Premises Liability

California law allows people to sue if they are bitten by bedbugs while renting property or staying in a hotel. But the right to sue is against the property owner. To date, there have been no successful claims against Airbnb itself for bedbug bites or infestations. Airbnb does not appear to have a legal duty …

Premises liability laws that require property owners and landlords to keep their property free of vermin. But these laws apply only to people who own or control the property. Why isn’t Airbnb liable for bedbugs? A property owner or landlord who knows his/her property has a bedbug infection must take reasonable steps to eradicate it. But rental …

Amazingly enough, the answer is sometimes yes. A few California criminal statutes make landlords liable for criminal activities that take place at the properties they are renting to someone else. One of these is California’s dogfighting law (Penal Code 597.5 PC). This law makes it a crime to let someone else use a space that …