Smoking ban in residential communities

Smoking is not permitted in the common indoor areas of a housing company. The housing company may also prohibit smoking in the common outdoor areas under its control, children's play areas, public balconies, and in the vicinity of entrances and air intakes. In addition, the housing company may apply to the municipality to impose a smoking ban on balconies belonging to apartments, in the interior of apartments, and in outdoor areas used by apartments. The municipality may impose a smoking ban on the requested areas if it is possible, other than as an exception, for cigarette smoke to travel through structures to another apartment or its balcony and its travel to the premises of another apartment cannot be prevented.

The housing company decides on the application for an official ban by majority vote. A hearing must be arranged for the owners of the apartments whose apartments will be affected by the ban. The Finnish Association of Property Management and Real Estate Associations and Valvira have published for housing companies instruction applying for smoking bans.

The application for a smoking ban in a housing association is submitted to the Hamina Health Supervision Unit with attachments. The supervision unit will hear from the parties concerned, if necessary, and, if necessary, make an assessment of the transmission of tobacco smoke under normal circumstances, taking into account the building's structures. The supervisory authority will make the assessment mainly on the basis of the application and its attachments. If necessary, the supervisory authority may request additional explanations or visit to check the situation before making a decision. The imposed smoking ban will be notified to the applicant, those affected by the decision, and generally.

A fee is charged for processing a smoking ban application based on the working hours spent processing the permit application. The hourly rate is specified in the rate approved by the Hamina Permit Committee.

For more information:

Health inspector Tuula Tikerpuu tel. 0400 268 633

Health inspector Harri Julkunen tel. 040 551 0016