In an Arizona residential rental, the landlord must keep the plumbing in good and safe working order, so wear-and-tear repairs are normally the landlord's. A tenant who deliberately or negligently damages plumbing loses the statutory repair remedies for that damage. Written notice starts every clock, and a single-family lease may shift some tasks.
What the law says in two sentences
A.R.S. 33-1324 requires the landlord to "Maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other facilities and appliances, including elevators, supplied or required to be supplied by him." A.R.S. 33-1341 requires the tenant to "Use in a reasonable manner all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other facilities and appliances" and to "Not deliberately or negligently destroy, deface, damage, impair or remove any part of the premises."
That is the whole framework. Everything below is how it plays out at the sink.
Common situations, one by one
| What happened | Usually whose repair | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Water heater stops heating or leaks from old age | Landlord | The landlord must supply "reasonable amounts of hot water at all times" and keep supplied appliances in working order |
| Supply line or pipe in a wall starts leaking | Landlord | Plumbing the landlord supplies must be kept in good and safe working order |
| Faucet drips or a toilet runs from worn parts | Landlord | Ordinary wear on supplied fixtures |
| Drain clogs from normal use, or roots in the main line | Landlord | See who pays for a clogged drain in an Arizona rental |
| Toy, wipes or an object jammed in the toilet or disposal | Tenant's side | The tenant must not deliberately or negligently damage or impair the premises |
| Fixture cracked or broken by the tenant or a guest | Tenant's side | Same tenant duty, and a guest is a "person on the premises with the tenant's consent" |
| Total loss of running water or hot water | Landlord, with extra tenant remedies | 33-1364 |
"Usually" matters in that column. The statutes do not say in so many words who pays a plumber's invoice for every case, and a disputed cause is exactly what sends rental plumbing arguments to a judge.
Why the cause changes the remedies
Two statutes carve out a tenant-caused condition. Under 33-1363, a tenant "may not repair at the landlord's expense if the condition was caused by the deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant, a member of the tenant's family or other person on the premises with the tenant's consent." The termination remedy in 33-1361 has a similar carve-out. So when a plumber finds a child's toy or a mop head in the line, the tenant can't lean on those remedies for it. A written diagnosis that says what was found and where protects whichever side is right, because a claim that a drain simply stopped working is hard to prove either way.
What the tenant has to do first
Tell the landlord in writing. The tenant must "Promptly notify the landlord in writing of any situation or occurrence that requires the landlord to provide maintenance or make repairs." A text or a phone call is easy to dispute. A dated email or letter, with photos, is not.
If a small repair is ignored, 33-1363 gives a self-help path. When the reasonable cost is "less than three hundred dollars, or an amount equal to one-half of the monthly rent, whichever amount is greater," and the landlord doesn't comply within ten days after written notice (or as promptly as conditions require in an emergency), the tenant "may cause the work to be done by a licensed contractor and, after submitting to the landlord an itemized statement and a waiver of lien, deduct from his rent the actual and reasonable cost of the work." The same section limits this to conditions that breach the duty to keep the premises fit and habitable.
For no running water or no hot water, 33-1364 lets a tenant who gives reasonable notice buy the service during the landlord's noncompliance and deduct its actual reasonable cost from rent, among other options. The Justice Courts in Maricopa County add one warning: Arizona does not allow tenants to "rent strike." A tenant "cannot stop paying rent merely because they are having a problem with their landlord." Withholding rent without following the statute can put a tenant in breach.
Can a lease make the tenant pay?
Partly, for a single-family home. 33-1324(C) lets the landlord and tenant of a single family residence agree in writing, for adequate consideration, that the tenant handles "specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations and remodeling," but only if the deal is made in good faith, "not for the purpose of evading the obligations of the landlord," and the work "is not necessary to cure noncompliance" with the duties to follow building codes and keep the home fit and habitable. For other dwellings, the statute requires a separate signed writing. A lease line that hands a tenant every plumbing problem therefore deserves a second look.
For landlords and property managers
A repair that is done fast and documented ends the argument. When a rental has an active leak, HQ offers 24/7 emergency service, is licensed and insured, and gives free estimates with upfront pricing. See HQ residential plumbing. Tenants dealing with a leak right now can read how long an Arizona landlord has to fix a leak for the notice clocks.