Your landlord has a duty to keep all common areas on the premises (property) in a reasonably safe condition. Also, your landlord-tenant relationship is one that is protected by the law. If you were hurt in a common area, your injury could have been caused by your landlord’s negligence.
Common areas can include the following: laundry rooms, the lobby area, staircases, locks of main doors and windows, balcony railings, and other similar areas. If those common areas aren’t kept in reasonably safe condition the landlord can be held liable.
Of course, this can also expand to contractors that are hired to keep those common areas safe as well as property owners. Under some circumstances, it can extend to third-party criminal acts on the premises.
What if I was injured in my rented apartment?
The answer to this question would heavily depend on what actually caused your injury. It could be that the lock is defective; it could be a window or something else that the landlord has responsibility for maintaining.
This is why you really want to talk to a premises liability lawyer. After being injured in your apartment or in a common area, at the end of the day, a lot depends on circumstances. And you won’t know if your circumstances include landlord, property owner, or contractor negligence until you speak with an attorney about what happened.
The common area rule is a general rule, but there are a lot of nuances in the law when it comes to landlord‑tenant contract relationships, so you will want to talk to a lawyer about it.
If you were injured on someone else’s property, whether you are a renter or a guest, please contact an experienced premises liability injury attorney.