Would you take a smoker who promises to quit?

[Shannon Sadik]

We just closed on a very nice home and are asking a higher rent for it. It's outside of the summer months when this house would typically rent and we have been struggling to find tenants. We have two young men who are our only candidates at this point, and one of them is a construction worker who smokes. I have been very clear that there is no smoking on or near the premises of our house, not even outside, and surprisingly they have agreed to follow this rule and quit smoking as they really like the house. What should I do? Quitting smoking is very hard to do, and not something everyone is able to accomplish. I hope to find a better candidate before they send me all of their application paperwork so I will have a legit reason to tell them we found someone else first, but that may not happen. I know desperation is never a good reason to find a tenant, but several other REI actions hinge upon us getting this home rented. We have listed it everywhere possible and have gone as low on the rent as we can. I thought about implementing a fine system where if I smell smoke or see a cigarette butt, then they get a $50 fine. Or maybe a larger security deposit? What would you do?