A Landlord’s Dog Bite Problem
Many people think that if a dog attacks someone on a property, the owner of that property is always to blame. That’s not true. In most cases, the “one-bite rule” applies. This means the victim has to prove 3 things:
- The landlord or someone working for them knew the dog was dangerous. This could be the property manager, someone who lives on-site, or even a relative who collects rent.
- One of them had to find out before the attack happened, when the landlord had time to evict the tenant.
- The landlord had the legal right to evict the tenant but failed to do so.
There’s one big exception. Some states don’t allow people to sue landlords for dog attacks caused by tenants.
Landlord responsibility is really important for dog bite victims. This is because most renters don’t have insurance that covers dog bites. Only about one in five renters have “renters insurance,” which could help pay for the victim’s medical bills, lost income, and other damages. Because of this, lawyers often try to go after the landlord for compensation.
So, what can landlords do to protect themselves? They should make sure every renter has insurance that covers dog attacks, without any tricky exclusions or low limits. The policy cannot excluded harm caused by dogs or animals, and must not have a special, low limit for such cases.
Solutions for Landlords
Check out these links to get the lease clause, the right insurance, and more information about landlord liability:
Landlord liability for dog bites
Residential lease dog clause
Insurance for landlords