questions & answers

Question: The lease for my apartment ended on the 31st of the month. The office assistance told me to turn in my key on the 1st before 5pm. I did as told when I turned in the key on 1st at 3pm they said i will be charged for additional month’s rent due to the extra day i stayed in the apartment not charged for the one day but charged a whole extra $699 rent. They implied that i should have turned the key in the drop box before the office opened and were “sorry” for mis-communication. They directly told me the 1st before 5pm.

Answer: The Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act governs the lawful and unlawful behavior of landlords and tenants and can be found under §§ 33-1301- 1381 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. A.R.S. § 33-1311 requires that landlords and tenants deal with each other in “good faith.” The landlord generally can’t “trick” the tenant into paying another month’s rent. A.R.S. § 33-342 deals with the effect of a lessee holding over. A “hold over” is when a lessee (tenant) holds onto the property for longer than the lease period stated in the lease agreement. This statute states that the lease does not renew for the entire original lease period, but changes the lease into a month-to-month agreement. You should refer to the lease agreement that you signed with the landlord when you first moved into the property.