This video explains landlord liability in Alabama, focusing on injuries that occur in common areas. If a defect is reported and causes injury, the landlord may be held responsible. However, injuries inside rented spaces are often governed by contract, which can limit liability. Common hazards include defective staircases and loose rugs.
Landlord liability refers to the legal responsibility landlords have for injuries that occur on their property. This includes maintaining safe common areas and addressing reported defects.
A landlord is typically responsible for injuries that occur in common areas if they were aware of the defect. If the injury happens inside a rented space, liability may be limited by the lease agreement.
Common injuries in rental properties include falls due to defective staircases, loose rugs, and hazards in common areas like buckled sidewalks. Mold and other health-related issues can also arise.
Landlord tenant law is different in Alabama than most other states. But in all states, when there is a defect in the premises and someone gets injured, the analysis begins at this point. Was that a common area used by all the tenants? If it was a common area, then the landlord's going to be responsible. Now, if it's inside the rented space, that space is going to be controlled by contract. And that typically will limit the liability by contract of the landlord. Now, you can have mold cases. You can have other types of cases where your living area can be impacted and disease and sickness can result. But typically, what you see is defective staircases. You see rugs that are not or loose or a trip hazard. You see many problems that happen in common areas like buckled sidewalks. The landlord is responsible for those, but they have to know about them. It has to have been reported. And if you're the one that reported it, then you probably know about it too. So don't fall in an area that you know is already defective.
