Adopting a no-smoking policy is easier than you think. There are two key things you need to know before you get started:
Adopting a no-smoking policy is legal in Ontario
As the landlord or property manager of private or non-profit housing, it is fully within your rights to designate all or part of your building(s) as non-smoking, including individual units, balconies and the entire property. See our legal opinion for more information.
Existing tenants must be ‘grandfathered’
This means that only new tenancy agreements can include a no-smoking clause, and existing tenants must be grandfathered (exempted) during the length of their tenancy, or they consent in writing to the new policy. Over time, your building will gradually be converted to 100% smoke-free status as the smoking tenants vacate the premises.
We’ve designed the following sections to provide you with easy steps on adopting and enforcing a no-smoking policy. How you proceed will depend on your situation and what type of building(s) you manage.
- New buildings - Are you planning to develop a new building or complex? The easiest way to go 100% smoke-free is to start smoke-free. More...
- Existing buildings - Are you considering adopting a no-smoking policy for part or all of an existing building? More...
- Non-profit housing - Are you considering a no-smoking policy for part or all of your non-profit housing? Wondering about how to handle waiting lists? More...
- Enforcement of your no-smoking policy - More...
Download our printer-friendly protocol for adopting a no-smoking policy in Ontario.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Since smoke cannot be contained, it is highly recommended that you apply your no-smoking policy to an entire building versus designating certain sections or floors as no-smoking. If smoking and non-smoking units/sections are adjoining, tenants may still experience smoke infiltrating their homes.