Living in an apartment complex is much different from owning your own home. You are a tenant who is not responsible for the upkeep of certain areas of the complex. Those areas could include the hallways, elevators, stairwells, courtyard, trash rooms, laundry rooms and more. The landlord, or owner of the complex is legally responsible for ensuring that there are no knows hazards that could harm the tenants.

Landlords have a duty to provide the tenants of an apartment complex with properly maintained common areas, warn the tenants of any hidden dangers which they should be aware of and make safe dwellings on short-term leases. The only time a landlord can be held liable for a tenant or visitor’s injury is when the negligence of the landlord caused the injury. In addition, the negligence must be the direct cause of the injury suffered.

A tenant or visitor to an apartment complex who has been injured can recover any of the following damages:

— Lost wages

— Medical bills

— Emotional distress

— Pain and suffering

— Disfigurement or disability

— Personal property damage: these are items that have suffered damage due to the negligence of the landlord

For the most part, landlords are not responsible for injuries that are suffered by tenants or visitors inside of apartments within the apartment complex. They are typically only responsible for injuries suffered in the common areas of the complex. The only exception to this rule would be when the faulty work of the landlord in repairing something caused the injury to the tenant.

As a tenant, do your best to avoid situations where you can get injured in common areas. If you see a hazard, tell the landlord and document what you saw in the event it does not get fixed and causes injury to you or someone else.

If you or a loved one has been injured at an apartment complex, contact our firm in Chicago to discuss your case and how you can recover damages for the injuries suffered.