questions & answers

Question: My downstairs rental had water damage caused by the upstairs empty rental where the water was not turned off. Parts of the ceiling and walls had to be removed and a restoration team had to dry the wall. Being a home worker and this a very small place, I found a temporary rental. This happened mid-month, I was out for 2 weeks and now I am being asked to pay full rent on the first under the reason that I choose to be out. I have not been answered on when the place will be made whole again and if it would be of consideration to adjust for the days I was not living there. No answer was given,

Answer: You may wish to discuss your rights and responsibilities with an attorney. There are links to free and low-cost legal services on this website (at http://www.azlawhelp.org/accessToJustice). In such situations, landlords are supposed to ensure that the premises remain habitable if they plan on charging rent and tenants are supposed to provide advance notice before they make alternate arrangements. The amount of rent that you should be expected to pay depends on exactly what the conditions of the unit were like when you left and how long they were like that.