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What are possible threats to tenants?

While you recognize the need to do what you can to stay safe in an apartment, your landlord bears the primary responsibility of keeping you safe from certain dangers while you are on the premises. Tenants can suffer injury or death from a variety of dangers and risks. A landlord should be aware of these hazards and deal with them appropriately.

FindLaw describes a few dangers that tenants on a rental property may run into. As someone who rents an apartment or other living space, it may help to understand what these risks are if you ever want to discuss them with a landlord or if you should become involved in a case involving landlord liability.

Building age

The problem with older apartment buildings is that they may not conform to present building codes. As a result, they may not be as safe as newer structures. An older building might have asbestos as part of the insulation. The walls may have paint that contains lead. It is the duty of the landlord to conduct reasonable repairs to promote tenant safety and to disclose possible environmental hazards to tenants.

Crime problems

Sometimes crime can be an issue for a rental property. Landlords should take reasonable steps to protect their tenants from criminal activity. Your apartment should have a secure lock on the door like a deadbolt. Some cities require their apartments to possess deadbolts and pin locks in the door handles. If the rental property resides in a high crime area, the landlord may need to add secure fencing around the property or alarms.

Also, a landlord should take steps to keep criminal activity off the property. Some people conduct illegal drug activities on a rental property. Many landlords have leases that specifically prohibit illegal activity. So if your landlord discovers a tenant committing a crime on the rental property, your landlord should have the power to evict that person.