Finding access to smoke-free rental housing in Nova Scotia is now just a click away, thanks to the launch of a new website by Smoke-Free Nova Scotia (SFNS). The free website allows Nova Scotians to browse a searchable registry of smoke-free multi-unit rental housing developments and condominiums to find available housing in smoke-free buildings.
“By providing a smoke-free building, we’re able to cater to a large number of people who, for a variety of reasons, want to live in a smoke-free building, so that lets us stand apart from most other buildings in the area,” said Peter Polley, owner of the Polycorp Properties Limited Mont Blanc apartment buildings in Halifax, N.S. “We don’t limit our properties to non-smokers – we have a large number of people who smoke, however we emphasize that they must go outdoors and it’s been relatively easy to enforce. People who smoke want good properties to stay in and we have a good property. Because it is a rule in the lease they initial, our tenants know they must go outside if they chose to smoke.”
Second-hand smoke can enter other units through building ventilation systems, electrical outlets, open doors and windows, and around plumbing. Although preventative measures can be taken, such as air sealing, improved ventilation and the installation of air purifiers, the safest way to remove health risks is to ban smoking altogether.
A 2008 public opinion poll found that Nova Scotians were concerned about second-hand smoke in multi-unit buildings and would choose a smoke-free building if it was an option. As a result, SFNS launched the SmokeFreeHousingNS.ca website. In addition to listing smoke-free buildings, the new site offers support for landlords, property managers and condo corporations in the creation and subsequent promotion of smoke-free housing.
“As Nova Scotians become more aware of the health hazards of second-hand tobacco smoke the demand for smoke-free, multi-unit housing is increasing,” says Sharon MacIntosh, SFNS Smoke-Free Multi-unit Housing Workgroup chairperson.
