questions & answers

Question: I texted my landlord that the air conditioner wasn't working and the temp in the home kept rising to which his response was that he wanted to break the lease and have us out by the end of the month. I pay rent on time and even before its due can the landlord do this without even giving me time to find a new home

Answer: If a rental agreement has a specified end date, then ordinarily the agreement may only be ended early if both the landlord and the tenant agree. If a rental agreement is a month-to-month rental agreement, then ordinarily the agreement may be ended by either party – the landlord or the tenant – with 30 days’ advance written notice (A.R.S. 33-1375). These are the general rules that apply to apartments and houses – unless the rental agreement itself expressly states that either party may end the lease early in some other way. (A rental agreement is a kind of contract.) Different rules apply to mobile homes in mobile home parks as well as park trailers in rented RV spaces. If your landlord is threatening to end your lease in a way that you believe is unlawful, then you may want to speak with an attorney. There are links to free and low-cost legal services on this website.