Insurance Agent · Chicago · Member since 2025 · 46 posts · 38 votes
Just read an article I wanted to share on physical security strategies for multifamily properties. It covers real-world liability cases and outlines practical steps owners and managers can take to reduce risk, improve safety, and protect their investments.
One takeaway that stuck with me:“Financial constraints are not a valid defense against premises liability.”
Broken gates, poor lighting, and overgrown landscaping aren’t just maintenance issues, they can be legal and financial liabilities.
The article focuses heavily on CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and includes actionable recommendations for site layout, surveillance, community engagement, and maintenance practices.
Rental Property Investor · SE Michigan · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 6k+ votes
1y
Interesting article. The first anecdote reminded me of a true story.
I know an apartment owner that lost a lawsuit. They had cameras all over, but a woman got assaulted in one of the few blind spots on the property. Without proving that the blind spot was the reason she got assaulted, the lawyers argued that the cameras implied he was providing security. After the lawsuit, his solution was to remove the cameras entirely!
We install surveillance cameras in our clubhouses and pool areas, but we have zero "security cameras" on our property.
Interesting article. The first anecdote reminded me of a true story.
I know an apartment owner that lost a lawsuit. They had cameras all over, but a woman got assaulted in one of the few blind spots on the property. Without proving that the blind spot was the reason she got assaulted, the lawyers argued that the cameras implied he was providing security. After the lawsuit, his solution was to remove the cameras entirely!
We install surveillance cameras in our clubhouses and pool areas, but we have zero "security cameras" on our property.
I am thankful I am not a lawyer and do my best everyday to stay out of the courts!
I initially struggled with which forum to share the article under. However, the lose-lose situations presented in the article remind me of pure risk that insurance is meant to transfer to away from us as individuals. I suspect this can be tied back to Warren Buffet's term of Social Inflation and the perceived/assumed security offered by cameras. But 7 figure settlements for a perception? Come on! It is a strange world we live in sometimes.