landlord and tenant rental-agreement

Here is a follow-up to a State Bar event, by my colleague Alberto Rodriguez:

The State Bar of Arizona, azcentral.com and 12 News hosted the Lawyers on Call public service program on Tuesday, June 3.

The following is a recap of the program, which focused on landlord and tenant issues.

The volunteer attorneys were:Clare Abel, Kristin Coyne, Paul Henderson, Richard Klauer, Ellen Lawson, Thomas Leavell, Patricia Premeau and Christopher Walker.

Volunteer attorneys answered 118 calls on landlord and tenant issues. An additional 18 consumers were assisted via social media, which gave us a total of 136 people who were helped.

Here is a sample of consumer questions:

  • I have been living in the rental unit and paying rent but have not signed a lease. What should I do?
  • I am being harassed by other tenants. What can I do?
  • A tree on the property fell on my car. Is the landlord responsible?
  • If my landlord isn’t making improvements, should I withhold rent until they’re made?
  • I have a roach/bed bug problem. Can I break my lease because of the issue?
  • I am renting a two-bedroom unit that is occupied by eight people. Can I evict them?
  • My landlord has not fixed my A/C. What should I do?
  • Is it legal for my landlord to withhold deposits if no issues were found at move out?
  • I have a continued mold problem that my landlord won’t address. What should I do?

State Bar of Arizona SBA_Logo_ColorSocial media continues to be a successful element of Lawyers on Call. Eighteen consumers asked their questions via the 12 News Facebook page, and attorney Patricia Premeau responded with her recommendations/advice.

One of the eight attorneys was a first-time volunteer.

Next month, volunteer lawyers will answer consumers’ estate planning/wills & trusts questions on Tuesday, July 1.