The Maryland Condominium Act regulates the management of condominiums in Maryland. Under the Act, bylaws may contain restrictions on or requirements respecting the use and maintenance of the units and the common elements. Any rule or regulation properly adopted by the council of unit owners or its designee is binding on residents of the condominium, whether they apply to common areas, individual units, or both. Condominium rules regulating the use of individual units are common. Some frequently cited examples include restrictions on owning pets and creating loud noise or other nuisances. Courts have recognized such restrictions as reasonable, citing potentially offensive odors, noise, clean-up and maintenance problems, and possible health hazards.
The Maryland Condominium Act can be found here.
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office has concluded that a condominium board may regulate smoking in individual units as well as common areas, so long as the bylaws do not forbid such rules. “It is my view that a rule barring smoking in individual units would be reasonable, at least in cases where the smoke seeps out to the common areas or to other units. Thus, it meets the test set both in § 11-109(d)(2) and the case law. Moreover, it seems clear that such a rule would bear a relationship to the health of the residents of the condominium, both in the avoidance of secondhand smoke and by reducing the risk of fire. As a result, it is my view that current law permits condominium boards to adopt rules prohibiting smoking in condominium units, unless such a rule would be inconsistent with the bylaws for that condominium.”
Attorney General’s Office Condominium Letter
A condominium, by definition, is a communal form of estate in property consisting of individually owned units which are supported by collectively held facilities and areas. In exchange for the benefits of owning property in common, condominium owners agree to be bound by rules governing the administration, maintenance, and use of the property. In Ridgely Condominium Association v. Smyrnioudis, 343 Md. 357, 359, (1996) the Maryland Court of Appeals, recognized this arrangement, stating that “inherent in the condominium concept is the principle that to promote the health, happiness, and peace of mind of the majority … each unit owner must give up a certain degree of freedom of choice which he might otherwise enjoy in separate, privately owned property.”
Please use the resources under the Landlord and Tenant tracks to learn more about why and how you can implement a smoke-free policy.