Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

questions & answers

Question: Can my landlord show up at my home unannounced 5 times in one day, and can he force me to look up my pets because he is afraid of them. Then even bring his family over and say we have to lock up our pets after he agreed to let us have pets

Answer: Under the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (A.R.S. Title 33 Chapter 10), except in the case of an emergency, a landlord may not enter the dwelling unit of a tenant without the permission (or “consent”) of that tenant (A.R.S. 33-1343(C)). Except in the case of an emergency or if it is impracticable to do so, a landlord must give a tenant at least two days’ notice of the landlord’s intent to enter the dwelling unit of that tenant and the landlord may do so only at reasonable times (A.R.S. 33-1343(D)). For their part, tenants are not permitted to “unreasonably withhold consent to the landlord to enter into the dwelling unit in order to inspect the premises, make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations or improvements, supply necessary or agreed services or exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workmen or contractors” (A.R.S. 33-1343(A)). And if a tenant makes a request for service or maintenance, then that notice from the tenant to the landlord constitutes permission from the tenant for the landlord to enter the dwelling unit for the sole purpose of acting on that service or maintenance request (A.R.S. 33-1343(B)). Without knowing all the details, it is impossible to say whether your landlord has been acting appropriately or inappropriately. However, if and when – according to the rules above – your landlord does have a good reason for entering your dwelling unit, then it would not be unreasonable for your landlord to ask you as the tenant to make sure that your pets will not bother him/her at all while he/she is there to conduct his/her business.