Landlords are required to keep their properties safe and habitable in Arizona. Today, we’re talking about the things you’re required by law to take care of when you are renting out a property to tenants.

Air Conditioning

The first thing you need to worry about is the air conditioner. In Arizona, this is the only real emergency we get. When you have a flood or a water leak, we can easily turn off the water and fix the problem. But if the air conditioning goes out in the middle of the summer, it’s a true emergency and your tenants are permitted to move out of your property until it’s fixed. So the number one thing that’s required of you as an Arizona landlord is to keep the hot and cold air flowing.

Water

The second thing on the list is hot and cold water. You need to have at least one working toilet running in the house, and hot and cold water must be available and functional. This means you need to take care of plumbing issues right away, especially sinks and toilets.

Electrical Systems

The law talks about keeping generally safe conditions when it comes to electrical. The system has to be safe and the property needs working lights. If there is electrical heat and air conditioning, keep it in good condition. No specifics are required, but pay attention to the general functions and get the electrical system checked and serviced regularly.

When tenants are moving in, talk about what you’ll take care of. We tell tenants that they’re moving into a house, not a dorm room. We expect them to take care of the little things. We don’t want any tenants going over their scope of skills, but we also don’t want to be bothered about every tiny thing that may be happening. This is why it’s important to have a good relationship with your tenant or make sure your property manager understands what you want and don’t want. Build into the lease language that describes who will take care of what.

There are very few laws in Arizona that govern what you have to do, but pay attention to hot and cold water and air and keep the electrical generally safe. Pay attention to the big things so your tenants can take care of the little things.

If you have any questions or you need any help, please contact us at Homeqwik, and we would be happy to tell you more.