title: Landlord attitudes and behaviors regarding smoke-free policies: implications for voluntary policy change.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study purpose was to describe multiunit landlord attitudes and behaviors toward smoke-free policies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey of multiunit landlords in Douglas County (N=392).
  
  
  METHODS
  A 25-item survey was developed and pilot tested. It was administered by telephone (n=143) and mail (n=249) to multiunit landlords.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Combined response rate was 30.1% (81/143 telephone, 37/249 mail) representing 24,080 units on 974 properties with 34,399 tenants. Most respondents (73.7%) allowed smoking. Reasons for not implementing smoke-free policies were potential enforcement problems (57.0%), tenant objections (43.0%), loss of market share (39.5%). Respondents without smoke-free policies expected vacancy (53.6%) and turnover (50.0%) rates to increase, which was significantly different (p <.0001) than respondents with smoke-free policies where only 10.7% reported increased vacancy and only 3.7% reported increased turnover.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expected adverse impacts of smoke-free policies do not reflect real experiences of smoke-free policy implementation. Public health advocates can use these study findings to develop community-based education and social marketing messages directed at voluntary smoke-free policy changes. Respondents without smoke-free policies expressed interest at the end of the survey in learning how to implement smoke-free policies indicating a readiness for change.
authors.affiliation: Community-based Health Department, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing and College of Public Health, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. mecramer@unmc.edu
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009329:Nebraska; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution