Arizona Rental Fee Rules
Arizona rules on rental fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No statute caps or bans rental application or screening fees, and no statute requires portable screening reports. A.R.S. § 33-1321(B); A.R.S. Title 33, Ch. 10 (§§ 33-1301 to 33-1381) checked
The rules in Arizona
| Application / screening fees | No statute caps or bans rental application or screening fees, and no statute requires portable screening reports. The only general rule is that the landlord must state in writing the purpose of any nonrefundable fee or deposit, and any fee or deposit not designated nonrefundable is refundable. Two application-fee bills were introduced but do not appear in the current A.R.S. section list for Chapter 10 (no § 33-1320 or § 33-1322.01): HB 2243 (2026; proposed § 33-1320, fees capped at actual cost) and SB 1580 (2025). Nothing indicates either was enacted. Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
|---|---|
| Other rental fees | No general junk-fee or total-cost-of-rent statute. Specific limits: (1) the purpose of every nonrefundable fee must be stated in writing, and fees not designated nonrefundable are refundable (§ 33-1321(B)); (2) a landlord who bills utilities separately through submetering or ratio utility billing may recover only the provider's charges plus an administrative fee for actual administrative costs, with no other charges, and the lease must disclose the separately billed utilities and the fee amount (§ 33-1314.01(B)); (3) late fees must be 'reasonable' and set out in a written rental agreement to be required for reinstatement (§ 33-1368(B)); (4) a lease may not require the tenant to pay the landlord's attorney fees, except under a prevailing-party clause (§ 33-1315(A)(2)). No statute on online-payment or convenience fees was found in Chapter 10. SB 1580 (2025), which would have let tenants opt out of nonessential services such as smart-home fees and limited added fees, does not appear in the current A.R.S. Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
Related questions
- How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee?
- What rental fees are illegal (junk fees)?
Arizona vs. neighboring states
| State | Application / screening fees | Other rental fees |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | No statute caps or bans rental application or screening fees, and no statute requires portable screening reports. The only general rule is that the landlord must state in writing the purpose of any nonrefundable fee or deposit, and any fee or deposit not designated nonrefundable is refundable. A.R.S. § 33-1321(B); A.R.S. Title 33, Ch. 10 (§§ 33-1301 to 33-1381) checked | No general junk-fee or total-cost-of-rent statute. Specific limits: (1) the purpose of every nonrefundable fee must be stated in writing, and fees not designated nonrefundable are refundable (§ 33-1321(B)); (2) a landlord who bills utilities separately through submetering or ratio utility billing may recover only the provider's charges plus an administrative fee for actual administrative costs, with no other charges, and the lease must disclose the separately billed utilities and the fee amount (§ 33-1314.01(B)); (3) late fees must be 'reasonable' and set out in a written rental agreement to be required for reinstatement (§ 33-1368(B)); (4) a lease may not require the tenant to pay the landlord's attorney fees, except under a prevailing-party clause (§ 33-1315(A)(2)). A.R.S. §§ 33-1321(B), 33-1314.01, 33-1368(B), 33-1315(A) |
| California | An application screening fee is capped at the landlord's actual out-of-pocket costs and the value of time spent, and may not exceed $30 per applicant, adjusted annually by CPI since 1998. Guarantors and cosigners count as applicants. A landlord may not charge a fee when it knows or should know that no unit is or will soon be available. Since January 1, 2025 (AB 2493), a fee is allowed only if the landlord either (A) considers completed applications in the order received under written screening criteria given with the application, approves the first qualified applicant, and charges no fee until an application is actually considered (fees collected by mistake must be refunded within 7 days), or (B) refunds the full fee to every applicant who is not selected, within 7 days of selecting a tenant or 30 days after the application, whichever comes first. The landlord must give an itemized receipt and, if a fee was paid, a copy of the credit report within 7 days of receiving it. Any part of the fee not spent on screening must be refunded. If a landlord chooses to accept a reusable tenant screening report (prepared within the last 30 days at the applicant's expense), it may not charge an application fee or a fee to access that report. Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1950.6, 1950.1 | Any fee charged at the start of a tenancy to cover the cost of processing a new tenant counts as 'security'. It therefore falls under the deposit cap and refund rules, and no part of it may be labeled nonrefundable. Application screening fees are regulated separately. A landlord must accept at least one form of rent payment that is neither cash nor electronic funds transfer, and may not charge a fee for paying rent or deposit by check. Since January 1, 2025 (SB 611), a landlord may not charge a fee for serving, posting, or delivering a termination notice. If a tenant opts into positive rent reporting to credit bureaus, the landlord may charge no more than the lesser of its actual cost or $10 per month, and nothing if it has no cost. Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1950.5(b), (n); 1947.3(a)-(b); 1946(b); 1946.1(i); 1954.07(g) |
| Nevada | No dollar cap. A landlord who collects an application, credit-report or background-check fee must refund it if the unit is rented to someone else and the landlord did not actually process the application or obtain the report or check. Landlords may not charge application, credit-report or background-check fees for a minor (under 18) in the applicant's household. NRS 118A.306 (added 2025) | Yes (2025). Every place a landlord lists rent, and every reference in a written lease, must state rent as a single figure that includes all mandatory fees; the landlord may not charge more than that figure. The only exception is a separately disclosed, pass-through monthly fee for individually provided electric, gas or water service where the utility cannot contract with the tenant directly (or master-metered water), flagged by an asterisk with a statement on the same page. Leases must list required fees and their purposes. Landlords must offer at least one free way to pay rent that does not require bank-account information, and any online-portal fee may not exceed what the portal operator charges and must be separately identified in the lease. Landlords may not charge tenants for repairs that are the landlord's duty (including home-warranty deductibles or copays) unless the tenant caused the damage. NRS 118A.200(3), (6)-(9); NRS 118A.303; NRS 118A.290(4)-(5) |
| Utah | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| New Mexico | Screening fees are capped at $50, to cover a credit report, reference check, or screening service. The owner must: give written or digital notice of the fee and get the applicant's written agreement to pay; not charge a fee when the owner knows or should know the unit is not available; give a receipt; hold the card or not deposit cash or checks until all earlier applicants have been screened and rejected, or offered the unit and declined; and charge no other application-processing fees. The fee must be returned within 30 days if an earlier applicant takes the unit or if the owner never runs the credit report, reference check, or screening, or never processes the application. Returns go by certified mail, by destroying the check on request, or by making the money available for pickup. Only one screening fee may be charged to the same applicant within 90 days for properties under the same ownership, and the owner must give the applicant copies of any reports used. Penalty for an unauthorized screening fee: $250 plus return of all fees. Laws 2025, ch. 122 (SB 267), §§ 3, 4, 7 (new UORRA sections; amended NMSA § 47-8-48(B)) | Every published rental listing must disclose in plain language all costs of the rental agreement: the base rent plus an itemized, readily identifiable description of every fee or charge that will be assessed during the residency. An owner is not liable for a third-party website's failure to show the costs the owner provided. Lease fees may be raised only with written notice at least 60 days before the periodic rental date or before the end of a fixed term (one rental period for residencies shorter than a month). Under the Unfair Practices Act, it is an unfair or deceptive trade practice to charge an applicant any fee other than a screening fee or deposit, or one not published in the listing, or to charge fees not included in the rental agreement. Late fees are capped at 5% of rent per rental period in default. Laws 2025, ch. 122 (SB 267), §§ 2, 5, 6, 9 |
| Colorado | No fixed dollar cap. Under the Rental Application Fairness Act, a landlord may charge an application fee only to cover its actual or average costs of processing applications. The fee must be the same for every applicant for the unit, or for all units the landlord is offering at the same time. The landlord must disclose anticipated expenses or itemize actual expenses, explaining how any average-cost fee is calculated. The landlord must give a receipt (electronic unless the applicant asks for paper) and make a good-faith effort to refund any unused portion within 20 calendar days. Landlords must accept a portable tenant screening report and may not charge an application fee or any fee to access it. The landlord may require that the report is no more than 30 days old, is free to access, and comes with the applicant's statement that nothing material has changed. Applicants must be told of this right in ads, on the landlord's website, in the application, or orally. Landlords who accept only one application fee at a time and refund it within 20 days of a decline are exempt from the portable-report rules. A denial must be in writing with reasons, sent within 20 days. Violations: $2,500 plus costs and attorney fees after 7 days' notice, or $50 if the landlord cures within 7 days. Starting January 1, 2027, every rental application must also include a notice of the information and data the landlord will try to access when screening, a general description of the factors the landlord will consider (including credit history, rental history, income and, if applicable, criminal background), and whether the landlord uses a third-party tenant screening service and, if so, its name. The landlord does not have to adopt or disclose fixed disqualifying criteria. C.R.S. §§ 38-12-901 to 38-12-905; § 38-12-904(1.7) (added by HB 26-1196, effective Jan. 1, 2027) | Since January 1, 2026, rent advertisements and offers must show the total price, meaning all mandatory fees, as one number that is more prominent than any other price information. Landlords may not misrepresent fees and must disclose the nature, refundability, and recipient of any optional charges. The cost of separately billed utilities need not be included. Landlords may not charge tenants for: utilities above what the provider bills for the unit; fees that rise more than 2% during a lease of one year or less (except utilities); property taxes; payment processing, unless a free payment method is reasonably available; late fees on anything other than rent; anything needed to meet the landlord's own duties, including habitability; anything not actually provided; or common-area maintenance. Leases may not pass through a markup on third-party services greater than 2% of the bill or $10 a month (not both). A violation is a deceptive trade practice. If a written demand goes unpaid for 14 days, the tenant can recover actual damages plus 18% annual interest. Since March 26, 2026, a landlord may divide a building's utility bill among tenants with a ratio utility billing system (RUBS) only if the total billed to all tenants does not exceed what the utility charges for the whole premises, no markup, surcharge or administrative fee is added, common-area and shared-facility utility costs are left out, and the allocation method is clearly disclosed in the lease or a lease addendum. For residential buildings with permits applied for on or after July 1, 2027, gas, electric and water service must be metered by the utility or by a submeter. C.R.S. § 6-1-737 (added by HB 25-1090); § 38-12-801(3)(a)(VI); § 6-1-737(4)(a), (4.5) (as amended by HB 26-1013) |
City rules that may add to state law
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Arizona Rental Fee Rules FAQ
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Arizona?
No statute caps or bans rental application or screening fees, and no statute requires portable screening reports. The only general rule is that the landlord must state in writing the purpose of any nonrefundable fee or deposit, and any fee or deposit not designated nonrefundable is refundable. (A.R.S. § 33-1321(B); A.R.S. Title 33, Ch. 10 (§§ 33-1301 to 33-1381) checked)
What rental fees are banned or limited in Arizona?
No general junk-fee or total-cost-of-rent statute. Specific limits: (1) the purpose of every nonrefundable fee must be stated in writing, and fees not designated nonrefundable are refundable (§ 33-1321(B)); (2) a landlord who bills utilities separately through submetering or ratio utility billing may recover only the provider's charges plus an administrative fee for actual administrative costs, with no other charges, and the lease must disclose the separately billed utilities and the fee amount (§ 33-1314.01(B)); (3) late fees must be 'reasonable' and set out in a written rental agreement to be required for reinstatement (§ 33-1368(B)); (4) a lease may not require the tenant to pay the landlord's attorney fees, except under a prevailing-party clause (§ 33-1315(A)(2)). (A.R.S. §§ 33-1321(B), 33-1314.01, 33-1368(B), 33-1315(A))
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.