While Unipol tenancies do not explicitly forbid smoking or vaping in your room, there are a few things you need to consider.

Firstly, if you have been allocated your room by your university, you might be subject to their ‘No Smoking Policy’. Most universities do not allow smoking or vaping on their campus or accommodations and therefore smoking or vaping in your room could mean that you are in breach of this policy. If you are found to be smoking or vaping, Unipol can report you to your university and further actions may be taken. If you are not sure whether your university’s policy applied to you, please get in touch with your Housing Manager.

If you have signed for your accommodation through Unipol you can smoke or vape in your room, with the door shut and windows open. We must not be able to tell that you have smoked or vaped. When Unipol carry out an inspection, we must not be able to smell any smoke or see any litter caused by smoking.

You are not permitted to smoke or vape in the communal areas. In Clause 8.1 of your Tenancy Agreement, it states:

Smoking indoors in the shared parts of that building or complex is illegal, and smokers breaking the law can be charged with a fixed penalty of £50, or fines up to £200.

Smoking is a contentious issue and can cause divides between co tenants, so it is good to discuss and agree some ground rules early on.

If a flat mate is smoking or vaping and it is bothering you, the best approach is to speak to them directly in the first instance. Even if smoking or vaping is allowed in the property, compromises can be made, such as standing in an open doorway.

If it is obvious to Unipol that you have been smoking or vaping, the room would need to be ‘de-fogged’. This is a cleansing process that is used to remove smell and residue from smoking. The carpets and curtains would also require a deep clean. The total cost of the cleaning would be over £100 per room and would be recharged to the tenant(s) involved.

If you are interested in giving up smoking or vaping, you can read this article from Cancer Research UK or contact Tenancy Support on tenancysupport@unipol.org.uk