questions & answers

Question: We rented our current residence in September 2018. The owner of the property said we did not have access to the front entry area closet and it is locked. There are also other large items that were in the house ( the largest is a China cabinet that we were told we could not damage and a few rather large wall paintings) Nothing was said during the lease negotiations nor is there anything stated in the lease agreement about these items. I want to use the closet and the other items are taking needed space. Technically I'm paying the landlord to store his stuff. What are my rights as a tenant?

Answer: As a general rule, the rights and responsibilities of the landlord and the tenant in these sorts of situations are determined by the landlord and the tenant themselves. A tenant who is displeased with one arrangement may wish to suggest another arrangement. Often, if part(s) of a rented dwelling are off-limits to a tenant, then the amount of rent charged by the landlord takes that into account, but Arizona law does not require it.