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: If, for example, a dog escapes because of defects  in the landlord's property, the landlord would be liable for off-site  injuries caused by the dog. 46 Some courts, however, have ruled that a  landlord has no duty to prevent injuries to third parties caused by a  tenant's dog off the premises. 47
Harboring a Tenant's Dog
Someone who "keeps" or "harbors" a dog - that is, cares for or exercises  some control over it - is usually treated just like the dog's legal owner when  it comes to liability for injury the dog causes. A landlord who does more  than merely rent to a tenant who has a dog may be considered a "keeper"  for purposes of liability. Here are some examples that show how courts  evaluate such situations: An Illinois landlord rented half of his building to a tenant and occupied  the other half himself. The tenant's dog, which was kept to guard the  building, roamed all of it. When the dog bit someone, the landlord and  the tenant were both held liable. 48
A landlord who lived off the premises hired a manager to take care of his  Illinois apartment building. The manager allowed one tenant to fence in  the building's back yard, which all the tenants used, and keep his dog  there.