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Rental Application Fee Laws in Arizona

Arizona law requires a landlord to state in writing the purpose of any nonrefundable fee or deposit, and a fee or deposit not designated as nonrefundable is refundable.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Arizona at a glance

Refund required
Yes, unless designated nonrefundable in writing
A.R.S. 33-1321(B) covers all fees and deposits. It does not name application fees, so applying it to them is an interpretation.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Arizona

Does a landlord in Arizona have to refund an unused application fee?

Yes, unless designated nonrefundable in writing. Refund required in Arizona: yes, unless designated nonrefundable in writing. A.R.S. 33-1321(B) covers all fees and deposits. It does not name application fees, so applying it to them is an interpretation.

Where do the Arizona rental application fee laws come from?

The rules above come from Ariz. Rev. Stat. 33-1321(B). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Before collecting a fee, landlords can tell applicants in writing how much it is, what it pays for, and the screening criteria that will be used. Several statutes require some of this disclosure, and it also reduces disputes when an application is denied.

Keep a copy of the invoice or receipt from the screening company. Where the law ties the fee to actual cost or requires an itemized receipt, that record shows the fee was lawful.

Check local law as well as state law. In many states a city or county ordinance can set a lower limit or add refund and notice rules, and the stricter rule usually applies. A few states bar local rules on application fees.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.