Short answer. Yes. Civil Code Article 1668 makes you, as the lessee, liable for any deterioration to the rented property caused by members of your household, guests and visitors. Their conduct is treated as your responsibility toward your landlord, in the same way your own conduct would be.
What the law says
The lessee is liable for any deterioration caused by members of his household and by guests and visitors.
Civil Code, Article 1668 — Liability for Household and Guests. Read the full provision →
What this article makes you answer for
Article 1668 is a single, direct sentence: the lessee is liable for any deterioration caused by members of his household and by guests and visitors. As the tenant, your responsibility to your landlord for the condition of the property is not limited to damage you personally caused. It extends to anyone you brought into the unit or allowed to be there under your tenancy — your family, roommates, and anyone who visited, whether briefly or for an extended stay.
Why the law places this on you rather than the guest
Your landlord's contract is with you, not with everyone who ever sets foot in the unit. Article 1668 reflects that structure: since you control who enters and what happens inside the space you leased, the law holds you accountable to your landlord for what those people do to the property, and leaves it to you to sort out any reimbursement from the actual person responsible separately, outside the lease relationship itself.
What the article does not spell out
This text does not define exactly who counts as a member of your household as opposed to an occasional visitor, nor does it distinguish types of damage. It simply states liability for deterioration caused by these categories of people, in broad terms. If a dispute turns on whether someone genuinely qualifies as a household member, guest or visitor under the facts of your situation, that line-drawing is not something this article itself resolves. The article also says nothing about damage caused by a stranger with no connection to you or your household — that kind of loss falls outside what Article 1668 assigns to the lessee.
What to do if damage has already happened
Document the damage with photos and dates as soon as you notice it, and note who was present or responsible if you know. If you intend to seek reimbursement from the person who actually caused it, keep that separate from your obligations to your landlord, since your landlord's claim runs against you regardless of who you later recover from. Review your lease for any specific repair or notice procedures before assuming what happens next.
Cases citing this provision
These Supreme Court decisions cite the provision above. We list them so you can read them yourself; the summaries of what each decided are not ours to give.
- Felsan Realty & Devt. Corp. vs. Commonwealth of Australia, G.R. No. 169656, October 11, 2007 — read the decision on LawPhil →