Chicago, Illinois - tenants in apartment building given one-year to quit smoking..

January 5, 2011 - Tenants at Kingsbury Plaza, an apartment building in River North, had a New Year's resolution made for them by management firm The Habitat Co. this year: Quit smoking. Or move. Kingsbury opened three years ago. Today, about 15 percent of its tenants are smokers. Last fall, a survey at the 420-unit building, which is 96 percent occupied, showed a concern about second-hand smoke. Penalties at Kingsbury will include a $350 fine for a first violation and eviction for the second violation.

Kingsbury on Jan. 1 began a yearlong transition to becoming a smoke-free building. If successful, Habitat, which manages more than 3,300 market-rate apartments in eight Chicago buildings, may apply it to other properties, said Gary Lundemo, Kingsbury's property supervisor.

Directly related news brief:
January 3, 2011 - Chicago - smoke-free apartment and condominium buildings are becoming the wave of the future..

Several high-rise apartments that opened in downtown Chicago during the past two years have marketed themselves as smoke-free residences catering to affluent, white-collar professionals. Few existing buildings have adopted a smoke-free stance, but the demand for apartments this year is expected to lead to higher rents and, perhaps, more experimentation with building policies.

One-third of people would be willing to pay more to live in a smoke-free building, according to a survey completed in November by the Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project.

Reference: Highrise warns: quit smoking or leave Kingsbury Plaza plans fine for 1st violation, eviction for second by Mary Ellen Podmolik, Tribune reporter, Chicago Tribune, 1/5/2011.