Avoid Premises Liability by Enforcing "No-Pets" Policy

Concerns over property damage and dog bite injuries may lead some owners to ban pets from a site altogether. Yet some residents may keep pets despite the ban. If you find that a resident has a pet, how you address this lease violation can determine whether you’ll be held liable if the pet injures someone. In a typical lawsuit involving a resident’s pet—called a “premises liability” lawsuit—the owner is sued because the resident’s pet attacked an individual.