Is the Landlord Liable for a Tenant's Dog Bite in Washington?

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

The Supreme Court has said the landlord of the owner is not liable.

Frobig v. Gordon (1994)

The court stated that the owner, keeper or harborer of a dangerous or vicious animal is liable; the landlord of the owner, keeper or harborer is not. It declined to hold a landlord liable based on knowledge, at the time of leasing, that a tenant kept an animal with vicious propensities.

Why

A Seattle firm explains that in Clemmons and Frobig the courts declined to extend the common-law rule, citing longstanding precedent and the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act.

The exception

A landlord that is itself a keeper or harborer of the dog can be liable. A summary adds that a landlord who had actual knowledge of a dangerous dog and failed to act may share liability, but that statement is not a holding of Frobig.

Who to sue

The dog's owner, keeper or harborer, whose insurance often pays.

Deadline

Three years, under RCW 4.16.080.

This is general information, not legal advice, and the state comparisons above are illustrative, not an exhaustive survey. Confirm how Washington's rules apply to your specific case with a licensed Washington attorney.