Title: Why Landlords are Liable for the Personal Injuries of Tenants
Headings: Why Landlords are Liable for the Personal Injuries of Tenants
Why Landlords are Liable for the Personal Injuries of Tenants
Liability 101
What Exactly Could I Be Held Liable For?
Preventing Personal Injuries of Tenants
Does “Negligence” Apply to Me?
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Content: Does “Negligence” Apply to Me? Currently, the law of negligence means that you’re responsible to protect your tenant from foreseeable third-party criminal assaults. For example, if a tenant is raped on the apartment complex’s grounds, can he or she sue you? If you had a similar incident happen in the past but didn’t inform him or her, he or she can definitely pursue a case against you. You’ll want to take the necessary security precautions such as warning your tenants about the past incident to ensure vigilance, changing the locks, or installing security cameras around your property. In Texas, a landlord must rekey a unit between tenancies ( Title 8, Chapter 92.156)
Whatever the case, your tenant will have to prove that his or her injuries were a direct result from your negligence and that more security precautions could have prevented the third party criminal assault. Build a List of Lawyers
Even if you’re not currently being sued, it is a smart idea to build a connection with a few different types of lawyers (i.e. real estate, personal injury, landlord-tenant) just incase you ever need them. photo credit: Steven Burke via cc
Topics: Leases & Legal, Maintenance & Renovations, Property Management
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