Apartments and short term rentals rules can be a strict – so here is how to chill without getting in trouble
Survey data shows in 2022, 24.7% of millennials said they plan to “always rent” rather than buy a house. Add in AirBnB, VRBO and more and we put our head down in places where other people have a say in what’s goes on in the unit. Apartments became big starting in the beginning of the last century. Mid-price and luxury apartments became popular in London, New York and other major cities and it spread to the other cities.
Living in a condensed area where a resident is immediately surrounded by dozens of neighbors has been known to cause its fair share of trouble over the years. It’s the reason apartment dwellers often receive complaints about noise, pets, and, increasingly, the odor of marijuana. Here are the best ways to consume weed in a rental.
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Even in states where cannabis is legal, consuming weed in an rental situation is just more problematic than in a private residence. In fact, even before you move into most places, being a marijuana user is already stacked against you.
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Most leases and short term rentals have policies against the use of illegal drugs, smoking and disturbing other tenants. Most of the time, these leases do not account for legal weed at the state level. So first, read the rules. It may be necessary to be creative or somewhat clandestine in their cannabis use to keep the peace and reduce the chances of an eviction.
The best way to avoid trouble is to not smoke in the unit. In legal states, a park or somewhere outdoors if the easiest way to avoid leaving the smell in a closed space. Tobacco smokers are very clear of heading outside to enjoy a quick puff.
If you are traveling, you can pop into the neighborhood dispensary and perhaps pick up a vape, gummies or an oil Edibles are always a smart way to go, as they are completely smoke-free. But for those people who prefer to smoke weed rather than eat it, there are more discreet products available leave a lasting smell. Vaporizers offer the smoking experience without the intrusive aroma that sometimes causes neighbors to complain. Even using dabs, which are concentrates, is a better option than burning raw flower. Your neighbors will never even know you smoke weed.
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But if you must smoke marijuana the old fashioned way, you’re going to need to employ a little stoner ingenuity to keep things on the down-low. Remember, unless your lease clearly states marijuana smoking is allowed on the premises, it’s probably not. And the last thing a renter wants is to start getting complaints about the pungent odor of marijuana keeps wafting into the common areas. These grievances might not get you into trouble with the law — at least not in a legal state — but they could get you kicked out.
So, make use of bathroom and kitchen fans, which will suck up the smoke and reduce the smell of marijuana. If in the bathroom, it also doesn’t hurt to turn on a hot shower, since the steam works to diminish odors. This is not full-proof, however, so you might also want to block the bottom of your doors with a towel to keep as much of the smoke as possible from escaping. If an exhaust fan is not available, try keeping your smoke session as far away from the front of the apartment as possible. It also doesn’t hurt to burn candles to mask the odor. Some longtime marijuana users even swear by a product called Ozium, which is a spray known to effectively eliminate the skunk.
Fortunately, marijuana smoke is not the same as tobacco smoke. So while consuming weed in this fashion goes against the grain of most leases, the odor of marijuana is not going to linger in the apartment long. Not like it would in a room inhabited by a person who uses cigarettes regularly. This is good news, since breaking the rules of a lease, even if the violation does not lead to eviction, can cause a renter to lose his or her security deposit when the time comes to move someplace new.
Be careful, be thoughtful and enjoy yourself when you chill out.
