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How can I protect myself against premises liability claims?

Property owners in Florida should take some time to ensure their buildings are safe and secure for their visitors and residents. Accidents can happen when they are least expected. People who end up sustaining injuries from those incidents may decide to pursue legal action against property owners that could have prevented them. Even if you are not the owner of a five-star resort and instead rent out living space, there are things you can do to protect your residents from harm.

Building problems

When building code violations and building problems are ignored and hazardous conditions develop, your guests and visitors are at risk for harm. Missing structural supports, insufficient lighting, broken stairs, damaged doors and windows and a failure to change the locks are just a few of the issues that could arise and lead to premises liability claims. In addition to addressing those concerns, property owners should also fix any uneven floor, slippery surface, defective carpet and missing banister and handrail issues that arise.

As soon as these problems develop, property owners should take appropriate action to resolve them. In situations when immediate correction is not possible, property owners should take reasonable actions to inform all visitors and guests of existing building issues and information on when they will be resolved.

Security measures

Crimes like assault and theft can happen anywhere. However, they are more likely to occur in places where there is insufficient security. Landlords and resort owners should provide lighting and surveillance in dangerous areas of their establishments. They should also implement certain measures to restrict access and prevent unauthorized entry to their properties, states PropertyCasualty360.com. They should also maintain access logs and security personnel to keep watch over their properties and provide their guest with protection. These security measures should also be implemented for any common areas and parking structures that are on the property.

Property owners can lower their risk of personal injury and liability situations by taking preventative and corrective actions to protect their visitors and residents from harm.