Arizona security deposit disputes
This page is the prototype for a series of statute-anchored practice pages — one for each service area — each written to answer the exact questions Arizonans search for. A.R.S. § 33-1321
The rules, plainly.
Arizona law caps a residential security deposit at one and one-half months' rent. When the tenancy ends, the landlord has fourteen business days after termination and delivery of possession to return the deposit, together with an itemized list of any deductions.
Miss the deadline or wrongfully withhold the deposit, and the tenant may recover the amount wrongfully withheld — plus damages of twice that amount. A five-hundred-dollar deposit dispute can become a two-thousand-dollar judgment with fees.
We litigate these cases from both chairs. For owners, we build the deduction record that survives a hearing: move-in checklists, dated photographs, and itemizations that track the statute. For tenants, we send the demand, and when the landlord doesn't move, we file.
Common questions
Does normal wear and tear count as damage?
No. A landlord may deduct for damage beyond normal wear, unpaid rent, and other charges under the rental agreement — not for the ordinary aging of carpet, paint, and fixtures.
Do I have to ask for my deposit back?
The fourteen-business-day clock runs on its own, but a tenant should always provide a forwarding address in writing. It removes the landlord's most common excuse.
What if the lease says the deposit is non-refundable?
Arizona requires non-refundable fees to be stated in writing as non-refundable. A "security deposit" labeled refundable in one paragraph cannot quietly become non-refundable in another.
Deposit deadline calculator
A.R.S. § 33-1321(D)"Answered all my questions with kindness and took extra time to write notes for my landlord-tenant dispute case."
Deposit dispute? Deadlines decide it.
Whether you're holding the deposit or waiting for it, talk to us before the fourteen days run.
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