Landlords May Be Liable for Florida Dog Bites Occurring Off Premises

Under Florida law, landlords can be held liable for dog bite injuries that occur on their property, even if they do not own the offending dog. What happens, however, when the Gainesville dog bite attack occurs off their property? It may be surprising for landlords to learn that they could potentially still be held responsible.

Generally, a landlord has no duty to third parties for injuries caused by a tenant’s dog if the bite happened off of the leased premises. Therefore, if a dog jumps over a fence and bites someone in the street, the landlord may not be responsible. If the landlord advertises the space as an amenity of the leased premises, however, he or she can be found liable for the bite.

As an example, a landlord might advertise a neighboring park as an amenity to the leased space. A court could find that the landlord’s decision to advertise the park as an amenity constituted an invitation to tenants to take advantage of the space. The landlord therefore has extended its operation to the park. If the tenant’s vicious dog later bites someone in that area, the landlord could potentially be held liable.

If you were bitten by a dog in Florida, an experienced attorney can help to assess the circumstances surrounding your injury to determine who might be liable for your physical, emotional, and financial damages. For more information, contact an experienced Gainesville dog bite attorney today. Call Jeffrey Meldon & Associates at 800-373-8000 for a free consultation.