Minnesota Smokefree Housing

For Property Owners

• Information for public housing authorities, property managers, and owners on the benefits of making your property smokefree.

For Residents

• Information for residents on advocating for a smokefree housing policy or adjusting to living in a smokefree building.

Secondhand smoke exposure poses serious health threats to children and adults. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, there is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. Eliminating indoor smoking is the only way to protect nonsmokers from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.

For residents of multi-unit housing (e.g., apartment buildings and condominiums), secondhand smoke can be a major concern because it can migrate from other units and common areas and travel through doorways, cracks in walls, electrical lines, plumbing, and ventilation systems.

In the last decade, the availability of smokefree multi-unit housing has skyrocketed as a result of greater awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke, increased consumer demand, state and local advocacy efforts, and recommendations issued by federal authorities including the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Smokefree multi-unit housing policies are beneficial for both residents and property owners. Going smokefree promotes residents' health by protecting them from secondhand smoke while improving a property manager's bottom line through reduced turnover costs and decreased fire risks.