Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

questions & answers

Question: We haven't had gas to our appliances for over a month.....what do we do an how much do we deduct from our rent

Answer:

Failure to Supply Essential Services A.R.S. § 33-1364 

If a landlord fails to provide running water, gas and/or electrical service, or fails to provide reasonable amounts of hot water, heat and/or cooling, then the tenant may give notice to the landlord that he is in breach of the lease. At that point, the tenant has one of the following three options:

Option One: The tenant can arrange for utilities on his own and deduct the cost from the rent. With the utility company’s approval, a tenant group or group of tenants can pay a landlord’s delinquent utility bill and deduct that amount from their rent.

Option Two: The tenant can file suit and recover damages based on the decreased fair rental value of the residence.

Option Three: The tenant can find substitute housing (e.g. a motel) during the period of the landlord’s noncompliance. If this occurs, the tenant is excused from paying rent for as long as the landlord does not provide the essential service.