Tempe, AZ Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Division 2 of the Rental Housing Code lays out room-by-room habitability rules. Sec. ' Sec. 21-33 requires at least two electrical outlets and a switch-controlled light in every habitable room, ground-fault protection near sinks and tubs, and lighting in common stairways, entrances and parking areas for buildings with four or more units. Sec. 21-34 sets thermal minimums: heating capable of reaching 'a temperature of at least seventy degrees (70 F)' and cooling that keeps rooms no hotter than 88F on evaporative cooling or 82F on refrigeration, both measured three feet above the floor; unvented portable space heaters and using a stove to heat a room are flatly prohibited.

Sec. 21-35 requires habitable rooms to have at least 10 square feet of glazed natural light and 5 square feet of openable ventilation. Sec. 21-36 sets minimum floor area, 220 square feet total with at least one 120-square-foot common room, and occupancy limits tied to bedroom size. Sec. 21-37 requires dead-bolt locks with a minimum one-inch throw on swinging exterior doors, working locks on accessible windows, and a smoke detector in every unit, with the owner responsible for installation and battery replacement. Sec. 21-38 covers ongoing maintenance: no holes or cracks that admit pests, lead-free paint, weathertight roofs and walls, and functioning appliances and utilities that the owner cannot shut off except for necessary repairs.

These standards are enforced under Article III (Secs. 21-41 to 21-49): a notice to comply sets a correction deadline, and violations can be pursued as a civil sanction up to $2,000 per day per property under Sec. 21-42(b) or as a Class 1 misdemeanor under Sec. 21-42(c).