questions & answers

Question: We recently had some water damage from a leaky toilet in a rental house we occupy collapsing a portion of the formal dining room. The leak from the toilet was caused by a faulty hose from the toilet to the wall. There was no sitting water in the small commode and with the lack of use of the formal dining room it was never noticed. Our landlord has stated that it is our responsibility since the leak was not inside the walls and that we should have noticed the damage. Both claims, the landlord and mine where denied. Now they are threatening to not renew the lease until we fix the damage.

Answer: Under Arizona law, the landlord of a single-family dwelling, apartment, or condo does not need to specify or have a good reason to decline to renew a rental agreement that has ended. Only mobile home park landlords, whose tenants are renting lot space, have that obligation.