What does "no smoking" mean???

[Willow3]

So, I'm left wondering... when I listed my property and check "no smoking" - that meant to me, that there was to be no smoking, inside or out.  But as I read the forums, many interpret it to mean no smoking indoors only.  

I just had a guest chain smoke on the patio - and I feel he didn't follow the house rules.  But maybe I'm alone in this thinking?

[Brandon182]

I've just had occasion to ask this same question.. I clearly checked the "No smoking" box and have a guest who has asked whether she can smoke on the balcony or terrace. The problem--not addressed by any of the comments I've seen here yet--is that the smoke doesn't stay outside. The balcony doors don't have handles outside so you can't really close them, and in the summer, without air conditioning, all the windows are open anyway and the wind blows the smoke back inside. Given this, I am going to amend my listing to very clearly say in ALL CAPS "NO SMOKING ANYWHERE ON THE PROPERTY". If someone really needs to smoke they can go downstairs and outside like with any bar or office building. 

[Virginia246]

My listing indicates 'no smoking' but in 'house rules' I say that smoking is okay on the (large) porch, and I have an ashtray out there (which I ensure is cleaned between visits).  The home is in a rural area so second-hand smoke isn't a concern.  

[Marcelle-and-Davog0]

Ok, so my listing has "Smoking allowed" because I don't mind people smoking in my veranda – that's what every guest who smokes has done (and they often ask me before they do). But a recent guest smoked every day inside his room. It wouldn't occur to me that someone would do that, and it pissed me off. Was I crazy to think people wouldn't smoke inside their rooms where's ample outdoor space?

[Helen3]

If you put smoking allowed it means the guest can smoke on any communal area in or outside of the home. @Marcelle-and-Davog0 

He did follow your house rules you said smoking allowed.

If you don't want people to smoke inside you need to put no smoking and then add in your house rules that guests are allowed to smoke on the verandah.

[Kevin1322]

If it's in the house rules no smoking anywhere on the property inside or out then he's broke your rules.

As a current smoker myself (quit, resume, quit again rinse repeat) I would take a simple No Smoking rule as "not inside or where the smoke will blow in".

I smoke outside my own property and we've put a seating area away from the house with an ash tray for guests who may want a smoke. So it's pretty clear cut.

If I stayed at a no smoking place and there wasn't an ash tray outside somewhere I would take it as a cue to go for a walk in the neighbourhood.

Refraining for smoking isn't hard. I recently travelled from Germany through Holland, Belgium and France to catch a ferry with my son in the car without smoking.

We had however been staying in a hotel with a no smoking policy but with a patio and garden with ash trays.  So I imagine your guest was working on a "hotel" version of non smoking.

I can see your problem, cigar smoke smells take a while to clear so you wouldn't want him doing it on check out day for fear of upsetting the next guest, and obviously if you live there yourself he ought to have asked.

I would include smoking anything (including weed) as smoking, and we don't have it inside.

[Robin4]

@Kevin1322  @Helen3 @Marcelle-and-Davog0  @Virginia246 

Years ago I was up there with the best as far as smoking was concerned. At one stage back in the 80's  we were spending more a week on cigarettes than we were for the house mortgage!

One night mid June 1992 we both smoked our last cigarette, haven't touched one since, I also used to smoke the odd joint or two as most of my generation did, so I have had a bit of experience with both sides of this smoking issue.

To a non smoker one of the worst smells imaginable is to walk into an elevator with a smoker who has just butted out a cigarette.....it is truly the smell from hell!! Whether it's cigarette or pot, it's the smell from hell. 

When we state in our listing description our cottage is a non smoking facility we have to emphasise that the comfort of our future guests must be respected. That's not saying they can't smoke on the property, to think a smoker will not find a way of sneaking a puff or two somewhere is simply naive. I know, been there, done that!

I provide an outdoor area complete with an ashtray and, I also provide next to that ashtray a mouth-spray which I have found neutralizes that horrible smokers breath reasonably effectively, and I ask all smokers to use that mouth spray before re-entering the listing. I also point out that cigarette detector alarm on the ceiling which doesn't discriminate as to whether it's cigarette smoke or marijuana smoke....

The cottage is a smoke free facility and there is no law that will make me relax that.

It works OK, they seem to respect it.

You can't do anything about that smell on the belongings they brought with them but at least the cottage filtration can take care of that reasonably quickly once they have departed. It's the full on first or second hand smokers air that is the main issue.

I am not aware that you can refuse a guest simply on the grounds they are smokers. You can set rules you expect them to adhere too but, you can't prevent them from booking.  It contravenes Airbnb's anti discrimination policy. You can't refuse the elderly because they can't handle a flight of steps, you can only 'advise' them of the listings description. You can't refuse a disabled request, you have to point out again what you offer, but the final decision in these cases rests with the guest, not the host! 

If someone says they have a reason to enable them to introduce an airborne substance into your property, simply respond and say the property physically won't allow it, it will trigger an alarm system, sorry, you will have to search somewhere else!

Cheers......Rob

[Courtney420]

So—if a listing says “no smoking”, I assume (unless otherwise indicated) that smoking outside is allowed.
I’m probably one of the “last smokers” generation in the U.S.—born in ‘78, didn’t smoke until I was 18, and have smoked in varying amounts over the last 20 or so years. Now I smoke only in the evening with cocktails/wine, and before bed. I am very respectful of the wishes of hosts and if I saw “no smoking” signs on the patio or outdoors I would move further away. But I do think it’s over the top to prohibit smoking outdoors. Chainsmokers have largely gone the way of the Dodo, but there is a large population that enjoys a cigarette or two at night with a drink while on vacation. I think most hosts understand this and are chill about it. I would never want to book someplace that was so ultra puritanical about cigarette smoke that it was prohibited outside. As someone else pointed out, we’re *fine* sucking in car and city fumes, but a waft of cigarette smoke sends some people into fits of despair. It’s weird, and frankly stupid, but hey—anybody renting out their property has the right to make their own rules. 
I do wonder how hard the Airbnb marketing technique is going to have to shift (if it can even survive) in the face of an upcoming generation that tends to live with their parents, doesn’t drive, doesn’t drink (much less smoke!), and doesn’t travel (unless they’re with their parents).

[Courtney420]

Also: there really should be a separate thread on this matter for California rentals. Smoking in CA is looked upon as a crime against humanity (I won’t mention at this point how much devastation has been wreaked upon the earth by their insatiable need for yoga wear). East coast US—different story. People might be annoyed by you smoking but they aren’t going to get puritanical about it. 

[Linda3584]

we are trying to plan a stay at AirBNB in Canada how do I check the policy on smoking?  My brother is a smoker, unfortunately

[Sarah977]

@Linda3584  All listings have a house rules section which Airbnb unhelpfully buries at the bottom of the listing info. You need to scroll down to see the house rules section. 

I can tell you though that there are very few Airbnbs which allow indoor smoking. I'm a home share host who is a smoker myself, so I allow smoking, but not indoors. Hosts are not willing to have to spend 2 days trying to remove the odor of cigarette smoke from the home, which can entail washing down the walls, shampooing the furniture, washing the curtains, etc.

I'm not sure if there is a smoking allowed filter that would only show you properties which allow smoking, but even if there is, you  still have to check the house rules, as the filters don't always work as they should.

[Darran6]

I'm quite surprised by a lot of the answers to this. I'd interpret no smoking as meaning no smoking inside, the same as it means everywhere else really. In hotels this means no smoking inside, go outside to smoke. Same in offices, shops, restaurants, bars. Obviously it is up to individual hosts to decide if they want to have stricter rules and to extend that to outdoors, but I think you're setting yourself up for unnecessary stress. If you truly believe smokers smell so bad that it permeates your furniture, you might be in the wrong business. It's not very tolerant. What next? Specifying what food guests can eat?

[Sarah977]

@Darran6  Believe it or not, some hosts do try to dictate what guests cook. Like no curry or fish because it stinks the place up. 

I agree with you on the smoking. Hosts who try to be hard-line, not even permitting smoking outdoors, or providing some outdoor seating for smokers are going to have way more issues than those who are more tolerant.

I do understand though, that some places retain odors more than others and that even a faint smell of cigarette smoke makes some people feel ill (ex-smokers are often the worst for this).

I live in the tropics, where doors and windows are always open. I don't have upholstered furniture. Soft furnishings have removeable, washable covers, curtains are on clip rings and  can easily be taken down and washed if necessary. Odors don't linger. 

And many hosts do back-to-back bookings. If they would leave a day between bookings to clean and remove any lingering odors, airing the place out, instead of wanting to wring as much money as possible out of the place and have 100% occupancy, they would find that they don't have nearly as much hosting stress.

[Darran6]

Hi Sarah. Yes, I know, some hosts do specify foods that cannot be cooked, so my tongue was firmly in cheek. I don't agree with it. My view is that when you host, it becomes the guest's home. So we should be reasonably open to minor annoyances. Fundamentally you will send yourself to an early grave with stress if you don't let go of small things. Sounds like we're on the same page!

I set house rules more firm than my acceptable stress level, as I know everyone has different opinions on how exacting rules are. For example my listing is no smoking. I know full well guests might smoke outside the door (which is outside), and maybe off the balcony. It also states STRICTLY no parties, but I accept guests may have a few friends over for drinks. As long as my property is respected, and my neighbours aren't disturbed, I'm happy. 

[Jordan859]

There's a reason we put murderers in prison. The toxic buildup from smoking and the subsequent chemical reaction which is 100x more likely to cause childhood cancer is a pretty good reason to stop smoking all together unless you enjoy being part of the problem in birth defects as well as childhood cancer. 

You know odorless and tasteless things can still kill correct? Maybe some people don't like childhood cancer. You either have a low IQ or are a psychopath to enjoy something with all the warning labels and scientific evidence showing why its wrong.

Ever wonder how some people get lung cancer when they never smoked in their lives? Yeah others polluting the planet to include smoking. You may enjoy it but every time you light up you are basically forcing others who never wanted to smoke to have to deal with your bad decisions. 

You literally have a filter on a cigarette to help protect you from the cigarette. Where do you think all those harmful chemicals are going? They aren't magically disappearing. You are covered in them  and you move around as a buzzing hive of toxic particles that land everywhere hours after you smoked one time. Those particles mix with a compound in the air and become highly toxic for anyone unfortunate enough to touch what you walked past. 100x worse for a child or pregnant woman. Good job. And no rain doesn't wash them away.

[Larry478]

i just went into our condo after a guest left this morning.  Found a soda can with used cigarette butts on the outside porch.  But the smell had wafted into the condo.  I had to have the place aired out specially.

For you hosts, imagine guest #2 comes in after guest #1 has been smoking on your porch and the smell has gotten inside.  there goes your 5 star rating.

that's why no smoking inside nor out