Clearing the Air: How Housing Organizations Can Strengthen Smoke-Free Policies with Emerging Detection Technology

For public and affordable housing organizations, maintaining a smoke-free living environment is more than policy compliance. It is about protecting resident health, reducing fire risk, preserving property conditions, and improving the quality of life for everyone in the community.

Many housing providers face a common challenge: enforcing smoke-free policies consistently and fairly.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires public housing agencies to prohibit the use of lit tobacco products in residential units, indoor common areas, administrative offices, and within 25 feet of public housing buildings. HUD implemented this rule to reduce secondhand smoke exposure, lower fire risks, and decrease maintenance costs associated with smoking-related damage.

Despite these requirements, resident complaints about secondhand smoke and odor migration remain a frequent concern. Smoke can travel through vents, hallways, and other shared building spaces, making it difficult to determine when a violation occurred and where it originated.

We spoke with Lee Brown, senior risk control consultant with HAI Group, and Andrew Joubert, account executive with FreshAir, about the emerging technology of smoking detection systems, which are helping housing providers take a more proactive approach to in-unit smoking reduction.

The challenge of smoke-free housing enforcement 

According to Brown, many housing organizations struggle with the practical realities of enforcing smoke-free policies because they have difficulty determining who smoked, when the smoking violation occurred, and where it took place. For years, technology such as smoke detectors, were not designed to pick up the smoking molecules of cigarettes and cannabis, according to Brown, but technology is starting to improve, providing housing organizations with objective information designed to deter smoking and maintain smoke-free communities. 

However, Brown stressed an important distinction. 

“Smoking sensor technology should be viewed as a support tool, not as legal enforcement data,” Brown said. “It can help housing organizations identify potential violations, investigate complaints, and reinforce existing policies, but organizations should always consult legal counsel and follow established enforcement procedures.”

How smoking detection sensor technology works 

^{FreshAir Sensor Device.}

Unlike traditional ionization or photoelectric particle smoke detectors, smoking sensors are designed to detect the molecular signatures associated with actively burning tobacco and marijuana while ignoring common sources of false alarms, such as:

• Steam

• Candles

• Incense

• Cooking smoke 

The sensors continuously monitor indoor air quality within an apartment or unit. When smoking is detected, the system records a time and location-specific event and stores the information, providing property teams with both real-time alerts and a historical record of smoking activity.

Turning subjective complaints into objective information 

One of the biggest challenges facing housing organizations is proving when and where a smoking violation occurred. Traditionally, housing providers have relied on anecdotal evidence, such as:

• Resident complaints

• Odor investigations

• Staff observations

• Property inspections

These approaches often lead to disagreements because they rely on individual observations that may occur long after the smoking event. Smoking sensors help address this challenge by providing objective, timestamped information tied to a specific location. Rather than relying solely on hearsay or lingering odors, housing organizations can work from a documented record of events.

The power of deterrence 

Perhaps the most significant benefit reported by housing providers is not simply the identification of violations. It is preventing them. 

Once residents understand smoking activity can be detected objectively, behavior often changes, according to Joubert. Housing providers such as Hilltop House, Nutfield Heights Senior Center, and the Bessemer and Wakefield Housing Commissions all reported a significant reduction in smoking incidents at their properties after installing FreshAir smoking detection sensors. 

"Once violations can be reliably identified and documented, housing providers are better able to enforce their policies, and residents have a stronger incentive to comply,” Joubert said. “This results in a healthier and more comfortable environment for residents who choose smoke-free housing.”

Protecting properties and budgets

Smoking-related damage can create significant costs for housing providers, extending far beyond resident complaints and health concerns. Unauthorized smoking can lead to expensive odor remediation efforts, deep cleaning and repainting of units, increased turnover costs, property damage, and heightened fire risk.  

These impacts can strain maintenance budgets and increase the operational burden on staff. By using objective detection tools, housing providers may identify smoking incidents earlier, discourage repeat violations, and take a more proactive approach to protecting their properties, reducing costs, and maintaining a healthier living environment for residents.

Funding through HAI Group's Loss Prevention Fund

Housing organizations interested in implementing smoking detection technology may be able to offset costs through HAI Group's Loss Prevention Fund (LPF).

The LPF helps eligible HAI Group members fund projects and technologies designed to reduce risk, improve resident safety, and support loss prevention initiatives. Past recipients have used LPF funding to implement innovative safety programs and emerging technologies focused on risk reduction.

Smoking detection sensors are a technology that may be an eligible project consideration under the program, offering housing organizations an opportunity to explore innovative smoke-free policy compliance without bearing the full financial burden of implementation.

Interested in learning more about LPF funding opportunities? Visit HAI Group's Loss Prevention Fund program page and review current eligibility requirements.