If you take time to sit down and read up on dangers that come with apartment living, you’ll often see discussions about hazards associated with a particular unit. These may include lead paint and fire hazards and management’s failure to change locks.
These articles seldom discuss the dangers you face in some of the complex’s common areas, where residents, visitors and employees may congregate. There are many hazards the exist that you have to worry about there, too.
Hazards lurking in apartment common areas
Inadequate lighting often leads to apartment management companies or landlords facing a premises liability lawsuit. Poor lighting can lead to someone tripping and falling down a staircase on a pothole in a parking lot. It also leaves residents, workers and visitors vulnerable to being accosted by a would-be criminal looking to assault, rob or kidnap them.
Another reason apartment owners may face a lawsuit is that they fail to adequately enclose their pool or regulate its use. Property owners must take precautions to ensure that their pool doesn’t become an attractive nuisance to youth and have posted rules and enforced them.
A third situation in which apartment management companies or landlords may face liability claims is if a tenant can show that their health wasn’t prioritized. An apartment’s failure to address secondhand smoke concerns, perform adequate pest control or maintain the safety and cleanliness of clubhouses and their many amenities such as gym or playground equipment could warrant filing such a claim or lawsuit. You, as the plaintiff, will need to prove that your illness or injury is directly tied to that concern.
There are also issues such as the following that may result in a landlord being sued:
- A failure to install or maintain carbon monoxide and smoke detectors (that result in someone’s injuries or death)
- Uneven pavement, chipped tiles, icy sidewalks and other hazardous scenarios
- A lack of enforcement of leash laws or apartment-specific pet rules, which may give way to an animal bite
Countless factors may warrant an apartment resident or visitor filing a premises liability claim or lawsuit against a landlord. Is your situation one in which you should do the same?