Property owners owe different levels of care depending on the type of
guest they are hosting.
Invitees: Invitees are those who are invited to enter or remain on the premises for a commercial benefit of the property owner. For instance, a customer in a grocery store would be considered an invitee, as the store actively invites the public to enter onto its premises for the purchase of food and other goods. Property owners owe these invitees or guests the highest level of care. For these guests, property owners are required to inspect their premises and provide warnings about any hazards. As a result of the mandatory inspections, property owners may be liable for any hazard of which they should be aware.
Licensees: Friends, family members, and any other social guests are considered licensees. The main difference between invitees and licensees is that the latter are invited to enter or remain on the premises for non-business or commercial purposes. Property owners are required to maintain and fix any hazardous areas of the property. Unlike business invitees, property owners are only liable for dangers they know about—as opposed to what they should have known.
Trespassers: A property owner’s obligation to trespassers is significantly less than that of a business invitee or licensee. The property owner is not allowed to intentionally set up hazardous areas on their premises to guard against trespassers.