Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

questions & answers

Question: If the property management company changes can I cancel my lease?

Answer:

The following is provided for general information only. To find out how the law applies to a specific situation, contact an attorney directly.
Rental agreements and leases are largely characterized as contracts between the landlord and the tenant. Generally, a landlord and the tenant are free to agree on the terms of a lease, so long as none of the lease provisions violate the law. (A.R.S. § 33-1314) You should carefully review your lease and may want to contact an attorney directly to determine which circumstances or provisions allow you to terminate the lease early. If the change in the Property Management Company you had constitutes a breach in your lease you may be able to cancel it with no penalty, however, you should be aware that there could be costs associated with early termination as well. As per A.R.S. § 33-1368 (C), the landlord is entitled to recover the “reasonable damages” resulting from non-compliance with the rental agreement. You should also be aware that many rental agreements include a provision that a security deposit may be forfeited if the renter does not comply with the terms of the rental agreement. A.R.S. § 33-1321(D) provides that within fourteen (14) days of the termination of the tenancy, and upon demand by the tenant, the landlord shall provide the tenant with an itemization of deductions from the security deposit. It is a good idea to send a written request to the landlord for an itemization for any deductions from the security deposit if it is not forfeited per the terms of the lease agreement.

 A.R.S. § 33-1314
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/33/01314.htm&Title=33&DocType=ARS
A.R.S. § 33-1368 (C)
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/33/01368.htm&Title=33&DocType=ARS
A.R.S. § 33-1321 (D)
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/33/01321.htm&Title=33&DocType=ARS