The Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act outlines the following responsibilities for landlords and tenants concerning bedbugs in residential rental property:
Landlord Obligations
A landlord has the following obligations with respect to a bedbug infestation:
The landlord shall provide bedbug educational materials to existing and new tenants. Educational materials may include:
- A description of measures that may be taken to prevent and control bedbugs.
- Information about bedbugs, including a description of their appearance.
- A description of behaviors that are risk factors for attracting bedbugs such as purchasing renovated mattresses, using discarded mattresses and furniture, using used or leased furniture, purchasing pre-owned clothing and traveling without proper precautions.
- Information provided by the United States centers for disease control and prevention and other federal, state or local health agencies.
- Information provided by federal, state or local housing agencies.
- Information provided by nonprofit housing organizations.
- Information developed by the landlord.
The landlord shall not enter into any lease agreement with a tenant for a dwelling unit that the landlord knows to have a current bedbug infestation.
Tenant Obligations
A tenant has the following obligations with respect to a bedbug infestation:
- The tenant shall not knowingly move materials into a dwelling unit that are infested with bedbugs.
- A tenant who knows of the presence of bedbugs shall provide the landlord written or electronic notification of the presence of bedbugs.
Property Exclusions
The landlord and tenant of a single family residence are excluded from the provisions of this section.
No Cause of Action
Except as specifically provided in this section, this section does not create a cause of action against:
- A landlord or a landlord’s employees, officers, agents and directors by a tenant or a tenant’s guests for any damages caused by bedbugs.
- A tenant by a landlord for any damages caused by bedbugs.
Definitions
For the purposes of this section:
- “Bedbugs” means any insect in the genus cimex and its eggs.
- “Infestation” or “infested” means that the presence of bedbugs is sufficient to materially affect the health and safety of tenants and their guests.
Article 01. Section 33-1319.
Return to Arizona Landlord-Tenant Laws.