Even if you live in an apartment, you shouldn’t have to put up with the negative health effects of secondhand smoke. There are steps you can take to talk to your property manager and get rid of smoking from your community for good.
Step One: Talk to Your Property Manager or Owner
- Schedule an appointment with your property manager or owner to discuss the situation. Be positive, polite, stick to the issue, and offer solutions. Solutions can include conducting a tenant survey, holding a residents’ meeting, relocating to a different unit in another building, or ending your lease early to find a smoke-free building.
- If your apartment community does not have a no-smoking policy, consider providing information about:
- the dangers of being exposed to secondhand smoke
- the benefits of a smoke-free policy
- the steps to adopt a smoke-free policy and the resources available
Step Two: Document the Issue
- Write down the areas where and the exact time that you notice smoke may be entering your unit
- Talk with your neighbors. Are your neighbors experiencing the same problem? Will they talk to the property manager or owner with you?
- Keep track of all symptoms and illnesses. Health problems may include ear infections, sore throats, asthma attacks, bronchitis, and others. Consult a healthcare provider for a letter to document your symptoms and illnesses.
Step Three: Seek Further Assistance
- The following resources may be of assistance if the above steps do not resolve the issue:
- Southwest Fair Housing Council
- Southwest Fair Housing Council (swfhc.org)
- Report Housing Discrimination — Southwest Fair Housing Council (swfhc.org)
- (888) 624-4611 (Toll Free)
(520) 798-1568 (Tucson office) - (602) 218-6491
- Southwest Fair Housing Council
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- Arizona Attorney General’s office
www.azag.gov/complaints/civil-rights
(602) 542-5263
2005 N Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004-2926 - (520) 628-6500 (Tucson office)
- https://www.azag.gov/contact-us
- Arizona Smoke-Free Living
info@azsmokefreeliving.org
(480) 616-4608
- Arizona Attorney General’s office
Tips for Residents Experiencing Secondhand Smoke
If you are being affected by exposure to tobacco smoke coming from a neighboring unit in your apartment building, you are not alone! While there are no statewide laws currently regulating tobacco smoking inside an individual unit in multi-family residences in Arizona, a growing number of multi-family residential communities have implemented no-smoking policies that encompass all apartment buildings and, in some cases, the entire community. The following information may help you resolve your health risk, but please note that nothing in these recommendations shall constitute legal advice.
- Tips for Residents Experiencing Secondhand Smoke in Apartment Communities That DO NOT Allow Smoking
- Tips for Residents Experiencing Secondhand Smoke in Apartment Communities That DO Allow Smoking
- Tobacco Smoke Infiltration Resolution Efforts Form
- Sample Letter from Resident to Management
Schedule an appointment with your property manager or owner to discuss the situation.