All Topics / Help Needed! / Discriminating Against Smokers

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • Profile photo of gronk007gronk007
    Member
    @gronk007
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 54

    Hi All,

    Just wanted to ask quick question about choosing prospective tenants for your investment property – am I able to choose against renting a property to a smoker?

    Only reason why I ask is that years of smoking I would imagine devalues a property to the extent that it stuffs up the ceilings, the general wear and tear of the interior, and the smell of a property thats had a smoker is palpable.

    What’s everyone’s opinions on this one??

    Cheers,
    Adrian

    Profile photo of Mortgage HunterMortgage Hunter
    Participant
    @mortgage-hunter
    Join Date: 2003
    Post Count: 3,781

    Of course you cannot refuse to rent to a smoker.

    You may state that smoking is not permitted in the house but how on earth can you police something like this.

    I think if this is a big issue to you then perhaps direct property investment might ot suit you.

    Your rental properties will end up with wear and tear regardless of whether or not people smoke.

    All the best

    Simon Macks
    Residential and Commercial Finance Broker
    ***NODOC @ 7.15% to 70% LVR***
    [email protected]
    0425 228 985

    Comments may not be relevant to individual circumstances. If you intend making any investment, financial or taxation decision you should consult a professional adviser.

    Profile photo of flatoutflatout
    Member
    @flatout
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 64

    How would you enforce it? Tennant says no I don’t smoke, then takes up the habit. Standard lease condition is that tennants have carpets cleaned and rest of property left clean and tidy when vacating. A good PM would not release the bond unless entirely satisfied with condition of property and that includes window treatments, walls, ceiling etc being clean. If they are stained or smell of cigarette smoke then the PM would be within their rights to demand that they are cleaned. As a point of interest, a work colleague recently lost some of his bond for this very reason. He wasn’t happy as he had put in plenty of effort to leave the place clean but the PM reckoned the ceiling was stained from his smoking and needed cleaning and that was that.

    Flatout

    Profile photo of jhopperjhopper
    Member
    @jhopper
    Join Date: 2004
    Post Count: 278

    If you don’t consider strata bylaws and the like, why would this issue be any different from tenants with pets? Same deal effectively, smell throughout and degredation of the property as a conequence. [cigar]

    Profile photo of AmandaBSAmandaBS
    Participant
    @amandabs
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 549

    Hi Adrian,
    We usually have a quiet word with the property manager and list the property saying “Prefer Non smoker or no pets”. I agree with you smoking inside makes an awful mess particularily if you’ve just spent the past few weekends painting the place, not to mention ash being dropped and holes burnt into carpet and lino.

    Amanda
    “It is better to be inconspicuously wealthy, than to be ostentatiously poor…”

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. If you don't have an account, you can register here.