Florida Apartment Association Partners with Tobacco Free Florida to Offer Smoke-Free Multifamily Housing Program
Orlando, FL (PRWEB) October 13, 2015 -- An increasing number of Florida’s apartment residents are looking for smoke-free communities, and the Florida Apartment Association (FAA) has partnered with the Florida Department of Health and its Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida to help apartment communities meet the demand.
The FAA Smoke-Free Multifamily Housing Program launched last week at the organization’s 2015 Annual Conference & Trade Show at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. Representatives of FAA and Tobacco Free Florida provided information and resources on smoke-free housing policies to some of the 800-plus conference attendees representing approximately 200 apartment management companies and multifamily communities across the state. In addition, FAA launched a certification program to recognize communities that have made the commitment to be smoke-free.
“Many renters are looking for smoke-free communities,” Josh Gold, FAA executive vice president said at the conference opening session. More than 83 percent of adults in Florida do not smoke, he added, and four out of five of them want to live in a smoke-free community. In addition to meeting demand, smoke-free policies are good business, Gold said. Readying a smoke-free apartment for the next resident takes considerably less time and money than cleaning an apartment that has been smoked in.
FAA decided to certify communities that make the commitment to be smoke-free because “we believe that clean air is an amenity worth telling the world about.”
Communities can become certified at one of three levels: blue, silver, and gold. The levels convey whether smoking is prohibited inside apartments and indoor common areas; in all indoor spaces and within 25 feet of buildings and amenities, including on balconies; or throughout the entire community.
Communities will be required to submit an application along with a copy of their lease or rental agreement that restricts smoking by residents and guests, as well as a handbook or contract that restricts smoking by staff members. For FAA member communities that use the Florida Lease (also known as the FAA Click & Lease powered by Blue Moon Software), a no-smoking addendum is already available as part of the lease package.
Many newer apartment communities are smoke-free from the beginning. For existing communities that would like to become smoke-free, the Florida Department of Health offers assistance through Tobacco Free Florida and through regional representatives known as “grantees.” Grantees in 37 Florida counties help apartment communities develop and implement smoke-free policies and connect residents to smoking cessation programs. Tobacco Free Florida is currently aware of more than 1,000 multifamily communities throughout the state that have smoke-free living options and has assisted 127 of those properties in the implementation of their smoke-free polices.
For more information, visit faahq.org/smoke_free_housing.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
The Florida Apartment Association is a federation of associations representing and advocating the interests of the Florida multifamily rental housing industry.
Since 1971, the Florida Apartment Association has worked to ensure high property management standards and resident satisfaction and safety in Florida. Volunteer leaders from throughout the state meet quarterly to discuss issues and challenges facing the multifamily housing sector.
As a federation, FAA serves as an umbrella organization linking 11 independent local associations. The FAA and the local associations also provide professional development, networking, and other opportunities for multifamily housing professionals.
FAA represents more than 515,000 apartment homes in Florida. Constituencies include apartment communities new and old, urban and rural, luxury and affordable, privately developed and state tax-assisted, large management companies and small individual owners, assisted living facilities for seniors and corporate housing for busy businesspeople. FAA does not represent condominiums, hotels, motels, and other transient housing. In addition, it is purely a voluntary organization: Not all apartment owners, particularly small individual owners and geographical areas remote from the main city centers, are members of FAA.
Local associations have their own independent boards of directors and activities. FAA and each local association also belong to the National Apartment Association.
Laureen Crowley, Florida Apartment Association, +1 (407) 960-2910, [email protected]
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