Find an apartment injury lawyer in Scottsdale: what your landlord must keep safe
If you got hurt at a Scottsdale apartment, Arizona law makes your landlord keep common areas clean and safe and your unit fit to live in. A lease cannot excuse that. You generally have 2 years to sue. City Code Enforcement handles housing complaints.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (29)
What must a landlord in Scottsdale keep safe?
| Problem | Arizona rule | Local place to report |
|---|---|---|
| Broken stairs, railings, walkways or lighting in shared areas | Common areas must be clean and safe | Scottsdale Code Enforcement |
| Faulty wiring, plumbing, air conditioning or elevators | Must be kept in good and safe working order | Your landlord in writing, then Code Enforcement |
| Mold, leaks or decay inside your unit | Landlord must make all repairs to keep it fit and habitable | Your landlord in writing; the city says buildings must stay free of deterioration |
| Unsafe community pool | Common areas rule applies | Maricopa County pool inspectors |
A clause in your lease saying the landlord is not responsible for injuries does not protect the landlord from liability the law imposes. Arizona treats it as unenforceable. Do not let a manager tell you that you signed your rights away.
How do you find who owns your apartment in Scottsdale?
Scottsdale has a lot of renters. City data shows 38,252 renter-occupied units, 28.0% of the housing stock. Many complexes are owned by a company you have never heard of, while a separate manager runs the office.
Your landlord has to tell you in writing, at or before move-in, the name and address of the people who manage and own the property. If you do not have it, try the Maricopa County Assessor. Residential rentals must be registered there, and its site can be searched by address. Name the owner and the manager in any claim you make.
Who do I call about a dangerous apartment pool in Scottsdale?
Maricopa County requires operating permits for public and semi-public pools, but not private home pools. Its inspectors take questions at [email protected] or 602-506-0070. Ask them whether your complex's pool has a permit and when it was last inspected.
Scottsdale's own pool barrier page applies to single-family homes built after July 20, 1995, so do not assume it covers your complex. City code does say pools must stay healthy and free of stagnant water. If a broken gate or a missing drain cover hurt someone, take photos before anyone repairs it.
What should you do after getting hurt at your Scottsdale apartment?
- Get medical care and tell the provider exactly where and how you got hurt.
- Photograph the hazard from several angles the same day, with a date on your phone.
- Report it in writing to the manager of your Scottsdale complex and keep a copy. Include your unit number and the date.
- Look for earlier written complaints, from you or from neighbors at your Scottsdale complex. They help prove the landlord knew.
- For a health or safety problem in your Scottsdale unit, Arizona lets a tenant give a notice with a 5-day cure period. Ask a lawyer before you end your lease or stop paying rent.
- Keep receipts, pay stubs and medical bills. A tenant may recover damages when the landlord does not comply.
Does it change anything if I have a Scottsdale housing voucher?
Usually not who you claim against. The Scottsdale Housing Agency pays a rental subsidy directly to the landlord each month, but the landlord is generally still a private owner. A voucher unit must pass a NSPIRE inspection before move-in, so past inspection results may be useful. The agency is at 6535 E. Osborn Road, Building 8.
If a public housing authority or other government body owns your Scottsdale building, the rules change. A claim is due within 180 days, and any suit must follow within a year.
Which court handles an apartment injury claim in Scottsdale?
It depends on the amount. Maricopa justice courts hear small claims up to $5,000 and civil suits up to $10,000. Disputes in Superior Court under $50,000 go to mandatory arbitration. If you share some blame, for example by ignoring a warning, Arizona reduces the award but does not bar it.
What should you ask an apartment injury lawyer in Scottsdale?
- Who should I name, the owner, the manager or both?
- Will you request maintenance logs and past complaints?
- Can you find out about earlier injuries at this complex?
- Do I need to do anything about my lease right now?
Questions
How long do I have to sue my landlord for an injury in Scottsdale?
Generally 2 years. A child's deadline can be different.
Can my Scottsdale landlord make me sign away injury claims?
A lease cannot limit a landlord's legal liability, and that kind of clause is unenforceable.
Who inspects apartments in Scottsdale?
City Code Enforcement enforces property maintenance and housing rules. The county handles permitted pools.
What if I do not know who owns the complex?
Ask for the written disclosure. You can also search the county Assessor by address.
Hurt at your apartment in Scottsdale? See if you are owed money.
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- A.R.S. § 33-1324(A)(3), checked 2026-11-08. “Keep all common areas of the premises in a clean and safe condition.”
- 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.”
- A.R.S. 33-1315, checked 2026-11-09. “Agrees to the exculpation or limitation of any liability of the landlord arising under law”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “Code Enforcement inspectors enforces zoning, property maintenance, housing, signage, graffiti and construction activity regulations found in the City Ordinance.”
- 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”
- 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.”
- A.R.S. 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
- A.R.S. 33-1324, checked 2026-11-09. “Keep all common areas of the premises in a clean and safe condition.”
- 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”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “All structures and buildings on property are to be maintained in good condition free of deterioration, blight or lack of maintenance.”
- Maricopa County Environmental Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Compliance Inspections [email protected] Phone 602-506-0070”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “28.0% renter occupied (38,252)”
- Maricopa County Assessor, checked 2026-11-09. “Residential rental property must be registered with the County Assessor according to Arizona law (A.R.S. § 33-1902).”
- Maricopa County Assessor, checked 2026-11-09. “To search by address, enter in an address in a standard”
- Maricopa County Environmental Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Operating permits are required for public and semi-public pools, wading pools/splash pads or special use pools, spas and artificial bathing lakes. Operating permits are not required for private residential pools and spas.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “current swimming pool barrier requirements apply to all single-family residential swimming pools, spas and hot tubs constructed after July 20, 1995.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “Pools and bodies of water need to be maintained in a healthy and usable condition, free of stagnant water”
- 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”
- A.R.S. 33-1361, checked 2026-11-09. “the tenant may recover damages and obtain injunctive relief for any noncompliance by the landlord”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “The Scottsdale Housing Agency (SHA) subsidizes the rent of eligible families by paying a rental subsidy directly to the landlord each month.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “A family will not be allowed to rent your unit until it passes a NSPIRE Inspection.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “6535 E. Osborn Road Building 8 Scottsdale, AZ. 85251”
- A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
- Maricopa County Justice Courts, checked 2026-11-08. “small claims up to $5,000, and civil lawsuits for amounts up to $10,000”
- Maricopa County Superior Court, Arbitration, checked 2026-11-08. “Compulsory Arbitration is a mandatory program for disputes valued under $50,000.”
- 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”
- A.R.S. 12-542, checked 2026-11-09. “there shall be commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- A.R.S. § 12-502, checked 2026-11-08. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”