Updated October 2026. In Arizona, a landlord who provides air conditioning or evaporative cooling must keep it in good working order and supply reasonable cooling when the weather calls for it (A.R.S. 33-1324). When a tenant gives written notice that a cooling failure threatens health and safety, the landlord generally has five days to fix it before the tenant can end the lease. Phoenix and Tempe go further. Their city codes require cooled rooms to stay at or below 82°F with air conditioning.

In Phoenix summers, a cooling outage is the most urgent repair a rental can have. Here’s what state law and local codes require, and how good landlords respond. This is a general overview, not legal advice.

What Arizona state law requires

The landlord’s duty: A.R.S. 33-1324

Two parts of A.R.S. 33-1324 apply to cooling. Subsection A(4) requires landlords to keep heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other supplied appliances “in good and safe working order and condition.” Subsection A(6) requires reasonable air conditioning or cooling, where installed and offered, when seasonal weather requires it.

Arizona has no statewide rule that every rental must have air conditioning. The duty applies to cooling the landlord installs and offers, which covers nearly every single-family rental in the Valley.

Shifting duties in a single-family lease

For single-family homes, A.R.S. 33-1324(C) lets the landlord and tenant agree in writing that the tenant will handle certain duties, including cooling. The agreement must be made in good faith, supported by adequate consideration, and not meant to dodge the landlord’s obligations. It also can’t cover work needed to keep the home habitable. Routine filter changes are commonly assigned to tenants. Replacing a failed compressor generally isn’t something a lease can push onto a tenant.

How long a landlord has to fix AC

Five days or ten days

Under A.R.S. 33-1361, a tenant may give written notice of a breach. If the problem materially affects health and safety and isn’t fixed within five days after the landlord receives the notice, the tenant may end the lease. For other material breaches, the period is ten days. The Arizona Attorney General’s May 27, 2025 advisory to landlords said a broken AC during dangerous heat can fall in the five-day category, and that the deadline may be shorter when indoor temperatures exceed city limits.

Tenant remedies

• Repair and deduct for minor defects (A.R.S. 33-1363). After written notice and ten days, or less in an emergency, a tenant may have a licensed contractor do the repair and deduct the cost from rent. The cap is $300 or half the monthly rent, whichever is greater.
• Substitute housing (A.R.S. 33-1364). If cooling isn’t supplied, a tenant who gives reasonable notice may move to reasonable substitute housing and is excused from rent during that time. They may also recover up to 25% more than the excused rent if the substitute costs more.
• Damages based on the reduced rental value, and termination after the notice period runs out.

These remedies aren’t available when the tenant, a household member or a guest caused the problem.

What landlords can never do

A landlord may not shut off cooling or other essential services to push a tenant out or punish late rent (A.R.S. 33-1374). A tenant who is locked out or has utilities deliberately cut can recover the greater of two months’ rent or twice actual damages (A.R.S. 33-1367).

Why written notice matters

Every state remedy starts with notice. A.R.S. 33-1341 also requires tenants to promptly tell the landlord in writing about anything that needs repair. The Arizona courts’ self-service center publishes a form tenants can use, “Notice of Failure to Provide Adequate Air Conditioning.” For landlords, a time-stamped request in a maintenance portal creates the same record and starts the clock. Respond in writing, log every vendor visit, and keep invoices. If a dispute reaches court, that paper trail shows when you learned of the problem and what you did about it.

City cooling ordinances

Phoenix

Phoenix City Code Section 39-5 requires rental units with cooling to keep habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms at or below 82°F when cooled by air conditioning, or 86°F with evaporative cooling. Temperatures are measured three feet above the floor in the center of the room. Systems must be kept operational and in good repair. Tenants can report violations to the city’s Landlord and Tenant Program at 602-262-7210.

Tempe

Tempe City Code Section 21-34, part of its rental housing code, requires permanent cooling under the tenant’s control. It must keep rooms at or below 82°F with air conditioning or 88°F with evaporative cooling. Our Tempe property management page covers renting in that city.

Other cities

Tucson’s code also sets an 82°F limit for air conditioning. In other Valley cities, the state rules above still apply. A 2026 bill to set statewide indoor temperature standards, SB 1608, didn’t pass, according to the Arizona Multihousing Association. Its sponsor plans to reintroduce it.

How a well-run rental handles a cooling outage

• Treat no-cooling calls as emergencies from May through September and send a licensed HVAC technician the same day or as soon as possible.
• Keep the tenant informed in writing, with arrival times, diagnosis and parts timelines.
• If a part is backordered, provide temporary portable cooling and consider a hotel stay when indoor temperatures stay high.
• Service systems every spring so units don’t fail at the first 110-degree week.
• Put tenant duties, such as monthly filter changes and keeping outdoor units clear, in the lease.
• Ask about heat-related disability needs. The Attorney General reminded landlords that reasonable accommodations apply, and heat is especially risky for older residents.

For more on what tenants can and can’t do, see our Arizona landlord-tenant law guide.

24/7 emergency response is part of our service

Property Plus USA provides 24/7 emergency maintenance response for every home we manage. Residents submit requests through the Rentvine resident portal or by phone, and we coordinate the HVAC repair. Owners on the Property Plus plan also get HomeCare Checks that can catch problems before summer. See our plans and pricing or call 480-586-3700.

Frequently asked questions