Pelled v. Brandon Ltd. Partnership

By JUDGE HERBERT A. PICKFORD

I remain of the opinion that the Landlord Tenant Act’s requirement that a landlord has a duty to keep common areas clean and safe goes beyond just the physical integrity of his premises. The District Court of Appeals of Florida, in Paterson v. Deeb, 472 So. 2d 1210 (1985), cited by both [counsel], at page 1217, discusses "safe condition" as used in that state’s statute with regard to common areas. While dealing primarily with the statutory requirement of providing leased premises "with locks and keys," the court notes that "means of preventing unauthorized access…