An invitee enters property for a purpose connected to the owner's business or on land held open to the public. The owner owes a duty of reasonable care that includes inspecting for hazards and either correcting or warning of them.
This exceeds the duty owed to licensees, which generally extends only to known dangers.
Alternative Names:
Business Invitee, Public Invitee
Why it Matters?
Invitee status is what creates the affirmative inspection duty, and that duty is the basis for constructive notice arguments. A store owes customers a duty to find hazards, not merely to avoid creating them, which is why the frequency and documentation of inspections becomes the central factual issue. Status disputes arise where a person exceeded the scope of the invitation, such as entering an employees-only area.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What duty is owed to an invitee?
Can invitee status be lost?
