To rent out your house in Arizona, work through these steps in order: check your mortgage, HOA and insurance; register the rental with your county assessor; prepare the home; price it from current data; market it; screen applicants consistently; sign an Arizona-compliant lease with a deposit of no more than one and a half months’ rent; and document the move-in. Since January 1, 2025, you no longer collect transaction privilege tax (TPT) on long-term residential rent. Here is each step in detail.

Updated October 2026.

Step 1: Check your mortgage, HOA and insurance

Before you list, confirm three things:

• Your loan. Many owner-occupied mortgages include an occupancy requirement for a set period after closing. Read your loan documents, and ask your lender if you are unsure.
• Your HOA. Most Valley subdivisions have an HOA. Under A.R.S. 33-1806.01, you may rent unless the declaration prohibits it, but you must follow any minimum lease term in the CC&Rs. The HOA can ask for tenant names, contact information, lease dates and vehicle details, and can charge up to $25 per new tenancy for collecting them.
• Your insurance. A homeowner’s policy is written for an owner-occupied home. Ask your agent about switching to a landlord or dwelling policy before the tenant moves in.

Step 2: Register the rental with the county assessor

Arizona requires owners of residential rental property to register it with the county assessor (A.R.S. 33-1902). Registration includes the owner’s name, address and phone number, the property address and parcel number, and the year the home was built. For an LLC or trust, it also names a responsible person. Updates are due within 10 days of a change.

• The Maricopa County Assessor uses a registration form with a $10 fee. Pinal County homes register with the Pinal County Assessor.
• If you live outside Arizona, you must also name an Arizona statutory agent who can accept legal service for you.
• A city or town can impose penalties for unregistered rentals. For a newly acquired property, that is $1,000 plus $100 a month until you comply. Penalties are dismissed if you comply within 10 days of the violation notice.

Step 3: Understand the tax picture

• No more rental TPT. The Arizona Department of Revenue confirms that residential rental TPT was eliminated effective January 1, 2025, under an amendment to A.R.S. 42-6004. Licenses that covered only residential rental (business code 045) were canceled automatically. Short-term rentals of less than 30 days follow different rules.
• Federal income tax. Rental income and expenses go on Schedule E, and depreciation starts when the home is ready and available for rent (IRS Publication 527). Talk with a tax professional before your first return as a landlord.

Step 4: Prepare the home

Tenants compare your home with every other listing, so make it rent-ready:

• Service the AC before you list. In Phoenix summers, it is the repair tenants call about first.
• Fix leaks, check smoke detectors, and confirm that locks, windows and appliances work.
• Paint, clean carpets and clear the yard. Clean homes photograph better and lease faster.
• For a home built before 1978, federal rules require a lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA’s “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home” pamphlet.

Step 5: Price it from current data

The Phoenix market has cooled from its peak, so last year’s rent may be too high. Two dated data points show the range:

• Zillow’s September 2026 market report puts the Phoenix metro’s typical rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all rental types) at $1,720, up 1% from a year earlier.
• Rental Beast’s Q2 2026 Phoenix report, based on ARMLS data, puts the median single-family rent at $1,999, down 4.8% from a year earlier. It also found that 65.8% of listings were offering concessions.

These measure different things, and neither prices your specific home. Real pricing comes from leased comparables near you: same bedroom count, similar size, condition and HOA amenities. A free rental analysis from us does exactly that.

Step 6: Market the home

Use clear photos, an accurate description and wide exposure. Our listings go on ARMLS, the Phoenix-area MLS, so local agents with renters can find them, along with major rental sites. Respond to inquiries quickly, since a lead that waits a day often rents somewhere else.

Step 7: Screen every applicant the same way

Set written criteria for income, rental history and background before you take applications, then apply them to every applicant. Consistency is what keeps you within fair housing rules. Verify income and talk to prior landlords instead of relying on a single report.

Step 8: Sign the lease and collect the deposit

• Use a current Arizona lease that covers rent, late fees, maintenance duties, pets and HOA rules.
• Under A.R.S. 33-1321, the security deposit (including prepaid rent) cannot exceed one and a half months’ rent. Any nonrefundable fee must be stated in writing as nonrefundable, with its purpose. Our Arizona security deposit guide covers return deadlines.
• A.R.S. 33-1322 requires giving the tenant, in writing, the name and address of the person managing the home and of an owner or agent who accepts legal notices.

Our Arizona landlord-tenant law overview covers the rest. This isn’t legal advice.

Step 9: Document move-in

Complete a detailed move-in inspection with dated photos, and have the tenant sign it. That record is what supports deposit deductions at move-out.

Step 10: Decide who manages it

Once the tenant is in, someone has to collect rent, handle repairs and answer emergencies around the clock. If that won’t be you, compare what a manager costs. At $2,400 rent, a first year on Property Plus USA’s Basic plan runs $900 ($75 x 12) + $500 leasing + $199 file setup + $200 realtor commission = $1,799. On the Traditional plan, it is $2,304 (8% x $2,400 x 12) + $500 = $2,804. On the Property Plus plan, it is $2,880 (10% x $2,400 x 12) + $500 = $3,380, which adds landlord protection up to $50,000 when we place the tenant.

Get a free rental analysis

Not sure what your home should rent for? Call 480-586-3700 or see our plans on the pricing page. We handle every step above for homes across the Valley, from Glendale to Gilbert.

Frequently asked questions