questions & answers

Question: It's 7/31/2018 my lease ends 8/1/18 . I'm finishing up with the cleaning of the property and I just went to fill up a bucket and have no water. Can the owner have the water turned off if I'm still here? I'm worried about them trying to keep my deposit so I planned on staying here all day and cleaning but I can't do that without water.

Answer: Under Arizona law, a residential landlord may not shut off or diminish a tenant’s access to water or other utilities so long as the tenant continues to live in the dwelling, unless and until a court of law says otherwise (by issuing a writ of restitution to the landlord). A landlord who violates this obligation is liable to the tenant for compensation (A.R.S. 33-1364; A.R.S. 33-1367). If your landlord refuses to return your deposit without good reason even after you have sent the landlord a letter requesting it, then you may want to speak with a lawyer. There are links to free and low-cost legal services on this website (at http://www.azlawhelp.org/accessToJustice).