questions & answers

Question: My apt. was flooded by the septic, raw sewage came out in my 2 bathrooms shower/tub. carpets soaked. I was not home at time, my children had noticed the problem, the neighbor contacted the management,her apt. was also flooded; when I arrived home and called it was after office hours; I contacted the build. maint. I told them we are not staying, we needed to be placed elsewhere, he talked with management, they gave us a 1 bdrm apt. myself and mother are both disabled. Is this not biohazard?? toxic? shouldnt the carpets be replaced? WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS?

Answer: - Generally, a landlord has the obligation to maintain fit premises as described in ARS 33-1324 . If there is a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement, the tenant may follow the recommendations found in ARS 33-1361 . Also, ARS 33-1366  describes a few more options available to a tenant in the event the dwelling unit or premises are damaged or destroyed by…casualty to an extent that the enjoyment of the unit is substantially impaired. The following links may also provide helpful information for determining the rights of tenants.