Title: Dog Law :: Landlords and Dogs > Landlord Liability for Tenants' Dogs :: DogLaw.HugPug.com
Headings: 
Landlord Liability for Tenants' Dogs
Knowing About and Having Power to Remove the Dog
INJURIES OFF THE LANDLORD'S PROPERTY
Harboring a Tenant's Dog
Endnotes

Content: Obviously, it wouldn't be fair to hold a landlord responsible for a dog he is powerless to control or have removed. For  example, say a landlord buys a building that is already occupied by a tenant  who has both a one-year lease and a dangerous dog. The landlord probably  won't be liable for any injuries the dog causes, because the landlord may  not be able to order the dog removed. But if the tenant has a month-to-month rental agreement, which can be terminated on 30 days' notice, the  landlord who does nothing after finding out the tenant has a dangerous dog
may be liable if the dog later hurts someone. ( Remember, however, that  local laws may restrict a landlord's ability to terminate a rental agreement.) In a North Carolina case, a tenant's two Rottweilers attacked a visitor. The lease gave the landlord the right to demand that the tenant remove his  dog within 48 hours if the landlord decided that it was a nuisance or simply  "undesirable." The court concluded that this provision gave the landlord  control over the tenant's dogs, and he could have eliminated the danger  they posed. 44
A landlord who acquires a potentially dangerous or troublesome dog  along with the property can still take measures to avoid liability and be fair  to the tenants. Eviction may be possible if the dog is a nuisance, or if the  tenants are violating a law that prohibits keeping a dog.