{"id":16057,"date":"2021-12-02T16:04:30","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T00:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentecdirect.com\/blog\/?p=16057"},"modified":"2021-12-02T16:04:31","modified_gmt":"2021-12-03T00:04:31","slug":"liability-issues-for-landlords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentecdirect.com\/blog\/liability-issues-for-landlords\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Liability Issues for Landlords"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Common<\/a><\/p>\n

As is the case with anyone who owns a property, a landlord will have some degree of liability for their rental units. If you aren\u2019t careful, you may find yourself on the receiving end of an insurance claim. One of the biggest factors that establishes who the liable or criminal party is, is negligence. This is especially relevant when it comes to injuries, but is a factor in almost all common liability issues.<\/p>\n

Criminal Activity<\/h2>\n

While not entirely the responsibility of the landlord, it is at least partly your responsibility to protect your tenants from criminal activity. This is especially true if crimes had occurred in the area before that the landlord was aware of, yet did not take the appropriate precautions. There have been cases where landlords have been sued by tenants for failing to take reasonable steps to protect them against crime.<\/p>\n

Landlords are also liable if their tenants are the ones participating in criminal activity. Along with being sued for public nuisance, landlords can receive fines and criminal penalties for failing to protect their neighborhood. This is particularly relevant if the landlord was completely aware of their tenant\u2019s actions. If criminal activity had previously occurred on the landlord\u2019s property, then their liability would increase.<\/p>\n

Breach of Habitability<\/h2>\n

To determine if there is a breach of habitability, look at the lease. Landlords are responsible for the structural elements of the rental unit and common areas. If situations such as a vermin or mold infestation occur and the lease stated that the landlord was responsible for preventing those situations, then they can be held liable if a tenant makes a claim. A landlord that doesn\u2019t correctly look after their rental unit could also find themselves in a situation that leads to an injury for their tenants.<\/p>\n

Injuries for Tenants<\/h2>\n

If one of your tenants gets injured on your property, there is the possibility of liability for that injury<\/a>. However, to be held responsible for it, your negligence in maintaining the property must have caused the injury. According to Nolo<\/a>, there are several details that need to be proven in order to make the landlord liable.<\/p>\n