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The Arizona Rental Application Process

The Arizona rental application allows landlords to verify a prospective tenant's background information and credit history before signing a lease agreement. In Arizona, there is no maximum for application fees; landlords may charge as much as they think is fair. The landlord may require a non-refundable fee to cover the cost of a background/credit history report and may also require an additional “earnest money” fee to process the application. If the applicant is accepted, the earnest money fee is applied to a portion of the first month’s rent and/or the required security deposit.

In Arizona, the security deposit for approved tenants may not exceed one and one-half month’s rent. Mobile home parks, however, may ask for two months' rent for security deposits.

Except for housing meant exclusively for older persons, it is not legal in Arizona to discriminate against families with children, including pregnant women and families with foster or adopted children.

Arizona law allows for age restriction. For example, 80% of the rental units must be occupied by at least one person who is 55 years old or older. Questions about the applicant’s age and if the applicant has any children who will reside with them are allowed on rental applications for age-restricted properties. If the property is age-restricted, landlords cannot rent to applicants with minor children who will live with them.

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A Sample Arizona Rental Application with Examples for Each Step

The rental application should include the following sections:

• Prospective Property Information including address, rent, security deposit, proposed move-in date, and length of lease term
• Name of Applicant
• Contact Information including current address, phone number(s), and email address
• Date of Birth
• Social Security Number
• Driver's License Number/State Identification Number
• Rental/Residence History current/three to five years, including the reason for moving, rental amount, lease end date, landlord name, and contact information
• Employment History including occupation, current position, employer, address, phone, name of supervisor, gross income, and sources of all income, previous employers, and length of time employed
• Two Credit References bank accounts/credit card account
• Three Personal References including name, relationship to applicant, address, and phone number
• Emergency Contact including name, relationship to applicant, address, and phone number; this information is voluntary in nature
• Applicant's History including questions about prior violations of rental agreements, late rent payment(s), rental property left damaged, evictions or rent owed after leaving, bankruptcy filings, criminal convictions, lawsuits, in-progress litigation
• All Other Proposed Occupants including relationship to applicant, age, and occupation
• Vehicles Currently Owned by Applicant and owned by other proposed occupants, including make, model, year, color, and license plate number
• Pet Information if any
• Prohibition Against Discrimination “Discrimination is illegal on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, or family status”
• Dated Agreement and Authorized Signature including a provision giving consent to a credit/criminal background check and acknowledgment of the non-refundable application fee

Rental Application Resources for Tenants in Arizona

Arizona Tenants Advocates                 

Community Legal Services   

Arizona Department of Housing                 

Southwest Fair Housing Council/Landlord and Tenant Resource Center                                                               

Arizona Rental Application Laws

According to Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 33-1321, landlords may not request more than one and a half (1.5) month’s rent as a security deposit. Upon moving out, the landlord has fourteen (14) business days to return the deposit to the tenant, less any damages or other fees.