Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
reviewed November 10, 2026Your rights as an Arizona renter, in plain English.
The rules that matter most when you sign, live in and leave an apartment. Each one links to the statute it comes from.
Security deposits
01- A landlord can’t require more than 1½ months’ rent as security and prepaid rent combined. You can choose to prepay more.
- Any fee that isn’t nonrefundable must be labeled as such in writing, with its purpose. If it isn’t labeled nonrefundable, it’s refundable.
- At move-in you should get a signed lease, a move-in form for noting existing damage, and written notice that you can be present at the move-out inspection. Fill in the form and keep a copy, with photos.
- After you move out and ask for it, the landlord has 14 days, not counting weekends and holidays, to return your deposit with an itemized list of any deductions.
- If a landlord wrongfully keeps deposit money, you can recover it plus damages of up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
Repairs and air conditioning
02- The landlord must keep the unit fit and habitable and keep plumbing, electrical, heating and supplied appliances working. Where air conditioning is installed and offered, they must provide reasonable cooling, which matters in a Phoenix summer.
- Put repair requests in writing. If a problem materially affects health and safety and isn’t fixed within 5 days of your written notice, you can end the lease. For other material breaches, the deadline is 10 days.
- For smaller repairs, if the landlord doesn’t act within 10 days of written notice, you can have a licensed contractor fix it and deduct the cost from rent, up to $300 or half a month’s rent, whichever is more. You must give the landlord an itemized bill and a lien waiver.
- If the landlord fails to provide water, gas or electricity, hot water, heat, or AC, after reasonable notice you can get the service yourself and deduct the cost, claim damages, or move to substitute housing and stop owing rent for that period.
- None of these apply if you, your household or your guests caused the problem.
When the landlord can come in
03- A landlord must give at least 2 days’ notice before entering, and come in only at reasonable times.
- Exceptions: emergencies, and when notice is impracticable. A maintenance request counts as permission to enter for that repair.
Late rent
04- If rent is unpaid, the landlord must give written notice. You then have 5 calendar days to pay before the landlord can file to end the lease.
- Before a case is filed, you can usually reinstate the lease by paying all past-due rent plus a reasonable late fee that’s in your written lease. After filing, you also owe attorney fees and court costs.
- The law doesn’t set a late-fee amount or a grace period, so read your lease for both before you sign.
Ending a lease
05- Month-to-month: either side must give written notice at least 30 days before the rent date it takes effect. Week-to-week: 10 days.
- A fixed-term lease (12 months, say) ends on its date. Breaking it early usually costs money, so ask about the early-termination terms before signing, especially if you take a special that requires a longer lease.
- Staying past the end of a lease without the landlord’s consent, willfully and in bad faith, can cost up to two months’ rent or twice the landlord’s actual damages, whichever is greater.
- Victims of domestic violence or sexual assault can end a lease early with 30 days’ written notice and a protective order or police report. You owe rent only through the release date.
Retaliation
06- A landlord can’t raise your rent, cut services or threaten eviction because you complained to them or to a city code office about health or safety, or joined a tenants’ group.
- If they do one of these within 6 months of your complaint, the law presumes it’s retaliation. This protection doesn’t apply if you’re behind on rent or caused the problem.
Not legal advice
This is a general summary of state law, not legal advice, and some rules differ for single-family homes, mobile homes and subsidized housing. Your lease and your city’s rules can add to it. For your situation, read the statutes linked above or talk to a lawyer or a local legal aid office. Last reviewed November 10, 2026.