When you rent an apartment, you expect it to be safe. You expect not to be injured due to some inherent flaw or unnecessary risk. This isn’t to say that accidents and injuries won’t happen, but just that you shouldn’t feel like the apartment’s condition led to that injury.
Unfortunately, many people live in apartments with serious flaws and risks, and they may have landlords who do not do nearly enough to eliminate these risks. This can lead to injury. You need to know what hazards to watch for and what to do if you get hurt.
Common fire hazards in many apartments
There are all sorts of ways you can be injured, from tripping on a loose carpet to falling from a balcony with a loose railing, but perhaps the most frightening is the idea of a fire hazard — especially if you don’t have working smoke detectors. Below are a few fire hazards that may exist in your apartment right now:
- Unsafe heating devices, like grills or kerosene heaters.
- Outdated wiring, stripped wires and things of this nature.
- Too many items wired into the same circuit.
- Poorly installed switches and outlets.
- Clogged dryer vents.
- Cluttered storage spaces.
- Items packed too close to a furnace.
- Oversized or missing fuses.
You also have to consider the condition of your fire escape, the number of exists you have and just how safe you’ll be if a fire does break out.
If you’re injured in your own apartment
You may get injured in many ways in your own apartment. If you believe it was the landlord’s fault through their negligence, you may be able to seek financial compensation.