Relationships between landlords and tenants should be straightforward, considering that lease agreements usually establish their rights and responsibilities. However, these terms can have legal implications when premises liability laws apply, such as when a tenant’s guest sustains an injury within the property.
Depending on what caused the incident, the tenant could be responsible. It can be easy to determine who is liable if their activities or behavior led to the injury. Still, other factors may place partial or total blame on the landlord based on the incident’s details.
The extent of landlord responsibility
The landlord’s responsibility for an accident within their property can vary extensively. Most of the time, the situation requires a detailed investigation before determining who is at fault. In some instances, there can be more than one at-fault party.
But in Georgia, there is a definite way to gauge how responsible a landlord can be. Whether residing on the property or not, a landlord still has obligations to their tenants and other people who enter as guests. Their duty of care includes keeping the premises and its features safe by maintaining them and making any repairs in areas within their liability.
Sometimes, the most straightforward fixes can be crucial, such as replacing burnt-out lightbulbs in risky parts of the property or repairing faulty locks in entrances accessible to the public. These factors could be negligence that caused the guest’s injury, making the landlord responsible.
Understanding what negligence is
Both tenants and landlords can benefit from having a deep understanding of what could be negligence when a visitor suffers an injury within the property. These details can have legal repercussions, impacting what happens after the injured party files a claim. Knowing these implications might not guarantee a favorable outcome, but it can help determine appropriate legal options based on the circumstances.