Having fully parted with possession and the right of possession, the landlord is not responsible to third persons for damages resulting from the negligence or illegal use of the premises by the tenant; provided, however, the landlord is responsible for damages arising from defective construction or for damages arising from the failure to keep the premises in repair.
History. Civil Code 1895, § 3118; Civil Code 1910, § 3694; Code 1933, § 61-112; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 44.
History of Code section.
This Code section is derived from the decisions in J.B. White & Co. v. Montgomery, 58 Ga. 204 (1877), and Freidenburg & Co. v. Jones, 63 Ga. 612 (1879).
Cross references.
Liability of owners and occupiers of land, § 51-3-1 et seq.
Law reviews.
For comment on Martin v. Medlin, 81 Ga. App. 602 , 59 S.E.2d 519 (1950), see 13 Ga. B.J. 240 (1950).
For note advocating reasonable man standard for tort liability of landlord, see 23 Emory L.J. 1051 (1974).
For article surveying torts law, see 34 Mercer L. Rev. 271 (1982).
For survey article on tort law for the period from June 1, 2002 to May 31, 2003, see 55 Mercer L. Rev. 425 (2003).
For note, “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bill: Landlord Liability for Bed Bug Infestations,” see 34 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 479 (2018).
For article with annual survey on torts, see 73 Mercer L. Rev. 243 (2021).