u/Fair_Recording_2383

Hello! I recently had an issue with my current apartment where the landlord took a photo of my ashtray outside of our non-smoking building. I apologized immediately and removed it, with photo evidence. I’ve been a good tenant otherwise, paying rent on time, no noise complaints, etc. I’m not 100% sure that they’ll make a note of it because I’ve been a good tenant otherwise and stopped the behavior promptly.

I’m moving into a new apartment soon and am wondering what I should do when applying. Should I email along with the application and let them know the situation in case my current landlord did make a note of it? (pro: honesty, con: if landlord did not make a note, outing myself for smoking when prohibited) Or is it better to not say anything unless the new landlord asks about the situation? I worry that a new landlord would deny my application immediately after seeing an incident with smoking without asking more about the situation. (pro: note on smoking might not even come up, con: if it does they might deny my application)

My partner and I rent an apartment in California. She is a smoker, and I will occasionally smoke. We live in a small complex, and had some chairs set up in an open porch outside of our door with an ashtray. Smoking is prohibited on our lease, but nobody is living in the apartment next door to us, and our other neighbors also smoke, just without an ashtray.

I received a photo with the chairs and ashtray yesterday from my landlord with an ask to remove them immediately, stating that a prospective renter from the vacant apartment next door decided not to rent due to the ashtray. This was not a formal cure or quit letter since it was in text form, but could be interpreted the same way. I texted back and immediately removed it, with photo evidence.

I have about 1 month left of renting here on a lease and wanted to do a single additional month, and then will be moving. I absolutely won’t be smoking again on the property since I can’t risk eviction. Should I be worried about any legal trouble? Or is the only risk I have now due to the fact that they have a photo of an ashtray and can charge for a repaint/cleaning upon move out (despite it not smelling like anything). Is it worth it to just submit a notice to move after the lease is up and skip the additional month of month-to-month rent?