England - if you want to rent a place to live then it's time to quit smoking..

September 3, 2010 - A new survey published on Easyroommate.co.uk, has revealed that 38% of the landlords do not tolerate smoking and would not allow their tenants to smoke in their properties, whereas only 7% of the landlords would give their properties to a smoker, or allow the tenant to smoke at their dwelling.

The survey found a strong shift in attitude against smoking tenants among landlords following the smoking ban introduced in July 2007. Jonathan Moore, the director of Easyroommate.co.uk, said: “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 since the ban. Smoker-friendly accommodation has been squeezed as a result.

“Since its introduction, many landlords who were a little more tolerant previously have subsequently turned their flats into smoke-free zones. All the signs show that the clamp down is only going to get worse.”

The number of smokers has fallen by a quarter in the past decade, but an estimated 200,000 young people start smoking every year. More than 80,000 deaths are attributed to smoking ever year, costing the NHS almost £3 billion a year.

Smoking remains the main cause of preventable disease and premature death in the UK. About 8.5 million people still smoke in England today, and over 80,000 deaths a year are due to smoking in England alone. That is why the Government White Paper Choosing Health: Making healthier choices easier, (building on the 1998 White Paper Smoking Kills), promised new action to tackle tobacco.

The Department's tobacco programme is split into six 'strands', which each contribute to the overall reduction in smoking. Since 1998 adult smoking rates in England have fallen from 28 percent in 1998 to 21 percent in 2008 - a fall of nearly 2.5 million. These are the lowest smoking rates in England on record.

Department of Health - Tobacco

Mr Moore added: “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 accommodations.

References: According to a Survey, Smokers Are Not Accepted Anymore submitted by Barinder Khatra, TOPNEWS.co.uk, 09/02/2010; Smokers barred from renting a home More than 90 per cent of smokers are barred from renting a property, new figures have suggested. by Myra Butterworth, Personal Finance Correspondent, Telegraph.co.uk, 9/1/2010.
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