Client Story: Nutfield Heights - First Realty Management
HUD senior center apartments install FreshAir Smoking Sensors to prevent and prove tobacco and marijuana smoking
Property Type:
HUD Senior Housing
Apartments
Location:
Derry, NH
Size:
80 units
Challenges
- Lack of evidence to follow through on property’s no-smoking policy
- Complaints from residents about smoking in nearby apartments
Solution
- FreshAir Smoking Detection devices in all apartments
- Monitoring in apartments for tobacco and marijuana smoking with FreshAir Smoking Sensors
- Notification with timestamped, scientific proof of smoking in a specific apartment
Results
- Reduced smoking in apartments
- Fewer complaints from residents about unwanted, nearby smoking and false accusations of smoking in their smoke-free apartments
- Documented record of smoking incidents with FreshAir Smoking Alerts (both printed and online archive)
- Deterred future smoking
“Once alerted, we print off the report and meet with the resident. If it’s the first time, we give them a lease violation letter and let them know if it happens again, we would move forward with an eviction.”
In-Depth Review
Property Manager Christine Schmid with First Realty Management’s Nutfield Heights Senior Center had trouble enforcing the no-smoking policy. Without physical evidence of tobacco or marijuana smoking, her team could not prevent or prove unauthorized smoking.
Schmid needed proof to stop unwanted smoking and deter future smoking. First Realty Management installed FreshAir Smoking Detection devices in all of its apartments at Nutfield Heights.
FreshAir devices include patented smoking sensors and 24×7 molecular monitoring for tobacco and marijuana smoking. FreshAir Sensor provides the only technology available to specifically monitor for, immediately detect, and scientifically prove the presence of combusted tobacco and marijuana.
“Initially, the residents weren’t happy about us putting the devices in their apartments. However, most residents now like the devices because they prove that they are not smoking. It’s really only the residents that violate their lease that don’t like the devices in their units.”
FreshAir Smoking Sensors bind only with specific molecules that are present when someone is actively smoking tobacco or marijuana. The sensors are not fooled by candles, cooking, incense, dust, pollen, steam, or other sources.
When managers at Nutfield Heights receive FreshAir Smoking Alerts, they have timestamped proof of smoking in a specific monitored space in an apartment. “FreshAir gives us the evidence needed to follow through with our no-smoking procedure when someone is smoking in their apartment,” said Schmid.
Schmid’s team leverages the FreshAir Smoking Alert Reports to communicate smoking violations and reiterate no-smoking procedures. “Once alerted, we print off the report and meet with the resident,” said Schmid. “If it’s the first time, we give them a lease violation letter and let them know if it happens again, we would move forward with eviction.”
Because each FreshAir Smoking Alert serves as scientific proof that smoking occurred, Schmid can confidently deal with unauthorized smoking according to their no-smoking procedure.
FreshAir Smoking Detection System with molecular monitoring has deterred residents from smoking in their units. “Most of our residents (who are non-smokers) really appreciate the FreshAir devices because they pinpoint the exact location of smoking,” added Schmid. “Residents who smoke can no longer smoke inside their apartments without getting caught.”
Successful enforcement of their no-smoking policy with FreshAir Smoking Sensors means that Nutfield Heights sees fewer smoking violations and unauthorized smoking incidents.
Property management companies like First Realty Management need proof of smoking in order to follow through with no-smoking policies.
As the only technology available which scientifically proves the presence of combusted tobacco or marijuana, FreshAir Smoking Detection offers an effective solution for property managers like Christine Schmid.
At Nutfield Heights Senior Center, FreshAir Smoking Sensors reduce unauthorized smoking and help maintain a cleaner, healthier, and safer property for their residents and staff.
“FreshAir Sensor gives us the evidence needed to follow through with our no-smoking procedure when someone is smoking in their apartment.”
In one case, after receiving an alert that a guest was smoking in her room, hotel security immediately went to the room, confronted the guest and verified the smoking. Before she had even unpacked her bag, the hotel charged the cleaning fee and asked her to leave. The room was cleaned and booked for another guest less than an hour after the first (evicted) guest checked in. That night, the hotel more than tripled its revenue for that one room by booking it twice and claiming the $500 cleaning fee. If the original guest had continued to smoke throughout the night, that room could have been closed for cleaning for days and nearby guests could have been displeased and disturbed.
After six months of using FreshAir Sensor, the hotel has substantially decreased smoking complaints from guests. Even with this reduction, the hotel is still catching 50-60 smokers per month, adding over $20,000 per month in additional revenue.