure has been shown to be harmful.

How does secondhand smoke affect me if I don’t smoke in my home?

Secondhand smoke in multi-unit dwellings cannot be contained. Cleaning the air and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate the health hazard of secondhand smoke. Air movement between units in multi-unit dwellings is significant, with up to 65% of air shared between units in some cases. Exposure to secondhand smoke is dangerous to the health of all residents, especially children and seniors.

What are the benefits of smoke-free housing?

Residents can enjoy a healthier home and breathe cleaner, smoke-free air in their apartment and throughout the building.

Owners can reduce property damage and turnover costs by implementing smoke-free policies. They may also be able to save money on insurance by decreasing the chance of fire, as smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths.

How much does it cost to rehabilitate a residential unit of a smoker once the smoker moves out?

On average, it costs six times more for a landlord to rehabilitate a residential unit of a smoker than a non-smoker. Rehabilitating a smoker’s apartment would cost $3,515 on average, compared to $560 for a non-smoker’s apartment.

Is it legal to go smoke-free?

There are no federal, state, or local laws that prevent apartment owners and managers from adopting smoke-free policies. Such policies do not discriminate against smokers; they simply require people to smoke outdoors, where their secondhand smoke will not drift into neighboring units. The experience of landlords across the country suggests that smoke-free policies are easy to implement and are largely self-enforcing.

What is Smoking Disclosure?

New York City has joined several other major cities in requiring landlords to disclose their smoking policies to current and potential tenants. Smoking disclosure policies provide current tenants with information about where they live and help potential tenants make informed decisions about where they want to live. Here is more information on smoking disclosure.

Are there buildings in New York City that are smoke-free?

The first residential buildings in New York to voluntarily go 100% smoke-free have opened their doors, and many more residences are considering going smoke-free. A recent poll found that nearly 60% of New York City voters want to live in a building that is smoke-free. Smoke-Free Housing NY lists housing that is smoke-free.

How can I help my building go smoke-free?

If you are a tenant, please refer to the New York Tenants Guide to Smoke-Free Housing.

The Smoke-Free Housing Kit for Landlords and Managing Agents outlines the benefits of going smoke-free and provides steps for developing and implementing a smoke-free policy for your building. It also suggests ways to educate residents and achieve compliance.

Resources

Smoke-Free Housing: A Guide for Residents of NYC

Read More

NYC Smoke-Free Housing Tool Kit for Landlords and Managing Agents

Read More

Smoking Disclosure (Local Law 147)

Read More

No Menthol Sundays

Read More

The Asian Smokers’ Quitline

Read More

NYC Quits

Read More
See All