Are you familiar with the facets of the Arizona Residential Landlord Tenant Act? Do you know what is and is not outlined in your lease? What if something goes wrong? A dedicated property management company will be able to help you navigate the intricacies of the industry and help you steer clear of avoidable consequences.
What Happens With Security Deposits at the End of the Lease?
When a tenant moves out, the property owner has 14 business days to return their deposit or provide an accounting of where the money went. If you do not return the deposit in time, you must pay the original security deposit as well as two times the security deposit amount. To deduct damages from the deposit, you should consider the life cycle of the item and the item's move-in condition.
You can only charge tenants for damages that are worse than normal wear and tear. Additionally, the tenant cannot be charged for an item that is older than its average lifespan. To see the average lifespan of common items, check out the list below.
Carpets: 5 years
Tile floors: 25 years
Windows: 20 years
Counters: 20 years or more
Paint: 3 years
Refrigerator: 10 years
Air conditioner: 10 years
What Are Reasonable Accommodations for Disabilities?
The Fair Housing Act requires landlords to follow certain rules and regulations. For example, your normal pet restrictions may not apply when you rent to disabled tenants. Landlords cannot turn away service animals, but they can require documentation. Additionally, tenants are legally allowed to have only one service animal per disability. If they want to have two service animals, they must have two disabilities.
Pool safety measures are also extremely important in Arizona. Some property owners try not to rent to families to avoid installing safety measures, but families are considered a protected class under the Fair Housing Act. Additionally, neighbors or friends could visit the property with their children. Because of this, it is important to install the right safety measures.
Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords must treat tenants the same. They are not allowed to discriminate against any group of tenants. To avoid getting in trouble for treating tenants differently, property owners should use the same screening system for every applicant.
How to Avoid Retaliatory Actions When Dealing With Tenants
Withholding maintenance, raising rent and turning off utilities can be seen as retaliatory actions. Property owners should never just show up at a property to check on things or overuse their access rights. Additionally, property owners should not rearrange drawers or look through the tenant's personal belongings.
The Landlord-Tenant Act includes many rules about tenant and landlord rights. A good Phoenix property management company can help you understand the best practices for running a rental property. When entering a property, you should keep the following tips in mind.
Property owners should be considerate about making appointment times and avoid changing appointment times at the last minute.
When the landlord is in the unit, they should avoid touching anything.
The tenant has certain rights to the property through their lease, so landlords should treat them with respect.
If no adult is present, you should enter the unit with caution.
As property managers in Phoenix, Service Star Realty has experience working with all types of tenants and properties. If you are dealing with a difficult tenant or have a question, we can help. You can call us anytime you have a problem, and we can help you sort everything out.
Other blogs you may find interesting:
What to Include in a Proper Lease Agreement
What Can Phoenix Landlords Do When Tenants Break HOA Rules?
Service Star Realty
2929 East Camelback Road #119, Phoenix, AZ 85016
(480) 426-9696
Author
