questions & answers

Question: In Arizona the state law requires that a security deposit must be returned within 14 days of the move out date. Does this law still apply if my lease agreement states that the refund will be sent out with in 30 days? Do they still have to provide the refund with in 14 days? or does the lease agreement void that law?

Answer: A.R.S. 33-1321(D) states that the landlord must provide the tenant with an itemized list of deductions (if any) along with the amount due and payable to the tenant (if any) within 14 business days after the tenant has returned possession of the dwelling to the landlord and demanded the return of the deposit. However, if the tenant and the landlord had a prior arrangement – as a term of their rental agreement – that the landlord would return the deposit within 30 days, then there may not be much that the tenant can do to make it arrive any sooner. A tenant’s best bet may be to explain to the landlord why the deposit is needed and request that the landlord do the tenant a favor by returning it to the tenant ASAP.