questions & answers

Question: Me, my son, & my girlfriend we’re self help evicted from a verbal month to month agreement. Landlord provided no paperwork prior & changed the locks the same evening. Tenants did not break any of the rules & we were evicted same day as rent was due(had the cash in my pocket) was living there 9 months & can provide proof of acceptance of money for monthly rent as well as proof her boyfriend was using herion among other drugs in the home while her children as well as my own was living in the residence. Spent 1,000 on hotels for 2 weeks while finding another residence Landlord is withholding mail

Answer: Only a court of law may evict a residential tenant from a rented dwelling, so you may wish to speak with an attorney. There are links to free and low-cost legal services on this website (at http://www.azlawhelp.org/accessToJustice). A landlord who locks a tenant out without first receiving formal permission to do so from a judge (through the issuance of a writ of restitution) may be legally liable to the tenant for an amount equal to two months’ rent or twice the actual monetary damages the tenant has suffered as a result of the lockout, whichever is greater (A.R.S. 33-1367).