Nearly half of UK landlords (49%) would be unlikely to rent their property to smokers, compared with 39% who say the same for vapers.

A new poll found that while both smoking and vaping generate similar average levels of reported incidents (1.22 per property each year), landlords reported fewer problems linked specifically to vaping; 52% experienced no vaping-related issues compared with 46% who had no smoking-related issues.

Where issues do arise, landlords tend to respond more firmly to smoking-related breaches, with 39% issuing a formal written warning (compared with 30% for vaping breaches) 22% deducting from the deposit (20% for vapers) and using eviction (22% vs 18%), according to nicotine pouch brand Northerner.

Landlords report marginally higher annual costs linked to smoking compared with vaping, mainly due to cleaning, repairs, and deodorising. Smoking costs £107 per property per year compared with £102 for vaping costs. While the difference is small, smoking is more likely to be associated with higher-cost outliers, with 2% of landlords reporting annual costs above £500, compared with none who reported such high costs for the effects of vaping.

Policies

Dr Marina Murphy, senior director of scientific affairs at Northerner, says while landlords and letting agents can set their own policies, the key 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.

“Many landlords view vaping as a more practical and property-friendly alternative to smoking,” she adds. “Clear tenancy expectations can help ensure both landlords and tenants are aligned.”

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