Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Illinois

Snow/ice injuries and landlords

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine who is a landlord in the city of Chicago. She said that if she doesn't shovel snow and someone falls on her property/sidewalk, she's not responsible. She said that it's an ''act of God.'' I'm a renter and have always been under the assumption that it's a landlord's responsibility to shovel. Is the snow considered an ''act of God'' if someone falls and a landlord hasn't shoveled? Is there a specific time frame that a landlord has before they must clear snow?


Asked on 12/11/08, 7:18 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Motty Stone Law Offices of Motty Stone

Re: Snow/ice injuries and landlords

Acts of G-d only exempt landlords (or other contractors) from liability because the acts are beyond the control of the landlord. There is no way to reasonably predict such occurrences, and no way to reasonably prevent them.

If the snow sits on the ground for five days before someone slips. At some point in those five days (known as "a reasonable amount of time") the landlord starts to be responsible for failing to deal with a hazard on the property.

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Answered on 12/12/08, 4:03 am


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