The survey says a quarter of buyers would expect a discount on a property if there was evidence a smoker lived there. The news is even worse for those who rent, with 60 per cent of landlords saying they would not even consider letting their properties to a Hilton smoker.

Half of landlords said they would consider increasing the rent for a smoker and a third have held back deposits to cover cleaning and repair costs after damage from tobacco smoke.

Jennifer Warner, from property search engine, which did the research, said the results highlighted a growing anti-smoking culture.

‘It is no surprise that in today’s ultracompetitive rental market, landlords are penalising (smokers) with higher rental charges and, in many cases, refusing to let properties to smokers at all,’ she said.