Homeowner Liability 101: Inspect Your Property to Avoid Personal Injuries of Guests

While many people work hard to maintain their property and keep it presentable, they may not realize that they are under a legal duty to make sure their property is safe, particularly for workers who must enter their property for business purposes as well as social visitors.

Under Florida law, people whom we willingly allow into our homes and onto our property are known as invitees, including contractors and repairmen hired to work on the home.  Invited licensees are in the same legal category as invitees and include persons whom the property owner may reasonably expect to enter upon the premises, such as utility workers who must enter onto the property to read the meters and mail carriers.  For these invitees and invited licensees, property owners are required to keep their property in a safe condition and to provide notice of any actual and potential dangers about which they know or should know.  For example, property owners should maintain their landscaping and home and regularly check their property for debris, loose floorboards, and other conditions posing a risk of personal injury.  If any risks are present but cannot be fixed promptly by the property owner, the owner should warn or provide other notice to invitees and invited licensees.

Property owners also owe a duty to warn or make their premises safe for social guests, who are also classified as invitees.  When a homeowner hosts a party or otherwise opens the property to the public, the owner owes a legal duty to every guest who attends, even those who may show up uninvited or unexpectedly.  For such guests, just as for business invitees and invited licensees, property owners must maintain their property in a reasonably safe manner and are obligated to warn of any known dangers on the property.

Before your next scheduled meter reading or summer barbeque, therefore, it is a good idea to inspect your home and surrounding property to ensure that they are as safe as possible for you and your guests.  This will help you avoid accidents and legal liability for negligence in a lawsuit.