Nearly half of UK landlords would be unlikely to rent their property to a smoker, according to new research that suggests smoking remains a more significant concern than vaping across the private rental market.
The survey, conducted by nicotine pouch brand Northerner, found that 49% of landlords would be unlikely to rent to smokers, including 31% who said they would be very unlikely and 18% who are somewhat unlikely. For vapers, the figure drops to 39%, with 25% very unlikely and 14% somewhat unlikely to let to someone who vapes.
Both behaviours generate similar average levels of reported incidents at 1.22 per property per year, but landlords report fewer ongoing problems linked to vaping specifically. 52% said they experienced no vaping-related issues in the past year, compared with 46% who reported no smoking-related issues.
Where problems do arise, landlords tend to respond more firmly to smoking. Of those who dealt with smoking-related issues in the past year, 22% resorted to eviction, compared with 18% for vaping. Formal written warnings were issued by 39% of landlords for smoking-related breaches, against 30% for vaping. Fines or penalties were slightly more common for vaping at 31%, compared with 25% for smoking, while security deposit deductions were broadly similar at 22% and 20% respectively.
Costs tell a similar story. Smoking costs landlords an average of £107 per property per year, against £102 for vaping, with cleaning, repairs, and deodorising the primary drivers in both cases. The gap is modest across most cost ranges, but smoking is more likely to produce higher-cost outliers. 2% of landlords reported annual smoking-related costs above £500, compared with none for vaping.
At the other end of the scale, 23% of landlords reported smoking costs of between £1 and £50, rising to 26% for vaping, while 28% reported smoking costs of £51 to £100, compared with 21% for vaping.
"Competition for rental properties is always fierce, so anything that strengthens an applicant's position can make a difference," said Dr Marina Murphy, senior director of scientific affairs at Northerner.
"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."
