Can I Vape in a No Smoking Apartment?

Are you allowed to vape in a no-smoking zone? The short answer is no, but there’s a lot more involved in this question. You have to consider the legal implications, the effects on those around you, potential building damage, and whether people will know that you’re vaping.

In this article, we will deal with these issues comprehensively and give you all the answers. That way, the next time someone asks you, ‘Can I vape in a no-smoking apartment?’, you’ll have a logical response and a basis to calmly talk them out of it. Let’s get down to business!

Can I Vape in a No Smoking Apartment?

What Are No-Smoking Zones?

In the olden days, you could smoke anywhere and nobody would ask you anything. But these days, smoking in a no-smoking zone can lead to an expensive fine and a court charge. Why? When you smoke, the people around you can get affected by the fumes. This happens even when they’re not smoking themselves. These residual fumes are called second-hand smoke.

For this reason, many public spaces have official smoking zones which are loudly labeled. It gives non-smokers the option of avoiding those areas and dodging the damage of second-hand smoke while still allowing smokers to enjoy their favorite hit. Smoking zones are often outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Since 1988, many countries prohibit indoor smoking.

What about no-smoking apartments? Many landlords and landladies won’t let you smoke inside the house for several reasons. The smoke can get into the air vents and affect other tenants, but the tar and stains from tobacco can also get into walls and furniture. After years of exposure, it’s almost impossible to get rid of that smell and that yellowing effect on walls.

This kind of damage can affect property values, and it might discourage future tenants, so many landlords have a strict no-smoking policy. They might enforce these rules through smoke alarms, internal ventilation systems, and random spot checks. But how does this affect vapes? Well, vapes are often considered to be healthier than regular tobacco products.

Vapes Can Be Safer than Cigarettes

Vapes don’t burn like cigarettes do, and they use nicotine without the other components in a typical cigarette. This means they’re not as toxic to your system, though they do have certain suspect chemicals. Vapes are also a good way to quit your tobacco habit. But vapes look like smoke, and the fumes are denser and thicker than cigarettes. It’s a huge part of their appeal.

The amount of ‘smoke’ is a crucial factor when you’re asking, ‘Can I vape in a no-smoking apartment?‘ This is because the plumes from your vape can still trigger the smoke alarm, so you could still get in trouble with your landlord. In a no-smoking apartment, vaping could mess up your lease and leave you in a fix although vapes don’t damage the walls or cause a stink.

You might think you can sneak past this problem by vaping minty flavors that neighbors and landlords won’t recognize. But even if they can’t smell it, some smoke detectors can still sell you out, and it’s not a good idea to dismantle them since you’ll need one in case of an actual fire. So while vapes are safer for indoor inhaling, your lease still doesn’t permit your habit.

Can Smoke Alarms Detect Vaping?

Older smoke detectors recognize smoke from cigarettes, pipes, short circuits, burnt food, or open flames, not the vapor from vapes. But some apartments have air quality monitors that easily spot vape fumes. Newer photoelectric smoke alarms emit infrared light, so if vapor gets into the light, the alarm rings. Other smoke detectors have ionizers built into them.

These ionizers react to any particle that’s denser than air, so the particulates from your vape could easily turn them on. Finally, heat-sensitive smoke detectors respond to temperature changes. A vape won’t usually activate them, but if you’re vaping for an extended period, the room could get a little stuffy, especially if you’re sub-ohming, since it produces warmer hits.

That said, these heat-based smoke alarms detect the high heat from a fire, so they’re unlikely to get triggered by your vape. It could still happen though, so heads up. Also, in apartments with no-smoking policies, the neighbors will probably report you if they get the slightest hint that you’re vaping. After all, they specifically chose to live in a building without smokers…

The Side Effects of Vaping Indoors

Remember that vaping indoors affects you as well! If you’ve watched any old movies (or watched reality shows featuring wealthy people), you’ll notice they regularly wear a smoking jacket. This isn’t just a fashion statement. They wear the jacket on top of their clothing to prevent the covered fabric from soaking up the smell. But it still gets into their skin and hair.

Scent is particulate, which means a smell is basically a collection of microscopic particles. When you inhale perfume, essential oils, or even garbage, you’re taking tiny pieces of that item into your system. So even with vapes, you’re getting a little PG, VG, nicotine, and flavor on your skin, clothes, and lungs. Vaping outdoors spreads and dilutes these bits.

When you vape in an enclosed space, you’re essentially hot boxing. The hits may be stronger but the effects will be heightened as well. That could be a benefit if you enjoy the enhanced effect. But when you finally open a door or window, the residue will spread so you could still get into hassles. Plus, the extra scent particles will soak into your furniture, rugs, and drapes.

As a result, anyone who visits your apartment, even after a few days, can still tell you’ve been vaping even if they didn’t know it at the time, and this can cause issues with your lease and your deposit. It’s much more sensible to use a balcony, stroll, or drive to a venue that allows you to vape. The fresh air will do you good, and it will cause far less drama with the landlord.

Look for a Vape-Friendly Environment

These days, multiple states have laws and regulations that are pro-vaping, whether it’s nicotine, THC, or CBD. And if you ask a potential landlord whether it’s okay to vape in their house, they’ll probably say no … and they might take it as a tip-off to your habits as a tenant!

Even if they don’t end up judging you, it’s worth finding an apartment with a liberal policy. It’s less stressful for everyone involved. Also, these housing complexes attract open-minded tenants. In the end, you’ll probably get interesting neighbors that are fun to hang out with.

FAQs About Vaping in a No-Smoking Zone

Can I Vape in a No Smoking Apartment?

Generally speaking, no. Some states have upgraded their no-smoking laws to include vapes. If your building has one of those, vaping has legal implications. But even if your lease doesn’t specifically mention vaping, landlords and neighbors still object to tobacco, BBQs, hookahs, water pipes, shisha, bongs, and vapes. Some buildings have stealth alarms that are quieter. Others are completely silent and are remotely monitored! All that hassle isn’t worth the risk.