California Apartment Association

The Santa Rosa City Council on Tuesday postponed its vote to ban smoking in multifamily residences, opting instead to rework parts of the proposal so that it’s more amenable to the apartment industry.

The council had received numerous letters from local property owners, and a few voiced their concerns at Tuesday’s meeting.

For the past few months, the California Apartment Association, including its North Coast Division, has worked closely with the city to develop an ordinance that balances the needs of rental property owners and the health and safety needs of residents.

CAA believes the ordinance lacks sufficient clarity for rental owners to prove they’ve tried to comply with the law.

CAA believes, however, that the ordinance as drafted lacks sufficient clarity for rental owners to prove they’ve tried to comply with the law. This ambiguity could leave landlords vulnerable to lawsuits.

Besides adding more specifics, CAA asked that the city revise the ordinance to include a 60-day grace period before any smoking restrictions take effect, allowing sufficient time to notify residents, amend house rules, and post proper signage.

More than 15 local rental owners attended the meeting in support of CAA’s requests.

After nearly three hours of public discussion on the proposed ordinance, the council concurred with CAA and its members that more time would be needed to phase in the smoking restrictions. Moreover, the council agreed that the ordinance needs to more clearly outline how a landlord would comply with the regulations.

CAA will continue to work with the city on developing the ordinance and expects the council to consider adopting the smoking ordinance with these revisions in the near future.

Related content:

• CAA: Santa Rosa smoking ordinance needs more work
• Government’s chokehold on smoking (CAA’s Apartment Management magazine)