Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

questions & answers

Question: I rent a kitchenette in south tucson I have many issues with appliances ,plumbing, heat etc. what are my options?

Answer: A landlord is required to do the following under Arizona law. A.R.S. §§ 33-1322 – 1324.
•Provide the tenant with the name and address of the property’s owner and manager
•Provide the tenant with a free copy of the Arizona Landlord and Tenant Act
•Provide the tenant with a signed copy of the lease
•Provide the tenant with possession of the residence
•Comply with applicable building codes
•Make necessary repairs so that the residence is habitable
•Keep common areas clean
•Maintain all electrical, plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning equipment
•Provide for the removal of trash
•Supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water

A.R.S. § 33-1364

If a landlord fails to provide running water, gas and/or electrical service, or fails to provide reasonable amounts of hot water, heat and/or cooling, then the tenant may give notice to the landlord that he is in breach of the lease. At that point, the tenant has one of the following three options:

Option One: The tenant can arrange for utilities on his own and deduct the cost from the rent. With the utility company’s approval, a tenant group or group of tenants can pay a landlord’s delinquent utility bill and deduct that amount from their rent.

Option Two: The tenant can file suit and recover damages based on the decreased fair rental value of the residence.

Option Three: The tenant can find substitute housing (e.g. a motel) during the period of the landlord’s noncompliance. If this occurs, the tenant is excused from paying rent for as long as the landlord does not provide the essential service.

Other Noncompliance by the Landlord A.R.S. § 33-1361

If the landlord fails to comply with the lease in a material way, the tenant can deliver a written notice to the landlord explaining the failure and stating that the lease will terminate in 10 days. If the landlord’s noncompliance is materially affecting the tenant’s health and safety, then the same notice can state that the lease will end in 5 days. There are two exceptions. First, if the problem can be fixed before the date specified on the notice, then the lease will continue. Second, the problem cannot have been cause by the tenant or his guest.

QUESTIONS

  • I rent a kitchenette in south tucson I have many issues with appliances ,plumbing, heat etc. what are my options?

STORIES

LegalLEARN

FIND LEGAL HELP

  • Please select your county of residence below.

    County:
     

OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

ORGANIZATIONS

Generic versions of the drug Cialis, sold as tadalafil, now available from many manufacturers.