What is a smoke-free lease addendum?
A smoke-free addendum adds a clear no-smoking rule to an existing lease. A vague line about smoking in the main lease often leads to arguments about vaping, balconies or guests; a separate addendum spells it out and makes a breach a breach of the lease.
This template lets you choose whether vaping counts, and whether the ban covers only the inside of the home, indoor shared areas too, or the whole property and grounds. You can add a designated smoking area. It makes the tenant responsible for household members and guests, sets a written-warning cure period, covers the reasonable cost of removing smoke residue and odour, and leaves room for rights the law gives in relation to disability or medical treatment.
- Best for
- Adding a no-smoking rule to a new or existing residential lease
- Signed by
- Landlord and tenant, initialled on every page
- Choices
- Vaping in or out; indoors only, indoors plus shared areas, or the whole property
- Length
- 2 pages
When to Use a smoke-free lease addendum
- Turning a building smoke-free as leases come up for renewal
- A new tenancy where the lease says nothing specific about vaping
- Recording a designated outdoor smoking spot away from doors and windows
- Following up after smoke complaints from neighbours
- Protecting a newly redecorated unit from smoke damage
What You Fill In
13 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: landlord, tenant.
1 The lease
- Date of this addendum*
- Landlord or managing agent*
- Tenant name(s)*
- Address of the rented property*
- Date of the lease*
2 The rules
- Smoke-free rules start on*
- What counts as smoking* tobacco, cannabis and any other substance in cigarettes, cigars, pipes or hookahs, and electronic cigarettes and vaping devices · tobacco, cannabis and any other substance in cigarettes, cigars, pipes or hookahs, but not electronic cigarettes or vaping devices
- Where smoking is banned* inside the Property and on its balconies, patios, decks, garden and grounds, and in any shared areas of the building · inside the Property and in any shared indoor areas of the building, but not in the outdoor areas of the Property · inside the Property only
- Designated smoking area (optional)
3 Breach
- Days to stop after a written warning*
- Currency*
- Typical cost of smoke remediation (optional)
- Governing law*
4 Who signs
- Landlord signature and date, initials on every page · The landlord or the managing agent who signs leases for the landlord.
- Tenant signature and date, initials on every page · The tenant. If several tenants are on the lease, name them all above and send a copy to each one to sign, or check that the lease lets one tenant agree for all.
What the smoke-free lease addendum Covers
- Purpose
- What counts as smoking
- The smoke-free rule
- Landlord's part
- Breach
- Medical and legal use
- General
Using the smoke-free lease addendum, step by step
1 Link it to the lease
Enter the landlord, tenant, property address and the date of the existing lease, plus the date the smoke-free rule starts.
2 Decide what counts and where
Choose whether e-cigarettes and vaping are included, and how far the ban reaches — inside only, inside plus shared indoor areas, or the balconies, garden and grounds too. Add a designated smoking area if there is one.
3 Set the breach process
Set the number of days the tenant has to stop after a written warning. Optionally give a typical remediation cost for information; the tenant pays the actual reasonable cost.
4 Send for signature
Add the governing law, check the preview and send it to the tenant. Both sides initial each page and sign at the end.
Tips Before You Send It
- If the tenant already lives there, check whether local law lets you add a smoking ban mid-tenancy or requires notice first.
- Pair the addendum with a move-in condition report and dated photos, so smoke damage can be told apart from what was already there.
- Apply the same rule to every new lease in the building — a ban that covers only some units is harder to explain.
- Keep the signed addendum with the lease in Files so both are easy to find at renewal.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Smoke-free lease addendum: frequently asked questions
Does the ban cover vaping and cannabis?
You choose. The default covers tobacco, cannabis and other substances in cigarettes, cigars, pipes and hookahs, plus e-cigarettes and vaping devices. A second option leaves vaping out.
Can I charge the tenant for smoke damage?
The addendum says the tenant pays the reasonable cost of cleaning, repainting or replacing items to remove smoke residue or odour caused by a breach, beyond normal wear and tear. Deducting it from the deposit is allowed only as the lease and local law permit.
Does it guarantee a smoke-free building?
No. The landlord agrees to apply the rule to new leases and deal reasonably with complaints, but the addendum states plainly that the landlord cannot control neighbours or passers-by.
Is an e-signed lease addendum valid?
Electronic signatures are generally accepted for ordinary agreements like a lease addendum in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, though local rules can add requirements. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.