New landlord or new tenant? Know your rights. FREE Help!
Jun 18, 2012, 6:00 PM | Updated: 6:53 pm
So you’re a landlord. Now what?
Your place is underwater, way underwater. You can’t
sell because you won’t get what you want/need for it.
The payments may be a little too much for you.
So you decide you’ll rent a place for less than your
motgage payment and then rent your home out.
Easy peasy, right?
Not so much.
Another familiar scenario…. you get married, engaged or
move in together.
Now you’ve got an extra place on your hands.
You’re not alone.
There are hundreds of people in the Valley that have found
themselves in a position they didn’t really want on their
resume…..Landlord.
Linda Williams, my co-host, has coined the term
“Accidental Landlords” for That
Real Estate Show airing
Saturdays at 3pm on News Talk 92.3 KTAR.
By the same token, with so many short sales and
foreclosures, people are renting until they get their
credit back up to where they can buy again.
Out of these two groups we’re finding no one knows their
rights.
A whole whack of people that don’t know what they’re
doing.
Myself included.
There is help.
It’s coming in the form of the City of Phoenix. More on
that in a moment.
For example, I thought if my renter notifies me that
something is broken, I have 48 hours to fix it.
Turns out I have 5 days for emergency items and 10 days
to fix other items.
Did you also know that if you have a rental property you
are supposed to register with Maricopa County?
We’re talking fines of $1,000 if you don’t. Serious
stuff.
If you live out of state you have to have someone in state
that can represent you so the city can contact them.
Back to the City of Phoenix.
Alma Lara joined us on the show. She’s a Landlord and
Tenant Conselor with the City of Phoenix.
Listen here for the interview and more
information.
The City of Phoenix also provides a Landlord and Tenant
Workshop every quarter.
Best part? It’s free.
The next on is July 19, 2012
City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department
3325 W. Flower, Phoenix, AZ, 85017
(Thomas & 32nd Avenue)
Did I mention that it’s free?
I’ll be there.
The Neighborhood Services Department is home to the only
city-run certified Landlord/Tenant Counseling Program in
Arizona. Counselors provide education to both landlords
and tenants on their rights under the Arizona Residential
Landlord and Tenant Act.
The Landlord/Tenant Counselors provide counseling and
housing mediation services to city of Phoenix residents,
and information to landlords and tenants in-person and on
the phone. Counselors also conduct workshops to educate
the public about the provisions of the Arizona Residential
Landlord and Tenant Act.
Contact Information
Landlord/Tenant Counselors Program
Neighborhood Services Department
200 W. Washington St., 4th Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone: 602-262-7210
Email: landlord.tenant.nsd@phoenix.gov
Diane Brennan is Your Voice in Real Estate for the
Phoenix, Arizona metro area. She also co-hosts That
Real
Estate Show on News Talk 92.3 KTAR. She failed
miserably
at pursuing a career in Gold Digging and currently helps
people buy and sell property everywhere in the Phoenix
metro area from Scottsdale to Paradise Valley to Goodyear
and Chandler. Rumor is she knows her stuff and can be
quite enjoyable to be around for long periods of time.
Her driving….not so much.
