Mesa Landlord-Tenant Rules
Mesa adds local rules on top of Arizona landlord-tenant law. Here is what is different, with the city code or agency page behind each rule.
| Fair housing (local protected classes) | Mesa's Non-Discrimination Ordinance covers housing, so owners and landlords may not discriminate in the sale or rental of a dwelling, subject to certain limited exclusions. Its 14 protected classes are race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, veteran status, marital status and familial status. Complaints go to the City Clerk's Office within 90 calendar days, and must involve conduct within Mesa city limits. Anonymous complaints are not accepted. The parties must first try mediation in good faith, and if that fails the City investigates. Civil penalties are $300 for a first violation, $300 to $2,500 for a second within 12 months, and $600 to $2,500 for later violations within 24 months. Contact: 480-644-5034 or mesacompliance@mesaaz.gov. Source of income is not a protected class in Mesa. The city's Fair Housing page lists only the federal and state classes and sends those complaints to the Arizona Attorney General's Civil Rights Division. Source: Mesa City Code Title 6, Ch. 14 |
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| Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line | Report code violations, including housing or property maintenance problems, to Mesa Code Compliance online through CityLink (mesaaz.citysourced.com), the MesaNow app, by email to codecomp.info@mesaaz.gov, or by phone at 480-644-2061 (Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 480-644-3399 after hours). Unsafe structures are referred to the Building Inspector. Owners who do not fix a violation can be cited before a Civil Hearing Officer, and repeat cases can go to the City Prosecutor. The page does not say whether Code Compliance inspects conditions inside rental units. No Mesa rental registration or rental inspection program was found, and state law limits them (see State preemption). Source: Official source |
| Rental assistance | Mesa's Security & Utility Deposit Assistance Program pays the refundable part of the security and utility deposit, directly to the landlord and utility, for households moving into a Mesa rental. Income must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income, the applicant must not yet have signed the lease or moved in, and the unit must pass an inspection. Help depends on available funds. For other housing crises, the Mesa Hope Line is 480-644-HOPE (4673), hope@mesaaz.gov. No current City of Mesa eviction-prevention rent program was found. The pandemic-era Mesa CARES and ERAP rent programs appear to have ended. Source: Official source |
| State preemption | Arizona preempts local rent control: cities, including charter cities, may not control rents on private residential property. Arizona cities also may not adopt a residential rental licensing or registration requirement, and may get rental registration information only from the county assessor. A citywide rental inspection program needs a public hearing, mailed notice to registered rental owners, and a three-fourths council vote. Rent control statute: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01329.htm. It does not apply to property a state agency or city owns, finances, insures or subsidizes. |
Eviction cases in Mesa are heard in: Maricopa County Justice Courts (the court is listed on the tenant's summons)
Right to a lawyer in eviction cases
No. Official source
Local agencies
- Mesa City Clerk's Office (Non-Discrimination Ordinance) — Takes housing discrimination complaints under Mesa City Code Title 6, Ch. 14. 480-644-5034.
- Mesa Code Compliance — Investigates property maintenance and other code violations. 480-644-2061.
- Mesa Housing Authority / Human Services — Section 8 vouchers and deposit assistance. 480-644-3536, housing.info@mesaaz.gov.
- Community Legal Services — Free or low-cost eviction help, as listed by the Maricopa County Justice Courts.
Frequently asked questions
What landlord-tenant rules does Mesa add on top of Arizona law?
Fair housing (local protected classes): Mesa's Non-Discrimination Ordinance covers housing, so owners and landlords may not discriminate in the sale or rental of a dwelling, subject to certain limited exclusions. Its 14 protected classes are race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, veteran status, marital status and familial status. Complaints go to the City Clerk's Office within 90 calendar days, and must involve conduct within Mesa city limits. Anonymous complaints are not accepted. The parties must first try mediation in good faith, and if that fails the City investigates. Civil penalties are $300 for a first violation, $300 to $2,500 for a second within 12 months, and $600 to $2,500 for later violations within 24 months. Contact: 480-644-5034 or mesacompliance@mesaaz.gov.; Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line: Report code violations, including housing or property maintenance problems, to Mesa Code Compliance online through CityLink (mesaaz.citysourced.com), the MesaNow app, by email to codecomp.info@mesaaz.gov, or by phone at 480-644-2061 (Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 480-644-3399 after hours). Unsafe structures are referred to the Building Inspector. Owners who do not fix a violation can be cited before a Civil Hearing Officer, and repeat cases can go to the City Prosecutor.; Rental assistance: Mesa's Security & Utility Deposit Assistance Program pays the refundable part of the security and utility deposit, directly to the landlord and utility, for households moving into a Mesa rental. Income must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income, the applicant must not yet have signed the lease or moved in, and the unit must pass an inspection. Help depends on available funds. For other housing crises, the Mesa Hope Line is 480-644-HOPE (4673), hope@mesaaz.gov.; State preemption: Arizona preempts local rent control: cities, including charter cities, may not control rents on private residential property. Arizona cities also may not adopt a residential rental licensing or registration requirement, and may get rental registration information only from the county assessor. A citywide rental inspection program needs a public hearing, mailed notice to registered rental owners, and a three-fourths council vote.
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.