A new survey shows how unpopular smoker and vaper tenants are with landlords.
A survey of 500 landlords shows that 39% say they are unlikely to rent their properties to vapers, including 25% who are very unlikely and 14% who are somewhat unlikely.
Nearly half (49%) say they would be unlikely to rent their property to smokers.
Where issues do arise, landlords tend to respond more firmly to smoking-related breaches, though enforcement is seen across both behaviours.
| Action taken | Smoking (cigarettes/tobacco) | Vaping (e-cigarettes) |
| Informal warning | 39% | 36% |
| Formal written warning | 39% | 30% |
| Fine / penalty | 25% | 31% |
| Security deposit deduction | 22% | 20% |
| Eviction | 22% | 18% |
| No action taken | 14% | 18% |
Landlords report marginally higher annual costs linked to smoking compared with vaping, mainly due to cleaning, repairs, and deodorising – with smoking at £107 per property per year and Vaping £102.
However, 2% of landlords claim to spend over £500 a year repairing damage or lasting effects of smoker tenants.
| Cost range | Smoking (cigarettes/tobacco) | Vaping (e-cigarettes) |
| £0 | 10% | 11% |
| £1–£50 | 23% | 26% |
| £51–£100 | 28% | 21% |
| £101–£250 | 21% | 23% |
| £251–£500 | 6% | 7% |
| £501+ | 2% | 0% |
| Not sure | 10% | 12% |
| Average cost per property | £107.34 | £102.22 |
A spokesperson for Northerner, the firm behind the survey, says: “While there is currently no UK-wide ban on tenants smoking in rented homes, landlords and letting agents can set their own policies.
“The key, however, is to ensure these are clearly set out from the start, whether that’s a full ban on indoor smoking, or smoking is limited to outdoor spaces, or there are clearly defined charges for cleaning or repairs. These rules are typically enforceable through tenancy agreements.”
