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Smokers facing housing crisis across the UK

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Catherine Deshayes

As if the cost, the smell and the constant need for breath mints wasn't enough of an incentive to stop lighting up, maybe new research revealing the difficulty smokers have finding rental properties will do it...

Something new is drifting over the rooftops of the UK - and this time it isn't cigarette smoke, but rather the growing intolerance of landlords towards smokers.

According to new research from Easyroommate.co.uk, landlords are increasingly unwilling to let their properties to smokers, citing smells and danger of house fires as the main reasons why.

Three years on from the smoking ban, only seven per cent of landlords are happy to let people smoke in their properties. The research showed that 340,000 landlords would kick out tenants on the spot if they lit up a cigarette indoors - whether in shared areas or not.

Across the UK, over 10 million adults smoke and the 580,000 UK smokers who depend on flatsharing for their accommodation could soon be finding it tough to land a rental pad. Currently, 67 per cent of them are living in non-smoking accommodation and with space for only 194,000 smokers in flatshare accommodation across the UK, 387,000 smokers are being left out in the cold.

Jonathan Moore, the director of Easyroommate.co.uk sayd, "With smoking in pubs and restaurants off the cards, the last refuge for smoking - at home - is being eroded now, too.

"There's been a strong shift in attitudes towards smoking, and the tolerance levels of smokers since the smoking ban. Smoker-friendly accommodation has been squeezed as a result.

"Young First time buyers - the most likely smokers- are finding it harder than ever to get on the property ladder. That's particularly bad news for smokers.

"Thousands of smokers are unable to buy their own homes to smoke in, and are reliant on private renting and flatsharing. They are finding it harder than ever to find suitable accommodation," added Mr Moore.

Smokers are now such unpopular flatmates that more than a third of them admit to lying about their habit to secure a room in a flatshare. The situation is so bad that 32 per cent of smokers would consider giving up smoking in order to secure their dream property. Only 19 per cent of the flatmate population are happy to share with smokers.

Jonathan Moore concludes, "Renters looking for new properties don't just have to consider what they want from the flat.

"Potential flatmates must think about a landlord's requirements too. And with public opinion so anti-smoking, the temptation is there for some to try and hide the fact they smoke to secure their ideal flat. For others, it can be an added push to quit cigarettes for good. But one thing is clear. It is becoming more and more tricky for smokers to find landlords who won't raise an eyebrow when they light up a cigarette," he added.

Check out homes for sale across the UK at http://www.themovechannel.co.uk/property/england/

Picture by superfantastic

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