En esta noticia
Amid the housing crisis affecting several U.S. cities, one state maintains regulations that spark controversy between tenants and landlords. That state is Arizona, where a state law prohibits rent price controls and allows landlords to adjust rent levels without a legal limit.
The current regulations are part of the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and establish that local governments cannot impose restrictions on the prices of rental housing. In this way, contract values are determined mainly by the market and private agreements between landlords and tenants.
The regulation is found in statute A.R.S. § 33-1329, which states that rent control is a matter reserved to the state and that cities or municipalities do not have the authority to impose limits on rent prices.
Landlords Can Raise Rent Without Limits: What the Law Says
The legal text is clear on this point. State law establishes that cities and towns do not have the power to control the rents of private residential properties, since that power is “preempted by the state,” meaning it is reserved to the state government.
This means that in major cities such as Phoenix, Tucson, or Mesa, local governments cannot create rent control programs or set caps on rent increases.
In practice, this regulation allows landlords to raise rent when a lease ends or is renewed, as long as they meet the notice requirements established by state law.
According to legal guides based on state law, there is no legal limit on how much rent can increase in Arizona, which gives landlords broad freedom to set prices according to market demand.
How the Rental System Works in Arizona
The prohibition on rent control is not new. Arizona adopted this policy decades ago and has since maintained a model considered one of the most landlord-friendly in the United States.
Under this scheme:
- There are no legal caps on rent increases.
- Cities cannot pass rent control laws.
- Increases are usually applied when the lease ends or is renewed.
The only exception provided for by law applies to government-funded or subsidized housing, where special regulations may exist.