Smoking, dogs, and bedbugs: either one or all of those issues can affect you as a co-op or condo owner. Many residents have experienced a cloud of cigarette smoke in the hallway, the loud bark of a noisy dog in the middle of the night, or even the disgusting sight of a parasitic insect appearing out of the blue. Bad enough on an individual level, these issues are a reflection of larger ones within a building, from quality-of-life concerns to conflicts between neighbors.

And that's why Big Apple CAI and the Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums (CNYC) are co-hosting an event on February 20, "Smoking, Dogs and Bed Bugs: What's a Co-op/Condo to Do?",  to address those issues. According to a press release, the event is part of the Big Apple CAI-CNYC Meetup series, and its purpose is to inform board members and property managers about the latest city guidelines, determine whether they're compliant, and assist them in formulating smoking policies for their properties that conform with the new local law.

Last August, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a bill that prohibits smoking in the common areas of residential buildings with fewer than 10 units (It is already illegal to smoke in residential buildings with 10 or more units). The law is scheduled to go into effect this August.  “This legislation addresses this imbalance, prohibiting smoking in common areas of all multiple dwelling units, regardless of size, thereby extending the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s power to enforce the ban in these buildings,” said Council Member James Vacca in a press release at the time of the bill's signing. 

The presenters at the CAI/CNYC event will also discuss recent legal cases involving smoking, dogs, and bedbugs, and how stakeholders can avoid possible liability. 

Among the presenters scheduled at the meetup include attorney Kenneth R. Jacobs of the New York City law firm Smith, Buss & Jacobs. An expert in condo and co-op law, Jacobs is a board member of the Big Apple chapter of CAI and a contributor to The Cooperator.

“With an August 2018 deadline approaching for instituting smoking polices, it is important for cooperatives and condominiums to consider their policies now,” said CAI in a statement.

Smoking, Dogs and Bed Bugs: What's a Co-op/Condo to Do?, co-sponsored by Big Apple CAI and CNYC, will be held on Tuesday February 20, 7:30 p.m., at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn. Free to shareholders, board members and property managers. RSVP here.