San Diego, CA — May 2025 — The Policy Research Center for Tobacco and the Environment, a partnership between SAY San Diego and San Diego State University, has released a new report, California Homebuyers Want Protection from Tobacco Smoke Residue. The study reviews California’s current real estate disclosure documents and highlights a major gap: sellers are not required to disclose the presence of tobacco smoke residue, also known as thirdhand smoke, in homes.
“We were pleased to learn that members of the California Association of REALTORS® are already asking sellers to disclose the tobacco use history of a home, even though this is not required by the California law. Their efforts are commendable.” said Dr. Georg Matt, Director of the Policy Research Center, “But, only about half of California’s real estate agents are members of the Association of REALTORS®. That means only half of real estate agents are asking sellers to disclose tobacco smoke in the homes they are selling, leaving buyers uninformed about this hazard.”
Survey results presented in the report show overwhelming support for stronger disclosure requirements:
- 96% of California residents want to know if a home contains tobacco smoke residue.
- 91% of real estate agents support mandatory disclosure.
- 73% of real estate agents support adding tobacco smoke residue to the state’s Residential Environmental Hazards Guide.
The report urges policymakers to address this disclosure gap to protect buyers and strengthen California’s housing market. “We’ve known since 2021 that California residents overwhelmingly support disclosure, even people who use tobacco or vape,” noted Dr. Lydia Greiner, Co-Director of the Policy Research Center. “Our new results show that real estate professionals also support disclosure and education of home buyers about pollution from tobacco smoke residue.”
Contact:
Policy Research Center for Tobacco and the Environment
Dr. Georg Matt