Is a Landlord Responsible for Damages a Tenant Causes to a Neighboring Home
Tenants in Indiana accidentally caused a fire, and the fire caused damage to a neighboring house. The tenants have no money to pay for any of the damage. The owner of the neighboring home wants the landlord to submit a claim for the damage to his siding to the landlord's insurance company. The landlord doesn't believe that he is liable for the tenant's actions, because the fire had nothing to do with anything the landlord did or the condition of the premises. What should the landlord do?
Re: Is a Landlord Responsible for Damages a Tenant Causes to a Neighboring Home
Given that there is almost certainly already an insurance claim open for the fire on the landlord's property, the landlord has the option of passing the claim along to the insurance company; on the facts given, I suspect that the landlord's insurance company will end up denying the claim. If the neighbor files a lawsuit that names the landlord, the landlord's insurance company should provide a defense -- but the landlord will need to be certain to comply with the notice provisions of the insurance policy for the rental home in order to ensure that the claim is covered.