A compiled reference of 22 verified statistics on what smoking costs rental property owners: the cost to rehabilitate a smoker's unit line by line, what landlords report spending each year, federal estimates behind HUD's smoke-free public housing rule, how long thirdhand smoke survives a turnover, and how often smoking causes fatal home fires. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (HUD, CDC researchers, UCLA, the US Fire Administration) and checked against the original before publishing.
Key statistics
5 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
A smoker's unit costs several times as much to turn as a nonsmoking one, and most of the gap is flooring, paint, and cleaning. In a 2009 New England housing authority survey, a smoking unit added $1,250 to $2,955 to a turnover, the same per-unit range HUD later used in its smoke-free rulemaking.
A heavy smoker's unit cost $3,515 to rehab, versus $560 for a nonsmoking unit (New England, 2009).
HUD priced smoke-free maintenance savings at $1,674 per unit.
27% of surveyed California landlords had smoking costs in a year, averaging $4,935.
Smoke residue survived two months of vacancy and a turnover cleaning.
Smoking caused 13% of fatal residential fires (2017 to 2019).
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in October 2026 from named public sources and checked against the original before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
Peer-reviewed study abstracts, HUD's final rule and regulatory impact table, a state health department's publication of the New England housing survey, US Fire Administration reports, and a 2026 landlord survey.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly. The values we computed (the heavy-smoking versus nonsmoking rehab ratio and the per-unit gaps behind HUD's range) are labeled and shown with their inputs.
- Ages and sponsors disclosed
Several of the best US figures come from surveys run in 2008 and 2009; we date each one. The UK survey was commissioned by a nicotine pouch company, and we say so.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope: the US rehab-cost figures are in the dollars of the year they were collected and have not been adjusted for inflation, so they understate today's costs. The California survey had a 22.4% response rate. Federal estimates describe public and subsidized housing, which turns over differently from market-rate and short-term rentals.
The cost of smoking in rentals, by the numbers
All 22 figures, grouped by theme, each from a named public source and checked against the original.
What it costs to turn a smoker's unit
The most-quoted per-unit figures come from a 2009 survey of New England housing authorities and subsidized housing facilities by Smoke-Free Housing New England, published in this line-item form by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (portal.ct.gov).
Statistic 1
Rehabilitating a rental unit costs an average of $560 when smoking was prohibited, $1,810 after a light smoker, and $3,515 after a heavy smoker.
Smoke-Free Housing New England, via Connecticut DPH (2009 data)
Statistic 2
General cleaning costs $240 for a nonsmoking unit, $500 for a light-smoking unit, and $720 for a heavy-smoking unit.
Smoke-Free Housing New England, via Connecticut DPH (2009 data)
Statistic 3
Paint costs $170 for a nonsmoking unit, $225 for a light-smoking unit, and $480 for a heavy-smoking unit.
Smoke-Free Housing New England, via Connecticut DPH (2009 data)
Statistic 4
Flooring costs $50 for a nonsmoking unit, $950 for a light-smoking unit, and $1,425 for a heavy-smoking unit.
Smoke-Free Housing New England, via Connecticut DPH (2009 data)
Statistic 5
Appliances cost $60, $75, and $490, and bathrooms $40, $60, and $400, for nonsmoking, light-smoking, and heavy-smoking units respectively.
Smoke-Free Housing New England, via Connecticut DPH (2009 data)
What this means: a heavy smoker's unit cost about 6.3 times as much to rehab as a nonsmoking one ($3,515 against $560). Flooring is the biggest single line, which is why carpet is the first casualty. See our rental carpet and flooring replacement statistics.
What landlords report spending
The first study to systematically measure smoking-related costs in multiunit housing, according to UCLA Health (uclahealth.org), polled 343 California Apartment Association members in 2008 and 2009. The peer-reviewed results appeared in the American Journal of Public Health, indexed by the National Library of Medicine (nih.gov). A 2026 UK survey reported by Landlord Today (landlordtoday.co.uk) adds a current, if commercially sponsored, read.
Statistic 6
27.1% of California multiunit housing owners and managers had incurred smoking-related costs in the past year.
Ong et al., American Journal of Public Health (2012)
Statistic 7
Among those with costs, the mean smoking-related cost was $4,935 in the past year; the median was $2,000.
Ong et al., AJPH (2012); UCLA Health
Statistic 8
33.5% of properties had complete smoke-free policies, and a complete policy cut the likelihood of incurring smoking-related costs by about half.
Ong et al., AJPH (2012); UCLA Health
Statistic 9
Statewide complete smoke-free policies could save California multiunit property owners $18,094,254 a year.
Ong et al., American Journal of Public Health (2012)
Statistic 10
49% of UK landlords say they would be unlikely to rent to smokers.
Northerner survey of 500 landlords, via Landlord Today (2026)
Statistic 11
UK landlords report smoking-related costs averaging £107 per property per year, and 2% spend over £500 a year on smoker damage.
Northerner survey, via Landlord Today (2026)
Statistic 12
22% of UK landlords listed a security deposit deduction among the actions they had taken over tenant smoking; 22% listed eviction.
Northerner survey, via Landlord Today (2026)
What this means: most units in any year cost nothing extra, and the ones that do cost thousands. That skew is why the average per property (UK) looks small while the per-incident numbers (California) look large; both are accurate.
Federal estimates behind smoke-free housing
When HUD required every public housing agency to go smoke-free, according to the Federal Register (federalregister.gov), its regulatory impact analysis priced the maintenance savings per unit. A CDC analysis published in Preventing Chronic Disease, indexed by the National Library of Medicine, estimated savings across all subsidized housing.
Statistic 13
HUD based its estimate of maintenance savings from smoke-free public housing on $1,674 per unit, within a range of $1,250 to $2,955 per unit.
HUD final rule, Federal Register (2016)
Statistic 14
HUD projected $21.3 million a year in reduced maintenance costs for public housing agencies (range $15.9 to $37.5 million), plus $4.7 million a year in reduced fire losses.
HUD final rule, Federal Register (2016)
Statistic 15
Over 700,000 public housing units were covered by the smoke-free rule, and more than 600 housing agencies had already implemented smoke-free policies in at least one of their buildings.
HUD final rule, Federal Register (2016)
Statistic 16
HUD estimated the cost of an eviction to a housing agency at $700 to $3,000 per case.
HUD final rule, Federal Register (2016)
Statistic 17
Prohibiting smoking in all US subsidized housing would save $133.77 million a year in renovation of smoking-permitted units, within $496.82 million in total annual savings.
King et al., CDC, Preventing Chronic Disease (2014)
Statistic 18
The same CDC analysis estimated $52.57 million a year in smoking-attributable fire losses in subsidized housing.
King et al., CDC, Preventing Chronic Disease (2014)
What this means: HUD's per-unit range is not an independent estimate. Its $1,250 low and $2,955 high equal the New England survey's light-smoker and heavy-smoker rehab costs minus the nonsmoking cost ($1,810 minus $560, and $3,515 minus $560; our calculation), with $1,674 as HUD's standard figure in between.
Residue and fire risk
According to a study by San Diego State University researchers in Tobacco Control, a BMJ journal (bmj.com), cleaning between tenants does not fully remove thirdhand smoke. Fire data from the US Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov) shows why insurers care.
Statistic 19
Of 100 smokers' homes visited before move-out, 25 were retested after nonsmokers moved in; dust and surfaces there still showed higher nicotine contamination than former nonsmoker homes, even after homes sat vacant for two months and were cleaned for new residents.
Matt et al., Tobacco Control (2011)
Statistic 20
Nonsmokers who moved into former smoker homes had higher finger nicotine levels than those who moved into former nonsmoker homes.
Matt et al., Tobacco Control (2011)
Statistic 21
Smoking caused 13% of fatal residential building fires in 2017 to 2019, second only to other unintentional, careless actions (19%).
US Fire Administration (2021)
Statistic 22
In 2006 to 2008, smoking was the leading cause of fatal residential building fires, at 19%.
US Fire Administration
What this means: a standard turnover clean leaves smoke residue behind that the next resident picks up on their hands, which is how a smoking violation becomes a guest complaint or a refund. Related: smoke alarm and CO detector statistics.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How much does smoking damage cost a landlord?
In a survey of 343 California Apartment Association members, multiunit owners who incurred smoking-related costs averaged $4,935 in the past year, with a $2,000 median (UCLA, American Journal of Public Health). HUD's smoke-free public housing rule priced the maintenance savings at $1,674 per unit.
How much more does it cost to turn over a smoker's unit?
Smoke-Free Housing New England's 2009 survey of New England housing authorities found average rehab costs of $560 for a nonsmoking unit, $1,810 for a light-smoking unit, and $3,515 for a heavy-smoking unit, about 6.3 times the nonsmoking cost.
Does cigarette smoke residue stay after a smoker moves out?
Yes. A San Diego State University study retested 25 former smokers' homes after nonsmokers moved in and found higher nicotine contamination in dust and on surfaces than in former nonsmoker homes, even after the homes sat vacant and were cleaned for new residents.
Can landlords deduct smoking damage from a security deposit?
Some do. In a 2026 survey of 500 UK landlords commissioned by nicotine pouch firm Northerner, 22% listed a security deposit deduction among the actions they had taken over tenant smoking. In the US, deductions depend on state law and on whether the lease prohibits smoking.
Data sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing.
HUD, via the Federal RegisterSmoke-free public housing final rule and impact analysisfederalregister.gov
Connecticut Department of Public HealthSmoke-Free Housing New England unit rehab cost surveyportal.ct.gov
UCLA HealthMultiunit housing smoking cost study releaseuclahealth.org
National Library of Medicine (PubMed)AJPH and Preventing Chronic Disease study abstractsnih.gov
Tobacco Control (BMJ)Residential thirdhand smoke studybmj.com
US Fire AdministrationFatal residential building fire topical reportsusfa.fema.gov
Landlord TodayUK landlord survey on smoking and vaping tenantslandlordtoday.co.uk