Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Pennsylvania
Real-Estate Law involving theft and landlords
The house I rent was recently broken into and robbed while virtually everyone in the college neighborhood was away for thanksgiving. Almost all houses in the area were hit (25 on my street alone). It appears most likely that the robbers came in through closed but unlocked windows. While inside they kicked through 4 bedroom doors and broke them. Our landlord's homeowners insurance only covers fire, and not theft. Therefore, he is insisting that it is the renters' responsibility to pay for fixing the broken bedroom doors, and not his as the owner. Of course my perspective is that given that it is clearly a dangerous neighborhood quite prone to break-ins, he should either have insurance to cover it, or be fully prepared to deal with break-ins. He on the other hand feels its our responsibility since if we had locked the windows the robbers probably wouldn't have broken in. I'd like to know who would be officially responsible. Thanks
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Real-Estate Law involving theft and landlords
You asked about landlord-tenant issues.
The law is quite clear that both parties will bear their own burdens in such a loss. The thefts are born by those who lost property, and should have been covered by renter's insurance. The damage to the property is the burden of the property owner as it was not damage inflicted by the tenant's but rather normal wear and tear. Just like if the water heater broke and flooded the apartment. The tenant's would be responsible for their own property (unless there was gross negligence by the landlord) and the landlord would be responsible for the damage to the premises.
Regards,
Roger
Regards
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