A Landlord’s Mistakes Can Endanger Tenants
While we don’t often think about landlords as shouldering a particularly important responsibility, the reality is that landlords and property managers do need to take certain steps to keep tenants safe. Those who fail in this duty end up leaving tenants and their guests at serious risk of injury, whether from a slip and fall accident or even a criminal assault. Fortunately, tenants who are injured because of a landlord’s carelessness are often able to recover compensation for their losses. Read on to learn more about the legal duties of landlords in Georgia.
Failing to Inspect and Keep Maintenance Records
One of the primary responsibilities of a landlord or property manager is to maintain the properties they oversee in a safe manner. This includes inspecting the properties regularly for evidence of:
- Loose handrails, broken steps, uneven walking surfaces, and similar hazards;
- Faulty electrical wiring;
- A dangerous pool area; and
- Leaking pipes that could cause structural damage, mold growth, and slip and fall accidents.
In Georgia, landlords have a duty to inspect their premises for these kinds of hazards, some of which may not be immediately noticeable. Once identified, these problems must then be addressed with adequate repairs.
Failing to Make Timely Repairs
Identifying a problem at an apartment complex or other property where tenants live isn’t the only responsibility of landlords, who must also then take timely steps to warn tenants of those dangers and then address them. This could include making repairs or hiring professionals to do so. It’s important to note that repairs need to be made not to the initial problem, but also any issues that the problem created. Leaking pipes, for instance, when left unaddressed for long enough, can cause serious structural damage that must then in turn be repaired.
Failing to Provide Adequate Security to Tenants
Besides needing to ensure that tenants don’t suffer avoidable injuries due to physical hazards, landlords and property managers must also take measures to keep tenants from becoming the victims of a crime. Proper steps that property owners must take include installing and maintaining an adequate security system, securing entrance ways with gates, lighting common areas, parking lots, and stairwells, and replacing worn or defective locks. In high-crime areas, landlords may even be expected to hire security guards during the nighttime hours. Landlords who fail to take these steps put their residents at risk of assault, theft, and other dangerous or violent crimes, all of which can take an extreme physical, emotional, financial, and mental toll on their victims.
Set Up a Free Consultation Today
Tenants who sustain injuries because of a landlord’s negligence are not without legal recourse. For help navigating the process of pursuing compensation for your own accident-related medical bills and lost wages, please reach out to the experienced Savannah premises liability attorneys at Shiver Hamilton Campbell today. You can set up a free consultation with a member of our legal team by calling 404-593-0020 or by reaching out to us via online message.
Sources:
law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-51/chapter-3/article-1/51-3-1
law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2020/title-44/chapter-7/article-1/section-44-7-14/
