Arizona landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 14 Arizona rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, evictions, rent regulation, tenant protections, repairs, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Arizona at a glance

RuleArizona
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Arizona?14 days
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Arizona?1.5 months of rent
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Arizona?5 days to pay
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Arizona?48 hours
How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Arizona?30 days
How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Arizona?30 days
Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Arizona?Unlawful ouster or a utility cut-off entitles the tenant to recover possession or terminate, plus up to two months’ rent and actual damages.
How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Arizona?The hearing is set for three to six business days after the summons issues; the tenant answers at or before the hearing.
What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Arizona?Serve a 5-day notice for nonpayment
Is there rent control in Arizona?Prohibited by state law
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Arizona?Presumed within 6 months
Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Arizona?Up to $300 or half a month’s rent, whichever is greater
Do contractors charge sales tax in Arizona?Gross receipts (Transaction Privilege Tax)
Is a capital improvement exempt from sales tax in Arizona?Not exempt

Security deposits in Arizona

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Arizona?

In Arizona, a landlord has 14 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. 14 BUSINESS days, not calendar days. This is A.R.S. § 33-1321.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Arizona?

In Arizona, a security deposit is capped at 1.5 months of rent. One and one-half months' rent. This is A.R.S. § 33-1321.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Arizona

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Arizona?

In Arizona, before starting a nonpayment case a landlord must serve a written notice giving the tenant 5 days to pay the rent due. This is A.R.S. §§ 33-1375, 33-1343, 33-1368.

Entry: 2 days. Late rent: 5-day notice.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Arizona?

In Arizona, a landlord must give 48 hours notice before entering an occupied rental, other than in an emergency. This is A.R.S. §§ 33-1375, 33-1343, 33-1368.

Entry: 2 days. Late rent: 5-day notice.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Arizona?

In Arizona, a landlord must give 30 days written notice before raising the rent. This is A.R.S. §§ 33-1375, 33-1343, 33-1368.

Entry: 2 days. Late rent: 5-day notice.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Arizona?

In Arizona, a landlord must give 30 days written notice to end a tenancy or decline to renew it. This is A.R.S. §§ 33-1375, 33-1343, 33-1368.

Entry: 2 days. Late rent: 5-day notice.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Evictions in Arizona

Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Arizona?

No. Unlawful ouster or a utility cut-off entitles the tenant to recover possession or terminate, plus up to two months’ rent and actual damages. A.R.S. § 33-1367. In Arizona a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by A.R.S. §§ 33-1368, 33-1377, 12-1173.01, 33-1367.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Arizona?

In Arizona, the time a tenant has to respond to an eviction case is governed by A.R.S. §§ 33-1368, 33-1377, 12-1173.01, 33-1367. The hearing is set for three to six business days after the summons issues; the tenant answers at or before the hearing.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Arizona?

In Arizona, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 4 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Serve a 5-day notice for nonpayment — A.R.S. § 33-1368(B); (2) File a special detainer action — A.R.S. § 33-1377; (3) Hearing, 3 to 6 business days after the summons issues — A.R.S. § 33-1377(B); (4) Writ of restitution, five days after judgment — A.R.S. § 12-1178. The procedure as a whole is set by A.R.S. §§ 33-1368, 33-1377, 12-1173.01, 33-1367.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Rent regulation in Arizona

Is there rent control in Arizona?

No. Arizona has no statewide rent control, and its cities and counties cannot simply adopt their own: cities and towns, including charter cities, have no power to control rents on private residential property, because the state has preempted it. The ban does not apply to housing that is owned, financed, insured or subsidized by a state agency or a city. This is A.R.S. § 33-1329.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Arizona

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Arizona?

No. In Arizona, a landlord may not retaliate by raising the rent, cutting services, or bringing or threatening an eviction after a tenant complains to a code agency or to the landlord or joins a tenants’ union, and a complaint within six months before the landlord’s action creates a presumption of retaliation. The presumption does not arise if the complaint came after a notice ending the tenancy, and a tenant who is behind on rent may still be evicted. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is A.R.S. § 33-1381.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Repairs in Arizona

Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Arizona?

Yes, within limits. In Arizona, if a landlord does not fix a habitability problem within ten days after the tenant’s written notice (sooner in an emergency), and the repair costs less than $300 or half a month’s rent, whichever is greater, the tenant may have a licensed contractor do the work and deduct the cost from the rent after giving the landlord an itemized statement and a lien waiver. The remedy is not available for damage the tenant or the tenant’s household caused. Each step has to be followed as the statute sets it out, including the written notice and the waiting period, or the deduction can be treated as unpaid rent. This is A.R.S. § 33-1363.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Arizona

Do contractors charge sales tax in Arizona?

Arizona does not run an ordinary sales tax on contractors. It taxes the contractor's own GROSS RECEIPTS, and the charge is called Transaction Privilege Tax. It is a tax on the business, not a tax collected from the customer, so it applies to the whole job — including amounts a contractor recharges "at cost", such as a permit fee. Arizona also has county, city or special-district rates on top of the state rate, so the rate depends on where the job site is, not where the contractor is based. Source: A.R.S. §42-5075 (prime contracting classification); A.R.S. §42-5074 / MRRA treatment for maintenance, repair, replacement and alteration.

Two regimes with a threshold between them. "Modification" work is taxed on the prime contractor's gross receipts (with a 35% standard deduction); MRRA work is not — the contractor pays tax on materials instead. The split turns on the scope and value of the project and cannot be decided from the line class alone.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is a capital improvement exempt from sales tax in Arizona?

No. Arizona does not exempt capital improvements to real property the way most states do, because it taxes the contractor's gross receipts rather than running a sales tax on the customer. Work that would be exempt elsewhere is taxable here. A capital improvement is a permanent addition that becomes part of the property; a repair restores something to working order and is treated differently. Source: A.R.S. §42-5075 (prime contracting classification); A.R.S. §42-5074 / MRRA treatment for maintenance, repair, replacement and alteration.

Two regimes with a threshold between them. "Modification" work is taxed on the prime contractor's gross receipts (with a 35% standard deduction); MRRA work is not — the contractor pays tax on materials instead. The split turns on the scope and value of the project and cannot be decided from the line class alone.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • A.R.S. § 33-1321
  • A.R.S. § 33-1329
  • A.R.S. § 33-1363
  • A.R.S. § 33-1381
  • A.R.S. §42-5075 (prime contracting classification); A.R.S. §42-5074 / MRRA treatment for maintenance, repair, replacement and alteration.
  • A.R.S. §§ 33-1368, 33-1377, 12-1173.01, 33-1367
  • A.R.S. §§ 33-1375, 33-1343, 33-1368

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Evictions. Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

Rent regulation. This page states whether the state lets its cities control rent, and any statewide limit on an increase, so a renewal can be checked before it is offered. In New York City, Seayora’s rent-increase advisor goes further: it computes the highest increase the Rent Guidelines Board order and the Good Cause standard allow for each apartment, with the law cited, and gives no number where the law is not verified.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Repairs. Every deadline on this page runs from the tenant’s notice. A repair request filed in Seayora keeps the date it was made and every update after it, on the website and both phone apps, so owner and tenant are working from the same date.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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