Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 41-1491.13
Referral to city or town
Operative Text
A. The attorney general may defer proceedings under this article and refer a complaint to a city or town with a population of three hundred fifty thousand or more persons according to the 1990 United States decennial census that has been recognized by the United States department of housing and urban development as having adopted ordinances providing fair housing rights and remedies that are substantially equivalent to those granted under federal law and this article and that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the attorney general. B. For a city or town with a population of three hundred fifty thousand or more persons according to the 1990 United States decennial census to be eligible to implement the provisions of this article it shall adopt a fair housing ordinance by January 1, 1995. C. If the substantial equivalency status is revoked or decertified by the United States department of housing and urban development, the attorney general shall assume sole responsibility for the implementation and enforcement of this article.
Under A.R.S. § 41-1491 et seq. § 41-1491.13, Arizona's Attorney General has the authority to defer a fair housing complaint and send it to a qualifying city or town rather than handling it directly at the state level. To qualify, a municipality must have a population of at least 350,000 (per the 1990 census), have been recognized by HUD as maintaining substantially equivalent fair housing protections, and have entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the Attorney General. If HUD ever revokes that equivalency status, the Attorney General resumes full enforcement responsibility.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in large Arizona municipalities should be aware that fair housing complaints filed against them under A.R.S. § 41-1491 et seq. § 41-1491.13 may be handled by a qualifying city or town rather than the state Attorney General's office, depending on the municipality's HUD-recognized status. Compliant operators generally maintain fair housing practices that satisfy both local ordinances and state standards, since the substantive rights and remedies are required to be substantially equivalent. If a city or town loses its HUD equivalency certification, enforcement reverts to the Attorney General, so the investigating body could change during the course of a complaint.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
If you file a fair housing complaint in Arizona, A.R.S. § 41-1491 et seq. § 41-1491.13 means your complaint could be referred to and handled by your city or town if that municipality meets specific HUD-recognized equivalency requirements, rather than being processed solely by the state Attorney General. Tenants in qualifying large cities may interact with local fair housing offices as the primary point of contact for their complaint. If the local jurisdiction loses its HUD equivalency status, the Attorney General takes over enforcement, and tenants may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization to understand how any such transition could affect an open complaint.
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 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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