Cigarette smoke is among the things that damage a rental home. Which is why most Evansville property owners that include a clause in their lease documents that states smoking is banned inside or virtually anywhere on the premises of their rental homes.
But is vaping considered the same as smoking and does the same rule apply? The rising trend of e-cigarettes as a substitute for smoking tobacco has been a source of confusion for some property owners. A lot of people consider vaping as a harmless recreational activity or even as a way to aid someone when they want to stop smoking altogether. Vaping is viewed as something that is of the lesser threat to a person’s health compared to a cigarette.
However, despite the popularity, vaping is far from innocent. The clouds of vapor that are formed by e-cigarettes and other vaping devices omit a filmy remainder on anything they come in contact with, from walls to floors to furniture. Think about it: anywhere that air can progress inside a home, vapor can, too. This includes inside air vents and ductwork, where problems could go unforeseen for months or even years.
The reason that vapor creates the so much concern is that it is not water, but glycerin. It is clear, but it does not readily evaporate into the air. It is somewhat oily, and the emissions from an e-cigarette are more like as aerosol gas than water vapor. It carries particles that are made up of chemicals, flavoring, and preservatives. When these particles come in contact with a surface, they stick to it. Over time, these particles can create a thick film that is difficult – and expensive – to discard.
While hard surfaces like windows and mirrors can be wiped down relatively smoothly, other surfaces including carpets, painted surfaces, and ductwork not. Cleaning the filmy excess that vaping leaves on surfaces like these is both expensive and time-consuming and may even cause lasting damage to some details.
For example, the particles of vapor can’t be cleaned up with water, so fabrics and carpets may require professional cleaning plenty of times in a year. Painted walls are another challenge because they are porous and vapor particles will settle into every pore. The more textured your walls are, the more rapidly this sticky film will build upon them. The film must be scrubbed off repeatedly, but the scrubbing itself could degrade the overlay.
With so much potential to damage your Evansville rental home’s halls, it just makes sense to ban the use of e-cigarettes along with other forms of smoking. At Real Property Management Results, we carry out regular property evaluations to check for indications of vaping inside your rental homes. Our expert property managers monitor your properties thoroughly, ensuring stricter lease compliance and protecting the value of your investment. To learn more, contact us online or call us directly at 812-461-1676.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
