With tens of thousands of students living in densely packed off-campus housing near the University of Florida, Gainesville sees a disproportionately high volume of premises liability claims. From poorly maintained stairwells in older complexes to inadequate security leading to assaults, landlords in Alachua County have a strict legal duty to keep their properties safe. When a student is injured due to a negligent property management company, the resulting medical bills and disrupted tuition can be financially devastating. Estimating the total settlement value of a landlord liability claim requires understanding how Florida law treats student housing.
The Landlord’s Duty of Care
Under Florida law, landlords and corporate property management companies must maintain common areas in a reasonably safe condition. This includes ensuring that handrails are secure, walkways are well-lit, and structural elements meet the City of Gainesville’s Rental Housing Ordinance safety standards.
If a student trips over broken concrete in a poorly lit breezeway or is injured by a collapsing balcony, the landlord can be held liable. However, the student must prove that the landlord knew (or should have known) about the defect. Maintenance request logs, emails complaining about broken lights, or a history of code violations are critical pieces of evidence needed to prove the landlord ignored the danger.
Renter’s Insurance vs. Landlord Liability
Many off-campus apartment complexes in Gainesville require students to carry renter’s insurance. A common misconception among students is that their renter’s insurance or their parents’ homeowner’s policy is responsible for covering their medical bills if they are injured on the property.
While renter’s insurance protects your personal belongings (like a stolen laptop) and provides personal liability coverage if you cause damage, it does not absolve the landlord of their own negligence. If the property management’s failure to maintain the building caused your physical injury, you pursue a third-party claim against the landlord’s massive commercial liability policy, not your own $10-a-month renter’s policy.
Valuing the Disruption of Education
For a college student, a severe injury does more than cause physical pain—it derails their education. If a broken leg from a collapsed staircase forces a student to withdraw from classes, the economic damages in the lawsuit can include the cost of lost tuition, delayed graduation, and the resulting delay in entering the workforce and earning a salary.
Additionally, because Florida’s no-fault PIP caps generally apply to auto accidents, a premises liability claim allows you to sue for “pain and suffering” from dollar one, without needing to clear a specific PIP threshold. However, you must move quickly to secure evidence before the landlord quietly repairs the defect.