This bill proposes updates to the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act by adding a new section that outlines specific requirements for landlords regarding rental application fees. Under the new provisions, landlords must disclose the amount and purpose of any rental application fee, the types of information accessed for tenant screening, and any criteria that would lead to an automatic denial of the application. Additionally, landlords are prohibited from charging a rental application fee if they do not intend to use the entire fee for actual processing expenses, if the fee differs from that charged to other prospective tenants, or if they know the rental unit is unavailable.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that landlords provide a receipt for any rental application fee and refund any excess amount beyond actual processing costs within fourteen days. It also requires landlords to conduct an individualized assessment of each application based on uniform screening criteria before making approval or denial decisions. Violations of these provisions would result in treble damages, court costs, and attorney fees for the aggrieved party. The definition of "rental application fee" is clarified to include any fees related to the application process, excluding refundable security deposits or pre-tenancy rent.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 33-1320