The Russian Federation has explicitly included shared balconies in residential buildings within the no-smoking area. Violators will face fines ranging from 500 to 1,500 rubles (6 to 19 US dollars). The vice chairman of the Housing and Public Utilities Committee of the State Duma emphasized that such balconies are public Spaces, and residents who smoke in them will be punished according to law.
Key points:
- The Russian authorities have explicitly included the shared balconies of residential buildings in the no-smoking area. Violators will face fines ranging from 500 to 1,500 rubles (6 to 19 US dollars).
- Legal experts point out that smoking in public areas is not only illegal but may also violate fire safety regulations.
- The authorities urge residents to report smoking on their balconies to the police, and law enforcement agencies can handle it according to the law.
Russia includes residential balconies in no-smoking zones
According to Gazeta’s report on May 14th, Sergey Kolunov. The deputy chairman of the Construction and Housing Utilities Committee of the State Duma of Russia said in an interview that, according to current legal provisions, smoking is strictly prohibited in elevators, corridors, lobbies and other public Spaces in residential buildings. Violators will be subject to an administrative fine ranging from 500 to 1,500 rubles (6 to 19 US dollars).
He particularly emphasized that although some residents mistakenly believe that the balcony in the corridor is a private use space, from a legal perspective, this area falls within the scope of public use, and thus, the above-mentioned smoking ban regulations apply. He added that even if residents smoke in their own homes, as long as the smell of smoke affects their neighbors, they can complain about by the neighbors and the police will intervene to handle the situation. The relevant penalties also apply to the act of smoking hookahs in public places.
Alexander Karabanov, an expert in the Russian legal field and a doctor of law, has also publicly stated that if residents feel unwell due to their neighbors smoking on the balcony, they can report it to the police according to law. He pointed out that from the perspective of fire safety, areas such as balconies and corridors are also classified as high-risk areas for causing fires.
