Arizona law requires a landlord to make reasonable efforts to rerent when a tenant leaves early, and lets survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault end a lease on short notice. Phoenix renters also have a right to end a lease after an unlawful lockout or utility shutoff. In the city of Phoenix, about 260,400 of 610,400 occupied homes, or 42.7 percent, are rented, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey (Homzora Phoenix dataset, Table B25003). The median gross rent is $1,582 a month (Homzora Phoenix dataset, Table B25064), and the median renter household earns $58,494 a year (Homzora Phoenix dataset, Table B25119), so the median rent equals about 32 percent of the median renter household’s gross income.
Homzora is a housing research publisher, not a law firm. This article explains the law in plain English and is not legal advice for your situation.
Quick answers
- Rerenting: the landlord must make reasonable efforts to rent the unit at a fair rental (A.R.S. § 33-1370).
- Survivors: written notice asking for release within 30 days, with a protective order or police report (A.R.S. § 33-1318).
- Month to month: 30 days’ written notice before the periodic rental date (A.R.S. § 33-1375).
- Servicemembers: federal protection under the SCRA (50 U.S.C. § 3955).
The duty to rerent
If a tenant abandons the unit, the landlord must make reasonable efforts to rent it at a fair rental. If a new tenancy begins before the old lease would have ended, the old lease ends when the new one starts. If the landlord makes no reasonable effort, or accepts the abandonment as a surrender, the lease is treated as ended by the landlord on the date it learned of the abandonment (A.R.S. § 33-1370).
Abandonment has a specific legal meaning, and it forfeits the deposit (A.R.S. § 33-1370). It is better to give written notice and return keys than to simply leave.
Survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault
Arizona lets a tenant who is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault request release from the lease on a mutually agreed date within 30 days. The incident must have occurred within the 30 days before the notice, although the landlord may waive that requirement (A.R.S. § 33-1318). WomensLaw and the Arizona Judicial Branch explain which situations qualify (WomensLaw.org, Arizona housing laws; Arizona Judicial Branch, Lease Termination FAQ).
Documentation
Provide a copy of a protective order or a written law enforcement report stating that you reported being a victim. The landlord may ask, in writing, for the abuser’s name and address if you know them (A.R.S. § 33-1318).
What you owe
You owe rent through the termination date and any earlier unpaid obligations. The deposit cannot be withheld because of the early termination, though it can still be used for damage you caused (A.R.S. § 33-1318). You may require a lock change at your own expense (A.R.S. § 33-1318). The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 800.799.7233 (National Domestic Violence Hotline).
Lockouts and utility shutoffs
If a landlord unlawfully locks you out or willfully cuts off electricity, gas, water, or another essential service, you may recover possession or end the lease, and in either case recover the greater of two months’ rent or twice your actual damages. If you end the lease, the landlord must return recoverable security (A.R.S. § 33-1367).
Servicemembers
The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act allows servicemembers to terminate residential leases in qualifying circumstances, including permanent change of station orders and deployments of 90 days or more (50 U.S.C. § 3955).
Leaving for other reasons
- Read the lease for an early termination fee and sublet rules.
- Give written notice early and return keys properly to avoid abandonment.
- Offer a qualified replacement and keep the unit show ready.
- Ask in writing how the landlord is marketing the unit.
- Get a written release if you negotiate one.
A sample request
Date: 2026. To: [landlord]. Re: Lease for [address]. I need to move out on 2026, before my lease ends on 2026. I ask that you begin marketing the unit now, and I will keep it ready for showings. I can [refer a qualified applicant] [pay (amount)] in exchange for a written release from rent after 2026. My forwarding address is [address]. Sincerely, [name].
Month to month tenants
Either side may end a month to month tenancy with written notice given at least 30 days before the periodic rental date in the notice; a week to week tenancy requires at least 10 days (A.R.S. § 33-1375).
Protect your deposit
After you deliver possession, make a written demand. The landlord has 14 days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, to itemize deductions and pay the balance (A.R.S. § 33-1321).
Phoenix rules that matter
- Source of income: Phoenix’s fair housing law protects renters from discrimination based on any lawful source of income, such as wages, child support, or rental assistance (City of Phoenix, Fair Housing; Phoenix City Code § 18-11.01).
- Cooling: where cooling is installed, rentals must be able to cool to 82 degrees with air conditioning or 86 degrees with evaporative cooling (City of Phoenix, Cooling Ordinance flyer).
- No rental sales tax: since January 1, 2025, Arizona cities may not tax residential rent (A.R.S. § 42-6004).
Key terms
- Fair rental: the rent level at which the landlord must try to rerent (A.R.S. § 33-1370).
- Surrender: the landlord’s acceptance of your return of the unit.
- Protective order: one form of documentation for early release (A.R.S. § 33-1318).
- Periodic rental date: the day rent is due in a month to month tenancy.
Build your evidence file
Landlord and tenant disputes are usually decided by documents. Keep these together from the day you sign:
- The signed lease, every addendum, and every renewal.
- Receipts or bank records for the deposit and each rent payment.
- Dated photos and video of every room at move in and move out.
- Copies of every repair request and the landlord’s replies.
- Every notice you send or receive, with proof of delivery.
Keep copies somewhere other than your phone, such as an email to yourself, so they survive a lost device.
Before you sign your next lease
- Ask who owns and who manages the property, and get contact details in writing.
- Read the clauses on early termination, subletting, renewal, late fees, and notice before you sign.
- Confirm the deposit amount, where it will be held, and how it will be returned.
- Walk through the unit, note existing damage in writing, and keep a signed copy.
- Ask how much notice the landlord gives before a rent increase or a non renewal.
Help in Phoenix
Community Legal Services provides free civil legal aid, including housing law, from its Phoenix office at 602.258.3434 (Community Legal Services). The City of Phoenix Landlord and Tenant Program offers free counseling on the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act at 602.262.7210 (City of Phoenix, Landlord and Tenant Program). Rent, income, and tenure figures in this guide are free to download from the Homzora Phoenix data library.
Common mistakes when leaving early
- Moving out without written notice. Notice protects your deposit and gives the landlord time to rerent.
- Stopping rent before an agreement is signed. Unpaid rent can lead to an eviction filing and damage your rental history.
- Relying on a verbal release. Get any agreement to end your obligations in writing.
- Not documenting the unit. Photos at move out protect your deposit.
Talking to your landlord
Most landlords prefer a predictable exit to an empty unit and a collections file. A short, calm conversation followed by a written summary works better than a surprise notice. Explain your timeline, offer to help find a replacement, ask what the landlord needs to release you, and then put the agreed terms in writing for both of you to sign.
Timing tips
- Give notice as early as possible; every extra week of marketing reduces the chance of an empty month.
- Avoid moving out in the middle of a rental period if you can, since rent is usually owed for the full period.
- Schedule your move out inspection before the movers arrive.
- Keep utilities on until the end of your tenancy so the unit can be shown.
If your landlord says you owe the rest of the lease
- Ask in writing for an itemized statement of what the landlord claims you owe.
- Ask how and when the unit was advertised, and at what rent.
- Ask whether and when a new tenant moved in.
- Compare the claim with your lease, your notice, and the law described in this guide.
- Get legal advice before agreeing to a large payment.
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord charge me rent for the rest of the lease if I leave?
The landlord must make reasonable efforts to rerent at a fair rental, and the old lease ends when a new tenancy begins (A.R.S. § 33-1370).
How fast can a survivor leave?
On a mutually agreed date within 30 days of the written request (A.R.S. § 33-1318).
How much notice to end a month to month lease?
At least 30 days before the periodic rental date (A.R.S. § 33-1375).
Sources
- Homzora Phoenix dataset, Table B25003
- Homzora Phoenix dataset, Table B25064
- Homzora Phoenix dataset, Table B25119
- A.R.S. § 33-1370
- A.R.S. § 33-1318
- A.R.S. § 33-1375
- 50 U.S.C. § 3955
- WomensLaw.org, Arizona housing laws
- Arizona Judicial Branch, Lease Termination FAQ
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- A.R.S. § 33-1367
- A.R.S. § 33-1321
- City of Phoenix, Fair Housing
- Phoenix City Code § 18-11.01
- City of Phoenix, Cooling Ordinance flyer
- A.R.S. § 42-6004
- Community Legal Services
- City of Phoenix, Landlord and Tenant Program
- Homzora Phoenix data library