Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1321

Security deposits

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/8/2026ArizonaSecurity Deposits

Operative Text

Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1321
A. A landlord shall not demand or receive security, however denominated, including prepaid rent in an amount or value of more than one and one-half month's rent. This subsection does not prohibit a tenant from voluntarily paying more than one and one-half month's rent in advance.

B. The purpose of all nonrefundable fees or deposits shall be stated in writing by the landlord. Any fee or deposit not designated as nonrefundable is refundable.

C. On move in, a landlord shall furnish the tenant with a signed copy of the lease, a move-in form for specifying any existing damages to the dwelling unit and written notification to the tenant that the tenant may be present at the move-out inspection. On request by the tenant, the landlord shall notify the tenant when the landlord's move-out inspection will occur. If the tenant is being evicted for a material and irreparable breach and the landlord has reasonable cause to fear violence or intimidation on the part of the tenant, the landlord has no obligation to conduct a joint move-out inspection with the tenant.

D. On termination of the tenancy, property or money held by the landlord as prepaid rent and security may be applied to the payment of all rent, and subject to a landlord's duty to mitigate, all charges as specified in the signed lease agreement, or as provided in this chapter, including the amount of damages which the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant's noncompliance with section 33-1341. Within fourteen days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays or other legal holidays, after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession and demand by the tenant the landlord shall provide the tenant an itemized list of all deductions together with the amount due and payable to the tenant, if any. Unless other arrangements are made in writing by the tenant, the landlord shall mail the itemized list and any amount due, by first class mail, to the tenant's last known place of residence. If the tenant does not dispute the deductions or the amount due and payable to the tenant within sixty days after the itemized list and amount due are mailed as prescribed by this subsection, the amount due to the tenant as set forth in the itemized list with any amount due is deemed valid and final and any further claims of the tenant are waived.

E. If the landlord fails to comply with subsection D of this section, the tenant may recover the property and money due the tenant together with damages in an amount equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

F. This section does not preclude the landlord or tenant from recovering other damages to which the landlord or tenant may be entitled under this chapter.

G. During the term of tenancy the landlord may use refundable security deposits or other refundable deposits in accordance with any applicable provisions of the property management agreement. At the end of tenancy, all refundable deposits shall be refunded to the tenant pursuant to this section.

H. The holder of the landlord's interest in the premises at the time of the termination of the tenancy is bound by this section.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Arizona Revised Statutes § 33-1321 sets rules governing security deposits and related fees in residential tenancies. Landlords may not collect more than one and one-half months' rent as security, though a tenant may voluntarily pay more in advance. Any fee or deposit that is not explicitly designated as nonrefundable is treated as refundable, and the purpose of any nonrefundable charge must be stated in writing. After a tenancy ends, the landlord has fourteen business days to return the deposit and provide an itemized list of deductions; failure to do so can result in the tenant recovering twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under A.R.S. § 33-1321, compliant property operators keep total security deposits at or below one and one-half months' rent and clearly label any nonrefundable fees in writing, stating their specific purpose. At move-in, operators provide the tenant with a signed lease copy, a move-in condition form, and written notice of the tenant's right to attend the move-out inspection. Within fourteen business days after the tenancy ends and possession is returned, operators send an itemized deduction statement along with any remaining balance owed to the tenant's last known address by first-class mail.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

A.R.S. § 33-1321 gives tenants the right to receive a move-in condition form, a signed lease, and written notice of their right to attend the move-out inspection. After moving out, tenants are entitled to an itemized list of any deductions and the return of any remaining deposit within fourteen business days; if a landlord fails to comply, the tenant may be able to recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld. Tenants who believe their deposit was improperly handled can document their communications, consult a tenant-rights organization, or explore remedies through Arizona's court system.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 8, 2026
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

A.R.S. § 33-1341
Not yet ingested

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ R 125.2001
Definitions.
§ 5-12-081
Interest rate on security deposits
§ 5-3-5-1
SECURITY DEPOSITS AND PREPAID RENT

Source Information

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