Maintenance and Turnover

Landlords that own a unit where smoking is allowed know all too well the hazards and damages caused by smoking: yellow walls, burned carpets and laminates, smoke in the hallways, lingering odors and cigarette butt litter. What many don’t realize is how much money can be saved on maintenance and repairs by simply eliminating smoking inside the building. The reality is landlords can save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in turnover and maintenance fees by adopting a smokefree policy.

A 2007 estimate from an Oregon restoration service stated that the average cost of conversion for a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment where occupants have been smoking in is over $15,000. In a recent survey of landlords and property managers throughout New England, 83% reported savings in maintenance and turnover costs once their smokefree policy was implemented (Smokefree Housing New England, August 2009).