SAN FRANCISCO—In a move to protect renters from secondhand smoke, San Francisco may require property owners to reveal whether smoking is allowed in apartment units.
The smoking disclosure policy, which was recommended at a supervisor commission meeting on Monday, would give prospective renters the right to know before they sign a lease whether they might be exposed to tobacco smoke from neighbors or previous tenants.
In an unusual coalition, renters and landlord groups joined forces with the Department of Public Health to collaborate in a yearlong effort to draft the legislation.
In preparation, the renter advocacy group Mission SRO Collaborative, one of the supporters of the bill, conducted a survey among 300 tenants in eleven districts.
The survey showed that a majority of renters are affected by secondhand smoke, while a third thinks it has worsened an inhabitant’s illness. Almost three quarters preferred to know in advance whether the room they moved into was smoke-free, while nearly 90 percent expressed support for such a disclosure policy.
Supervisor Eric Mar, who sponsored the legislation and who has championed several health-focused bills in the past, said it is time to allow renters to make an informed decision about what apartment they’re signing up for.
Kendra Froshman, from the Mission SRO Collaborative, called the ordinance “most equitable.” Responding to fears of renters, the group ensured that the policy would not apply to current leases and no eviction can be handed out due to the change.
The San Francisco Apartment Association, a property owner group, is also in support of the bill.
