Hurt at your apartment in Phoenix: what your landlord owed you and who pays

A Phoenix landlord must keep common areas clean and safe and keep rentals fit to live in. City code requires installed air conditioning to reach 82 degrees. You generally have 2 years to sue. In public housing run by the city, a claim is due in 180 days.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (26)

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Road map of Phoenix neighborhoods with dense rental housing along central arterial streets
Phoenix rentals with AC must be able to cool to 82 degrees. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What does a Phoenix landlord have to keep safe?

Arizona law sets the floor, and Phoenix adds its own rules. Under state law a landlord must make repairs needed to keep a home fit and habitable. Common areas must be clean and safe. Electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning and other systems, including elevators, must be in good and safe working order.

HazardRule that applies in PhoenixWhat to record
Air conditioning not workingWhere cooling is installed, it must reach no more than 82 degrees with AC or 86 with evaporative coolingA thermometer photo, 3 feet above the floor in the middle of the room
Heater not workingWhere heating is installed, it must reach at least 70 degreesDates, temperature, and messages to the manager
FireWorking smoke detectors are requiredPhotos of missing or dead detectors
Window barsAt least one window and all doors in living and sleeping rooms need a working releasePhotos of any bars or stuck windows
Falls on stairs or walkwaysCommon areas must be safePhotos of broken steps, rails or lighting
Elevators and wiringMust be in safe working orderWork orders and outage dates

Can I claim for a heat illness from a broken AC in Phoenix?

Possibly. Heat is a serious danger here. The county linked 233 deaths in 2025 to heat with Phoenix as the injury city. A broken air conditioner in July is not a small repair.

The Attorney General tells tenants to call the landlord first and then follow up in writing, preferably by certified mail. If you have a condition that heat makes worse, say so in the letter. Arizona also lets a tenant give a five-day notice for serious health and safety problems. Getting that notice right matters, so talk to a counselor at 602-534-4444 before you act on it.

Keep the hospital records that say what caused the illness. A claim needs a link between the broken cooling and your injury. A tenant can recover damages for a landlord's failure to comply.

How do I find out who owns my Phoenix apartment?

Managers come and go, and a lawsuit needs the owner. Start with your lease, because a landlord must tell you in writing who manages the property and who owns it. If that does not help, residential rentals must be registered with the County Assessor. The county's rental list includes owner name, mailing address and agent information.

My Phoenix lease says the landlord is not responsible. Is that true?

No, not for what the law makes them responsible for. A rental agreement cannot excuse or limit a landlord's legal liability. Such a term is unenforceable. That is why you should not assume a signed lease ends your case.

Your own conduct still counts. If you ignored a warning or were partly careless, your award drops by your share of the blame, but the claim is not barred.

Who pays for an apartment injury in Phoenix?

  • The owner's or management company's liability insurer is the usual source.
  • A repair contractor or elevator company may also share the blame.
  • Renters insurance usually protects you against claims by others and pays for your belongings. It rarely pays your own injury costs, so read your policy.
  • In public housing, the City of Phoenix Housing Department is the Public Housing Authority. A claim against a public entity is due in 180 days, filed at the City Clerk.

What should I do after getting hurt at my Phoenix apartment?

  1. Get medical care and tell the provider exactly how it happened.
  2. Take photos before anything is repaired or cleaned up.
  3. Report it to the office in writing, and keep a copy.
  4. Save every work order, text and email about the problem. Earlier complaints show the landlord knew.
  5. Get names of neighbors who saw it or had the same problem.
  6. If a crime was involved, get the police report from the Phoenix portal.
  7. If the hazard is the city's, such as a broken public sidewalk, report it to 602-262-6441.

Questions

How long do I have to sue my landlord in Phoenix?

Generally 2 years for an injury. For a city-run property, a claim is due in 180 days.

What temperature is too hot for a Phoenix apartment?

Air conditioning must be able to reach 82 degrees or below. Evaporative coolers must reach 86 or below. The room is measured 3 feet above the floor, in the center.

Can my landlord evict me for complaining?

Arizona law protects tenants in some cases, but the details matter. Call a landlord and tenant counselor at 602-534-4444.

What if I was attacked at my apartment complex?

Your landlord must keep common areas safe, and security failures may be a separate claim. Get a police report and ask about past incidents.

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Sources (26)

  1. A.R.S. § 33-1324(A)(3), checked 2026-11-08. “Keep all common areas of the premises in a clean and safe condition.”
  2. A.R.S. 33-1324, checked 2026-11-09. “Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.”
  3. Phoenix City Code 39-5, checked 2026-11-09. “to a temperature no greater than 86 degrees Fahrenheit, if cooled by evaporative cooling, or 82 degrees Fahrenheit, if cooled by air conditioning”
  4. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  5. A.R.S. 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  6. City of Phoenix, Cooling Ordinance flyer, checked 2026-11-09. “To speak with a Landlord/ Tenant counselor about your rights or to report an AC violation, call 602-534-4444.”
  7. A.R.S. 33-1315, checked 2026-11-09. “Agrees to the exculpation or limitation of any liability of the landlord arising under law”
  8. A.R.S. 33-1324, checked 2026-11-09. “Keep all common areas of the premises in a clean and safe condition.”
  9. A.R.S. 33-1324, checked 2026-11-09. “Maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other facilities and appliances, including elevators”
  10. Phoenix City Code 39-5, checked 2026-11-09. “to a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit”
  11. Phoenix City Code 39-5, checked 2026-11-09. “Smoke detectors in good operating condition are required in all dwellings.”
  12. Phoenix City Code 39-5, checked 2026-11-09. “At least one window and all doors in living/sleeping rooms in dwelling units must have operable release mechanism that allows safe and rapid egress.”
  13. maricopa.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “Phoenix 233”
  14. Arizona Attorney General, press release, April 7, 2026, checked 2026-11-09. “Start with a phone call and follow up in writing, preferably by certified mail.”
  15. A.R.S. 33-1361, checked 2026-11-09. “will terminate upon a date not less than five days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied in five days”
  16. A.R.S. 33-1361, checked 2026-11-09. “the tenant may recover damages and obtain injunctive relief for any noncompliance by the landlord”
  17. A.R.S. 33-1322, checked 2026-11-09. “shall disclose to the tenant in writing at or before the commencement of the tenancy the name and address of each of the following”
  18. Maricopa County Assessor, Residential Rental Registration, checked 2026-11-09. “is registered with the County Assessor”
  19. Maricopa County GIS Open Data, Rental Registration, checked 2026-11-09. “including owner name & mailing address, property address, year of construction, agent information and date registered”
  20. A.R.S. 33-1315, checked 2026-11-09. “A provision that is prohibited by subsection A of this section and that is included in a rental agreement is unenforceable.”
  21. A.R.S. 12-2505, checked 2026-11-09. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion”
  22. City of Phoenix, Housing Department, checked 2026-11-09. “The City of Phoenix Housing Department serves as the Public Housing Authority managing public housing”
  23. phoenix.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “a copy of the claim form to: City of Phoenix City Clerk Department 200 W. Washington Street, 15th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003”
  24. phoenix.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “The following 10 options are available on the portal to submit Public Record requests:”
  25. City of Phoenix, myPHX311 Street Maintenance, checked 2026-11-08. “please call 602-262-6441”
  26. A.R.S. 12-542, checked 2026-11-09. “there shall be commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues”

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