Exposed to Secondhand Smoke in your Multi-Unit Home?
7 Things You Can Do
The most frequent question that we get at ANR Foundation is from people who are being exposed to
their neighbor’s secondhand smoke, in their apartment, condominium, or other type of multi-unit building.
We know how frustrating and harmful this is, and we’re sorry that you’re facing this difficult situation. We
strongly believe that everyone deserves to live in a safe, healthy, smokefree environment. This is an
issue that can require both patience and persistence.
Here are some suggestions to help you think about your options and how to take action:
If you feel safe doing so, have you spoken with your neighbor to let them know that their
smoke is coming into your space? It sounds simple, but sometimes people don’t even realize how
much their smoke drifts and bothers people. By letting them know that it’s creating a problem for
you, they might be willing to change where they smoke. That may not always be the case, but it
can be a useful first step.
2. Be sure to document when and where the smoke is coming into your unit, or patio, or where
you’re experiencing it. Putting it in writing can demonstrate patterns and you’re documenting
evidence of what is happening. This can be as simple as keeping a running list for a few weeks,
on a notepad or your computer, where you might write: “Thursday, February 13, 8-10pm, smoke
on the patio again,” or “7am smelling smoke in the bathroom.”
Pro Tip: You can also jot down any physical symptoms you may be experiencing. You can
also share this information with your doctor and ask them for a letter to document the
physical effects of this exposure on your health, and that you should not be exposed to
any secondhand smoke.
3. Do you know if your building has a policy about where people can and cannot smoke? Look
at your lease, HOA rules, or ask your management about whether there is a smokefree policy for
your building, and if so, what restrictions are in place. It’s helpful to know where you’re starting
from. Your building may need to adopt a policy, or, if there’s already a policy that some residents
are not following, then it’s time for management to take better steps to enforce the existing policy.
We have tips available on our website for landlords and managers about how to communicate
with residents to more effectively enforce a smokefree policy.
4. It’s important for you to share your story and ask for what you need. It’s okay to speak up
about wanting to breathe air in your home that’s free from toxic secondhand smoke. You can ask
your landlord, property manager, HOA or other entity that’s in charge of making rules for your
building, if they have a process in place for dealing with complaints about secondhand smoke.
You can also ask them if they’d be interested in learning about why and how they can adopt a
smokefree policy for your building—which is perfectly legal for them to do. They might be
interested in learning that a smokefree building has lots of business benefits: including saving
them money and time in maintenance costs, and it can help them attract and retain residents.
The best way to communicate with your landlord is in writing, so sending them an email or letter
is your best bet.
5. If you live in California, there are now more than 100 cities and counties that have adopted local
laws that regulate smoking in multi-unit housing, laws that go beyond regulating smoking in
common areas and also require people not to smoke in their units. Some of those laws are very
strong and prohibit smoking inside all buildings, including in everyone’s units, while other laws
have gaps or partial coverage. You can look at ANRF’s list of smokefree multi-unit housing laws
to see if there’s already a law in your community and what it covers—or whether your community
still needs to take action to expand smokefree protections to include all multi-unit housing.
6. If you live in a city that does NOT have a smokefree law for multi-unit housing—whether you’re
in California or any other state—this is a good opportunity to contact your local tobacco
prevention program to let them know you’re exposed to secondhand smoke at home, and to ask
them if there resources to support you and your landlord in going smokefree. You can also ask if
there’s a local coalition that you can join—because there’s strength in numbers. Sharing your
story with local tobacco prevention partners gives them information that can help support the
development of a local law in the future.
How to find your local tobacco prevention program: depending on where you live,
there are often tobacco control and prevention programs as part of local, county, or state
health departments. For example, if you live in Oklahoma, there’s a state department of
health which you can contact; search online or go to your public library for assistance.
7. We also encourage you to contact your local city council member or other local elected
leaders, to share your story. Letting your community partners and your local policymakers know
that secondhand smoke exposure is a real problem for you—and letting them know that you
support adopting a local law to protect your ability to live in a safer, healthier, smokefree
environment—are useful ways to demonstrate that you need and want change.
Remember, sharing your story and asking for what you need is very powerful, and these are key
parts of improving this challenging situation of being exposed to secondhand smoke at home. One
person can make a difference!
Sometimes you may need to enlist the help of an attorney in certain situations. Note that we don’t have
referrals for legal assistance and our opinions are not legal advice, but a guideline to advocate for
yourself.
You’ve got this!
WATCH: Video Guide: Are You Exposed to Secondhand Smoke in Your Apartment?
Download a PDF of this post: Guide-7 Things You Can Do for a Smokefree Apartment
