BC has the lowest smoking rate in the country. Eighty five percent of British Columbians don’t smoke, and a recent survey of BC renters found a majority would prefer to live in smoke-free buildings. Despite an urgent and escalating demand for smoke-free housing in BC, only a fraction of rental units are smoke-free today. Clearly, there is a real marketing opportunity for going smoke-free.

While the BC government has gone a long way to protecting the public from the known health risks of exposure to second-hand smoke, landlords can also play an important role. British Columbians want more smoke-free options in apartments and condos. Hotels have been offering both smoking and non-smoking rooms for decades, and many are now moving to ban smoking outright. The benefits are just too compelling.

There are more reasons for providing smoke-free housing options for British Columbians. Consider the following:

• Adopting a no-smoking policy is legal and easy to do.
  
• Smoke-free living is fast becoming the norm in BC. BC leads the country in smoke-free homes and 84 percent do not allow smoking inside their homes.
• Second-hand smoke causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke.
• Non-smoking renters are no longer tolerating other people’s smoke infiltrating their homes and making them sick.
• Demand for smoke-free homes is on the rise. Over one million BC residents rent, yet there is a major shortage of smoke-free options. This is especially problematic for those with chronic illnesses and conditions.
• The benefits are huge. Going smoke-free makes for healthy tenants and a healthy bottom line for landlords.

Going smoke-free is legal, good for business and there’s strong market demand. Why wait? Check out our how-to guide for easy steps on how you can make it happen.