Thousands of people throughout Atlanta and the entire state of Georgia live in apartment buildings and complexes. In addition to offering temporary housing options to tenants, apartment living provides the convenience and financial savings of not having to maintain a property or landscaping. That also means, however, that tenants must rely on landlords and/or property owners to create a safe living environment for them.
According to the National Paralegal College, landlord liability has evolved significantly over the years. While there once was a time when it was the responsibility of the tenant to learn about an apartment property, and potential hazards, before signing the lease, that is no longer the case. Tort law now mandates that it is the responsibility of the apartment landlord and/or property owner to ensure that an apartment unit and property is reasonably safe for all tenants and guests.
In addition to being liable to perform repairs inside apartment units in a competent manner, landlords must maintain the safety of common areas, which includes parking lots and hallways. Similarly, landlords are obligated to inform tenants of any unsafe conditions that exist on the property. In the event that a landlord fails to address known safety concerns and/or properly notify tenants of hazards, he or she can be held liable under premises liability guidelines.
Discussing landlord and property owner liability, Realty Times explains that apartment building premises liability claims can revolve around other types of injuries and property damage as well. In addition to being held accountable for injuries resulting from poor property maintenance and negligence, landlords are increasingly being held liable for criminal acts. Negligence on the part of property owners who fail to implement reasonable safety measures to prevent against the reasonable threat of criminal activity and/or violence is grounds for premises liability complaints in a growing number of cases.
