A homeowner's duty of care varies based on the type of guest that suffered an injury. As a result, whether an individual has grounds for a lawsuit can depend on if they are considered an invitee, licensee or trespasser. The following are the different degrees of care that a property owner owes their guests: Licensees: Licensees are individuals who the homeowner allowed to enter their premises, despite the fact that it is not public property. Social guests, family members and solicitors are considered licensees. Homeowners have a duty to licensees to exercise "reasonable care" to prevent injuries from a hazardous area that they knew of or should have known of at the time of entry. Part of a homeowner's responsibility to licensees is warning them of any dangerous condition or risk involved with entering the property. Business Invitees: Business invitees are guests who have been invited to a homeowner's residence for a commercial or business purpose. Customers at a garage sale, contractors and utility workers would be examples of business invitees. Homeowners owe a significantly larger duty of care to business invitees. A homeowner's duty of care to business invitees includes actively inspecting their property for hazardous areas and making repairs to any such dangerous conditions. Unlike the duty owed to licensees, a warning of hazardous conditions is not enough to exempt homeowners from liability. Homeowners have a legal obligation to repair conditions to the point that any reasonable person would consider safe. Trespasser: A trespasser is a person who enters private property without permission from the owner. Homeowners owe no legal responsibility to trespassers regarding the condition of their property.