What If?

I lease hangar space to others but I don’t perform any maintenance or related services. In essence, I am just a “landlord” and these aircraft owners are my “tenants.” Do I have any liability if something happens to their aircraft in my hangar?

Of course! The aviation version of a “landlord” is referred to as a “hangar keeper.” Whether you offer or perform any other related services only increases your liability. At a basic level, the aircraft is in your care, custody, and control, which inherently comes with some liability. This isn’t to say that you’re responsible for anything that happens to the aircraft but as the hangar keeper, you’re responsible for the structure and the condition of the hangar – often by contract. You only increase your liability if you offer other services like maintenance, fueling, detailing, moving aircraft, etc.

From an insurance perspective, it’s important to keep in mind two things: 1) The maximum value of any one aircraft in your custody and, 2) The maximum collective value of all aircraft in your custody at any one time. Being cognizant of these two things will go a long way to making sure you aren’t underinsured in the event of a claim.