Arizona bill protects tenants with temperature standards

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(The Center Square) - A new Arizona bill seeks to protect tenants by establishing temperature standards for rental properties.

State Sen. Lauren Kuby, D-Scottsdale, has introduced Senate Bill 1608, which requires rental properties statewide to keep their indoor temperatures between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Attorney General Kris Mayes collaborated with Kuby on SB 1608.

Mayes said Arizonans should not have to “suffer in dangerous heat or cold because their landlord fails to maintain safe living conditions.”

"This legislation establishes common-sense protections that recognize that landlords have a responsibility to provide safe and habitable housing even in rural parts of our state. It's far past time we provide these protections to every tenant in Arizona,” she added.

Kuby told The Center Square that the attorney general believed improvements to Arizona law were needed to “take these cases to court.”

The bill sets “enforceable standards,” said Kuby, who introduced SB 1608 last week.

She said she has received calls from constituents reporting that their landlords or property managers are not addressing air-conditioning issues.

“This isn’t an abstract issue. Delaying repairs costs lives,” Kuby explained.

Temperatures over 82 degrees can “be really dangerous” for seniors, babies, and people with disabilities and chronic issues, she noted.

“Air conditioning in Arizona is not optional. It is essential,” she said.

SB 1608 is attempting “to protect public health [and] respond to heat emergencies,” Kuby said.

Richie Taylor, the communications director for Mayes, told The Center Square that SB 1608 is “modeled after protections for renters in municipal city code in cities like Phoenix, as well as other municipalities around the nation.”

Cities may set temperature standards between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit, but remain within that range, Kuby said.

For example, a city could require that the highest temperature be 80 degrees and the lowest 70 degrees.

SB 1608 would also change Arizona law to allow tenants to break their lease in two days if landlords fail to “provide functioning air conditioning or heating.” Current state law allows tenants to do it within five days.

If landlords can’t resolve the issue within that timeframe, they will need to offer alternative accommodations, such as a hotel or another apartment, until the issue is resolved, Kuby said.

The senator told The Center Square that SB 1608 is “trying to tighten up the law and make it so that the courts could take action.”

According to Kuby, the attorney general has worked on “tenant protections” during her tenure.

In 2025, Mayes filed three lawsuits against companies for endangering residents during the hot summers. Arizona desert areas such as Phoenix are known for their highs exceeding 100 degrees.