Should I Allow Tenants to Vape on my Rental Property?

It’s a common practice that most landlords require tenants to restrain from smoking indoors. As a landlord, chances are that you already prohibit smoking in the lease contract, but since users technically exhale vapor rather than smoke, the standard restrictions found in most lease contracts may not apply to vaping.

Currently, there is no law that requires tenants to vape exclusively outdoors.  and so the decision to either allow it or prohibit it is entirely up to the landlord. 

What is in E-Cigarettes Anyway?

In order to make a decision, one should first understand the difference between smoking and vaping. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes are devices that produce an aerosol by heating a nicotine concentrate. Vaping is a relatively new practice among adults. However, you should know that It is estimated that roughly 10% of the adult population in the U.S use e-cigarettes or vaporizers. This number goes up to 15% among adults between the ages of 21 and 40.

Can it devalue the property?

A survey, carried out on 750 prospective tenants or buyers from across the U.S, revealed that 42% of them believed their perception of the home’s value would be negatively affected if they knew that a heavy e-cigarette user lived in the property. 34% stated not to be sure about it, and only 23% said that it would not affect their perception of the home’s value.

Negative Effects On The Property

Although vaping isn’t technically smoking, Just like regular cigarettes, “vapes” usually come with negative effects on the integrity of the property.  it produces a residue that when it builds up over time, can linger long after the users have left the property. In some cases, some surfaces may get an oily feel due to the chemicals, such as glycerin, that are contained in vapes.

Cleaning nicotine out of walls after smoking tenants end their lease, is a time-consuming task. When there’s a heavy smoker in a house, you can tell because of the smell of nicotine on the walls and their distinct yellow color.

When vapes heat, they release a nicotine cloud of vapor that dissipates very quickly. Because of this, the impact vaping has on the conditions of the property may not be as aggressive as smoking, and it will depend on how much vaping is done indoors. 

Make sure to ask prospective tenants about both smoking and vaping habits. This will make tenants accountable for excessive cleanup in the property due to the use of vapes as well, and not just smoking.

Vaping is better than tobacco

Vaping may have some of the negative effects associated with tobacco, but it’s worth noting that the overall conditions of the house will be significantly less affected by vaporizers than what it would by smoking.

In order for vaping to discolor or stain the walls, far longer periods of time are needed. As mentioned before, the clouds of vape dissipate just too quickly for them to do any damage at all, as long as the airflow in the house is guaranteed. 

Additionally, vaping doesn’t produce the residual tar that stains walls, windows, and any surfaces that are in contact with cigarette butts. The e-liquid can still technically stain surfaces, especially if some of it is spilled by accident. 

Ultimately, if you decide to prohibit vaping in the property, please contact a legal professional that can help you write the lease contract with the right terms and conditions so that your tenants become fully aware of your rules and conditions before the lease contract is signed.