questions & answers

Question: I live in a apt complex and i am a section 8 tenant that pays zero rent and is required to pay only utilities.. therefore the apt complex charges the tenants a monthly water bill that is not included in the rent amt... is the mgr. here at apt complex allowed to charge a tentant late fees the same as in rental late fees .. for being late on paying t them for water bill ?? This is a new Mgr.. and previous Mgr. never charged me for being just one month late .. I dont even pay rent and he charged me over 800.00 for bill and fees Thanks to my son he came and saved me from being homeless.

Answer: As a general rule, a landlord may charge a tenant fees when utility payments are late, so long as those fees are reasonable and agreed-to by the tenant in advance (because they were specified in a written rental agreement between the landlord and the tenant). If you believe that your landlord is charging late fees in a way that violates the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, you may wish to call your Section 8 worker and/or seek legal advice. There are links to free and low-cost legal services on this website (at http://www.azlawhelp.org/accessToJustice).