A property owner’s duty of care to a guest depends on the type of guest. Invitees are people the property owner gives express or implied permission to enter the property and typically include neighbors, relatives, and friends. Licensees are people who have the property owner’s express or implied permission to enter the property for their own purposes. Licensees generally include sales representatives or utility workers.
Property owners must warn invitees and licensees of known safety issues on the property if those guests are likely to encounter them while on the property. The duty of care owed to a licensee is generally lower than the duty owed to an invitee; the property owner must only warn a licensee if the property owner knows about the hazard and the licensee is unlikely to discover it on his or her own.