Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

questions & answers

Question: what rights do I have as a tenant with broken air conditioning system?

Answer: Your rights are defined by the Arizona Landlord/Tenant Act.  Arizona Revised Statutes, sections 33-1324 and 33-1364 spell out the landlord's obligations and your remedies.  33-1324 requires the landlord to maintain a fit and habitable premises and that includes air conditioning.  Section 33-1364 spells out what you need to do.  You must give reasonable notice to the landlord.  Reasonable notice means you must write the landlord a note or letter telling him the AC does not work and you want it repaired.  You must either hand-deliver the notice or send it to him by certified or registered mail.  Notice is defined in section 33-1313.  The landlord has 5 days to fix the problem after receiving notice.  If he doesn't comply, you have a number of options:  (1) sue for damages: (2) procure substitute AC (not sure how you would do that), or move to temporary housing until it its repaired and deduct from rent.