Updated October 2026. Two new Arizona laws from the 2026 session affect residential landlords, and both took effect in September 2026. SB 1426 speeds up the removal of squatters who were never tenants. HB 2244 sets a 15-day deadline for landlords to respond when a former tenant asks the court to mark a paid eviction judgment as satisfied. The Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act’s core rules didn’t change. The deposit cap, notice periods and eviction steps work the same way they did in 2025.

Several earlier changes still catch owners off guard, including the end of city rental sales tax in January 2025, a 2025 assistance animal law, and HUD’s withdrawal of its assistance animal guidance. Here’s what each one means for a single-family rental in the Phoenix area. This is a general summary, not legal advice.

New in 2026: two laws that affect landlords

The Legislature adjourned on June 13, 2026. Unless a bill says otherwise, laws from the session took effect on the general effective date in September 2026.

SB 1426: faster removal of unauthorized occupants (Laws 2026, Chapter 69)

Governor Hobbs signed SB 1426 on May 29, 2026. It amends A.R.S. 12-1173, the forcible detainer statute. If a person who was never a tenant refuses an owner’s reasonable request to leave a residential property, the court must issue a writ of restitution immediately after signing a judgment against them. Before this law, an owner waited out the normal post-judgment period first.

The law has strict limits. It doesn’t apply to current or former tenants, immediate family members, anyone who had an agreement to live with the owner, a property that was open to the public when the person entered, or a situation where other litigation is pending between the owner and the occupant. It also says it doesn’t change landlord and tenant rights under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. A tenant who stops paying still goes through a normal eviction. We cover the details in our Arizona squatter law guide.

HB 2244: satisfaction of eviction judgments (Laws 2026, Chapter 194)

Governor Hobbs signed HB 2244 on June 19, 2026. It amends A.R.S. 12-1567 and 22-247. Existing law already required the winning party to file a satisfaction of judgment within 40 days after a judgment is paid in full. The new rule applies when a tenant pays an eviction judgment and then files a motion to compel the landlord to record that payment.

• The landlord has 15 days to respond to the motion. In justice court, the clock runs from filing and service.
• If the landlord doesn’t respond, the filing fee is waived, no hearing is held, and the judgment is treated as satisfied once the tenant shows proof of payment.
• The court may also seal the eviction records under A.R.S. 33-1379.

For owners, the practical fix is to track every eviction judgment. When a former tenant pays in full, file the satisfaction promptly and don’t let a motion sit unanswered.

Changes from 2025 that still apply

Rental sales tax (TPT) repeal

Since January 1, 2025, Arizona cities and towns can’t charge transaction privilege tax on residential rentals of 30 days or more. The Arizona Department of Revenue automatically canceled licenses that covered only residential rental (business code 045). If your license also covers other activity, ADOR closed the rental location. You don’t need to do anything for long-term rentals, but returns for periods through December 31, 2024 still had to be filed. Short-term rentals of fewer than 30 days are still taxable.

Assistance animal law (HB 2068, Laws 2025, Chapter 191)

Signed May 13, 2025, HB 2068 added definitions to A.R.S. 41-1491. An “assistance animal” can be any animal, trained or untrained, that provides work, assistance or therapeutic or emotional support for a person with a disability. A “service animal” is limited to a dog or miniature horse trained to perform tasks. The law also added A.R.S. 41-1497.38, which says a landlord isn’t liable for injuries or damages caused by an assistance or service animal allowed as a reasonable accommodation. It doesn’t reduce a tenant’s fair housing rights. Landlords still have to consider accommodation requests.

HUD withdrew its assistance animal guidance

In a Federal Register notice published April 6, 2026, HUD confirmed it withdrew eight fair housing guidance documents effective September 17, 2025. They include FHEO-2020-01, its 2020 guidance on assistance animal requests. The Fair Housing Act itself didn’t change, and HUD said noncompliant conduct is still subject to enforcement. Arizona’s own fair housing law, A.R.S. 41-1491.19, still requires reasonable accommodations. Our Arizona Fair Housing Act post covers the broader rules.

What did not pass in 2026

Many tenant-side bills failed to advance in 2026, according to the Arizona Multihousing Association’s session summary. None of these are law:

• Rental application fee limits and disclosures (HB 2243, HB 2709). Arizona still has no statewide cap on application fees.
• An annual rent increase cap tied to inflation (HB 2718). A.R.S. 33-1329 still bars cities from adopting rent control.
• Just-cause requirements for some evictions (HB 2710).
• A ban on refusing tenants based on lawful source of income (HB 2962).
• Indoor temperature standards with a heat-related eviction moratorium (SB 1608). The sponsor plans to reintroduce it.
• Limits on institutional and corporate purchases of single-family homes (HB 2325, HB 2705, HB 2706).

Short-term rental bills, including SB 1076 (permit caps in smaller towns), weren’t enacted either.

What hasn’t changed

• Security deposits, including prepaid rent, are capped at one and one-half months’ rent, and the purpose of any nonrefundable fee must be stated in writing (A.R.S. 33-1321).
• A five-day notice for nonpayment, a ten-day notice for most other lease violations, and a five-day notice for health and safety violations (A.R.S. 33-1368).
• Thirty days’ written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (A.R.S. 33-1375).
• Two days’ notice before entering, except in emergencies (A.R.S. 33-1343).
• Registering every rental with the county assessor, with an Arizona statutory agent for out-of-state owners (A.R.S. 33-1902).

How we keep owners current

Property Plus USA manages hundreds of homes across the Phoenix metro and Pinal County, including Phoenix rentals. We update our leases, notices and procedures when the law changes, and evictions are handled through counsel. If you self-manage and aren’t sure your lease still fits, see our management plans or call 480-586-3700 for a free rental analysis.

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