Arizona 2025 Regular Session

Arizona Senate Bill SB1173 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
OldNewDifferences
11 REFERENCE TITLE: landlord tenant; late period; notice State of Arizona Senate Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 SB 1173 Introduced by Senators Ortiz: Alston, Kuby; Representatives Contreras P, Sandoval AN ACT amending sections 33-1314, 33-1368 and 33-1370, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the Arizona residential landlord and tenant act. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
22
33
44
55
66
77
88
99
1010
1111 REFERENCE TITLE: landlord tenant; late period; notice
1212 State of Arizona Senate Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
1313 SB 1173
1414 Introduced by Senators Ortiz: Alston, Kuby; Representatives Contreras P, Sandoval
1515
1616 REFERENCE TITLE: landlord tenant; late period; notice
1717
1818
1919
2020
2121
2222
2323
2424
2525
2626 State of Arizona
2727
2828 Senate
2929
3030 Fifty-seventh Legislature
3131
3232 First Regular Session
3333
3434 2025
3535
3636
3737
3838
3939
4040
4141
4242 SB 1173
4343
4444
4545
4646 Introduced by
4747
4848 Senators Ortiz: Alston, Kuby; Representatives Contreras P, Sandoval
4949
5050
5151
5252
5353
5454
5555
5656
5757
5858
5959
6060
6161
6262
6363
6464
6565
6666 AN ACT
6767
6868
6969
7070 amending sections 33-1314, 33-1368 and 33-1370, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the Arizona residential landlord and tenant act.
7171
7272
7373
7474
7575
7676 (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
7777
7878
7979
8080 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Section 33-1314, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE33-1314. Terms and conditions of rental agreement; contact information; property; pets A. The landlord and tenant may include in a rental agreement terms and conditions not prohibited by this chapter or any other law, including rent, term of the agreement and other provisions governing the rights and obligations of the parties. B. In the absence of a rental agreement, the tenant shall pay as rent the fair rental value for using and occupying the dwelling unit. C. Rent shall be payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed on by the parties. Unless otherwise agreed, rent is payable at the dwelling unit and periodic rent is payable at the beginning of any term of one month or less and otherwise in equal monthly installments at the beginning of each month. Unless otherwise agreed, rent shall be uniformly apportionable from day-to-day. D. Unless the rental agreement fixes a definite term, the tenancy shall be week-to-week in case of a roomer who pays weekly rent, and in all other cases month-to-month. E. Notwithstanding section 14-3911, the landlord may request and the tenant may provide and routinely update the name and contact information of a person who is authorized by the tenant to enter the tenant's dwelling unit to retrieve and store the tenant's property, including the tenant's animal, if the tenant dies or is otherwise incapacitated. If the landlord is unable to contact the authorized person at the address and telephone number provided to the landlord by the tenant or the authorized person fails to respond to the landlord's request within one day for the animal or ten days for all other property after initial written contact, the landlord may dispose of the property as prescribed in section 33-1370 or may deem the animal abandoned, and if deemed abandoned, shall remove and release the animal to an animal shelter or boarding facility as prescribed in section 33-1370, subsection E. The landlord may release the animal to a relative of the deceased or incapacitated tenant if any of the following applies: 1. The landlord was not provided the contact information of a person who is authorized by the tenant to retrieve the tenant's animal. 2. The contact information is no longer valid. 3. The landlord is unable to contact the authorized person after one calendar day. F. Before removing any of the tenant's personal property or the tenant's animal, the authorized person shall present to the landlord a valid government issued identification that confirms the identity of the authorized person. The authorized person shall have twenty days after the date of initial written contact by the landlord or the last date for which rent is paid, whichever is longer, to remove items from the rental property and return keys to the landlord during regular business hours. If the landlord allows an authorized person to enter the property to remove the tenant's personal possessions as prescribed by this subsection, the landlord has no further liability to the tenant, the tenant's estate or the tenant's heirs for lost, damaged or stolen items. If the tenant's personal property is not entirely removed from the rental unit by an authorized person, the landlord may dispose of the property as prescribed in section 33-1370. G. Subsections E and F of this section apply only as follows: 1. To the tenant's personal property if the periodic rent is unpaid and outstanding for at least five fifteen days. 2. To the tenant's animal if the tenant is deceased or is otherwise incapacitated. END_STATUTE Sec. 2. Section 33-1368, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE33-1368. Noncompliance with rental agreement by tenant; failure to pay rent; utility discontinuation; liability for guests; definition A. Except as provided in this chapter, if there is a material noncompliance by the tenant with the rental agreement, including material falsification of the information provided on the rental application, the landlord may deliver a written notice to the tenant specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than ten days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied in ten days. For the purposes of this section, material falsification includes the following untrue or misleading information about the: 1. Number of occupants in the dwelling unit, pets, income of the prospective tenant, social security number and current employment listed on the application or lease agreement. 2. Tenant's criminal records, prior eviction record and current criminal activity. Material falsification of information in this paragraph is not curable under this section. If there is a noncompliance by the tenant with section 33-1341 materially affecting health and safety, the landlord may deliver a written notice to the tenant specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than five days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied in five days. However, If the breach is remediable by repair or the payment of damages or otherwise, and the tenant adequately remedies the breach before the date specified in the notice, the rental agreement will not terminate. If there is an additional act of these types of noncompliance of the same or a similar nature during the term of the lease after the previous remedy of noncompliance, the landlord may institute a special detainer action pursuant to section 33-1377 ten days after delivery of a written notice advising the tenant that a second noncompliance of the same or a similar nature has occurred. If there is a breach that is both material and irreparable and that occurs on the premises, which may include an illegal discharge of a weapon, homicide as prescribed in sections 13-1102, 13-1103, 13-1104 and 13-1105, prostitution as defined in section 13-3211, criminal street gang activity as prescribed in section 13-105, activity as prohibited in section 13-2308, the unlawful manufacturing, selling, transferring, possessing, using or storing of a controlled substance as defined in section 13-3451, threatening or intimidating as prohibited in section 13-1202, assault as prohibited in section 13-1203, acts that have been found to constitute a nuisance pursuant to section 12-991 or a breach of the lease agreement that otherwise jeopardizes the health, safety and welfare of the landlord, the landlord's agent or another tenant or involving imminent or actual serious property damage, the landlord may deliver a written notice for immediate termination of the rental agreement and shall proceed under section 33-1377. The foregoing list of actions, which may constitute a material and irreparable breach of a tenant's lease, is not exhaustive. B. A tenant may not withhold rent for any reason not authorized by this chapter. If rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay rent within five fifteen days after written notice by the landlord of nonpayment and the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement if the rent is not paid within that period of time, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement by filing a special detainer action pursuant to section 33-1377. Before the filing of a special detainer action, the rental agreement shall be reinstated if the tenant tenders all past due and unpaid periodic rent and a reasonable late fee set forth in a written rental agreement. After a special detainer action is filed, the rental agreement is reinstated only if the tenant pays all past due rent, reasonable late fees set forth in a written rental agreement, attorney fees and court costs. After a judgment has been entered in a special detainer action in favor of the landlord, any reinstatement of the rental agreement is solely in the discretion of the landlord. C. The landlord may recover all reasonable damages resulting from noncompliance by the tenant with the rental agreement or section 33-1341 or occupancy of the dwelling unit, court costs, reasonable attorney fees and all quantifiable damage caused by the tenant to the premises. D. The landlord may discontinue utility services provided by the landlord on the day following the day that a writ of restitution or execution is executed pursuant to section 12-1181. Disconnections shall be performed only by a person authorized by the utility whose service is being discontinued. This section does not supersede standard tariff and operational procedures that apply to any public service corporation, municipal corporation or special districts providing utility services in this state. E. On the day following the day that a writ of restitution or execution is executed pursuant to section 12-1181, the landlord shall comply with section 33-1370, subsections D, E, F, G, H and I regarding the tenant's personal property. F. For the purposes of this chapter, the tenant shall be held responsible for the actions of the tenant's guests that violate the lease agreement or rules or regulations of the landlord if the tenant could reasonably be expected to be aware that such actions might occur and did not attempt to prevent those actions to the best of the tenant's ability. G. For the purposes of this section, "days" means calendar days.END_STATUTE Sec. 3. Section 33-1370, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE33-1370. Abandonment; notice; remedies; personal property; definition A. If a dwelling unit is abandoned after the time prescribed in subsection J of this section, the landlord shall send the tenant a notice of abandonment by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the tenant's last known address and to any of the tenant's alternate addresses known to the landlord. The landlord shall also post a notice of abandonment on the door to the dwelling unit or any other conspicuous place on the property for five days. B. Five days after the notice of abandonment has been both posted and mailed, the landlord may retake the dwelling unit and rerent the dwelling unit at a fair rental value if no personal property remains in the dwelling unit. After the landlord retakes the dwelling unit, money held by the landlord as a security deposit is forfeited and shall be applied to the payment of any accrued rent and other reasonable costs incurred by the landlord by reason of the tenant's abandonment. C. If the tenant abandons the dwelling unit, the landlord shall make reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at a fair rental. If the landlord rents the dwelling unit for a term beginning before the expiration of the rental agreement, the rental agreement is deemed to be terminated as of the date the new tenancy begins. If the landlord fails to use reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at a fair rental or if the landlord accepts the abandonment as a surrender, the rental agreement is deemed to be terminated by the landlord as of the date the landlord has notice of the abandonment. If the tenancy is from month to month month-to-month or week to week week-to-week, the term of the rental agreement for this purpose shall be deemed to be a month or a week, as the case may be. D. After the landlord retakes possession of the dwelling unit, and if the tenant's personal property remains in the dwelling unit, the landlord shall prepare an inventory and notify the tenant of the location and cost of storage of the personal property in the same manner prescribed in subsection A of this section. E. After the landlord retakes possession of the dwelling unit, the landlord may store the tenant's personal possessions in the unoccupied dwelling unit that was abandoned by the tenant, any other available unit or any storage space owned by the landlord or off the premises if a dwelling unit or storage space is not available. The landlord is not required to store the tenant's perishable items, plants and animals on behalf of the tenant. The landlord may remove or dispose of, as appropriate, the perishable items, including plants. At the landlord's discretion, the landlord may remove and dispose of any personal property in the dwelling unit that is contaminated, may be considered a biohazard or poses a health and safety risk. After notifying any person who was authorized by the tenant to retrieve the tenant's animal as prescribed in section 33-1314 and no retrieval occurs after one calendar day, the tenant's abandoned animals may be immediately removed and released to a shelter or boarding facility. The landlord shall keep a record of the name and location of the shelter or boarding facility to which the animal was released. If the landlord does not immediately remove and release the abandoned animals to a shelter or boarding facility, the landlord shall provide reasonable care for the abandoned animals for the period prescribed by subsection F of this section. If the landlord is unable or unwilling to provide reasonable care to the abandoned animals, the landlord shall notify the county enforcement agent as defined in section 11-1001 or an animal control officer as prescribed in section 9-499.04 of the presence of the tenant's abandoned animals on the property to be seized pursuant to section 13-4281. The landlord is not liable for any actions taken in good faith related to the removal, release, seizure or care of the abandoned animals pursuant to this section. F. The landlord shall hold the tenant's personal property for a period of fourteen calendar days after the landlord retakes possession of the dwelling unit. The landlord shall use reasonable care in moving and holding the tenant's personal property. If the landlord holds the property for this period and the tenant makes no reasonable effort to recover it, the landlord may donate the personal property to a qualifying charitable organization as defined in section 43-1088 or otherwise recognized charity or sell the property. If the landlord sells the property, the landlord shall retain the proceeds and apply them toward the tenant's outstanding rent or other costs that are covered in the lease agreement or otherwise provided for in this chapter or title 12, chapter 8 and that have been incurred by the landlord, and excess proceeds shall be mailed to the tenant at the tenant's last known address. A tenant does not have any right of access to that property until the actual removal and storage costs have been paid in full, except that the tenant may obtain clothing and the tools, apparatus and books of a trade or profession and any identification or financial documents, including all those related to the tenant's immigration status, employment status, public assistance or medical care. The landlord may destroy or otherwise dispose of some or all of the property if the landlord reasonably determines that the value of the property is so low that the cost of moving and storing the property and conducting a public sale exceeds the amount that would be realized from the sale. Any tax benefit associated with the donation of the personal property belongs to the tenant. A landlord that complies with this section is not liable for any loss to the tenant or any third party that results from moving, storing or donating any personal property left in the dwelling unit. G. For a period of twelve months after the sale, the landlord shall: 1. Keep adequate records of the outstanding and unpaid rent and the sale of the tenant's personal property. 2. Hold for the benefit of the tenant any excess proceeds that have been returned as undeliverable. H. If the tenant notifies the landlord in writing on or before the date the landlord sells or otherwise disposes of the personal property that the tenant intends to remove the personal property from the dwelling unit or the place of safekeeping, the tenant has five days to reclaim the personal property. To reclaim the personal property the tenant must only pay for the costs associated with removal and storage for the period the tenant's personal property was stored. Except as provided in subsection E or I of this section for personal property exempt from storage requirements, within five days after a written offer by the tenant to pay the applicable storage or removal costs the landlord must surrender possession of the personal property in the landlord's possession to the tenant on the tenant's tender of payment. If the landlord fails to surrender possession of the personal property to the tenant, the tenant may recover the possessions or an amount equal to the damages determined by the court if the landlord has destroyed or disposed of the possessions before the fourteen days specified in this section or after the tenant's offer to pay. I. Notwithstanding subsections D, E, F and G of this section, if the tenant returns to the landlord the keys to the dwelling unit and there is personal property remaining in the dwelling unit, the landlord may immediately remove and dispose of the personal property without liability to the tenant or a third party unless the landlord and tenant have agreed in writing to some other treatment of the property. J. For the purposes of this section, "abandonment" means either of the following: 1. The absence of the tenant from the dwelling unit, without notice to the landlord for at least seven days, if rent for the dwelling unit is outstanding and unpaid for ten fifteen days and there is no reasonable evidence other than the presence of the tenant's personal property that the tenant is occupying the residence. 2. The absence of the tenant for at least five days, if the rent for the dwelling unit is outstanding and unpaid for five fifteen days and none of the tenant's personal property is in the dwelling unit. END_STATUTE
8181
8282 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
8383
8484 Section 1. Section 33-1314, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
8585
8686 START_STATUTE33-1314. Terms and conditions of rental agreement; contact information; property; pets
8787
8888 A. The landlord and tenant may include in a rental agreement terms and conditions not prohibited by this chapter or any other law, including rent, term of the agreement and other provisions governing the rights and obligations of the parties.
8989
9090 B. In the absence of a rental agreement, the tenant shall pay as rent the fair rental value for using and occupying the dwelling unit.
9191
9292 C. Rent shall be payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed on by the parties. Unless otherwise agreed, rent is payable at the dwelling unit and periodic rent is payable at the beginning of any term of one month or less and otherwise in equal monthly installments at the beginning of each month. Unless otherwise agreed, rent shall be uniformly apportionable from day-to-day.
9393
9494 D. Unless the rental agreement fixes a definite term, the tenancy shall be week-to-week in case of a roomer who pays weekly rent, and in all other cases month-to-month.
9595
9696 E. Notwithstanding section 14-3911, the landlord may request and the tenant may provide and routinely update the name and contact information of a person who is authorized by the tenant to enter the tenant's dwelling unit to retrieve and store the tenant's property, including the tenant's animal, if the tenant dies or is otherwise incapacitated. If the landlord is unable to contact the authorized person at the address and telephone number provided to the landlord by the tenant or the authorized person fails to respond to the landlord's request within one day for the animal or ten days for all other property after initial written contact, the landlord may dispose of the property as prescribed in section 33-1370 or may deem the animal abandoned, and if deemed abandoned, shall remove and release the animal to an animal shelter or boarding facility as prescribed in section 33-1370, subsection E. The landlord may release the animal to a relative of the deceased or incapacitated tenant if any of the following applies:
9797
9898 1. The landlord was not provided the contact information of a person who is authorized by the tenant to retrieve the tenant's animal.
9999
100100 2. The contact information is no longer valid.
101101
102102 3. The landlord is unable to contact the authorized person after one calendar day.
103103
104104 F. Before removing any of the tenant's personal property or the tenant's animal, the authorized person shall present to the landlord a valid government issued identification that confirms the identity of the authorized person. The authorized person shall have twenty days after the date of initial written contact by the landlord or the last date for which rent is paid, whichever is longer, to remove items from the rental property and return keys to the landlord during regular business hours. If the landlord allows an authorized person to enter the property to remove the tenant's personal possessions as prescribed by this subsection, the landlord has no further liability to the tenant, the tenant's estate or the tenant's heirs for lost, damaged or stolen items. If the tenant's personal property is not entirely removed from the rental unit by an authorized person, the landlord may dispose of the property as prescribed in section 33-1370.
105105
106106 G. Subsections E and F of this section apply only as follows:
107107
108108 1. To the tenant's personal property if the periodic rent is unpaid and outstanding for at least five fifteen days.
109109
110110 2. To the tenant's animal if the tenant is deceased or is otherwise incapacitated. END_STATUTE
111111
112112 Sec. 2. Section 33-1368, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
113113
114114 START_STATUTE33-1368. Noncompliance with rental agreement by tenant; failure to pay rent; utility discontinuation; liability for guests; definition
115115
116116 A. Except as provided in this chapter, if there is a material noncompliance by the tenant with the rental agreement, including material falsification of the information provided on the rental application, the landlord may deliver a written notice to the tenant specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than ten days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied in ten days. For the purposes of this section, material falsification includes the following untrue or misleading information about the:
117117
118118 1. Number of occupants in the dwelling unit, pets, income of the prospective tenant, social security number and current employment listed on the application or lease agreement.
119119
120120 2. Tenant's criminal records, prior eviction record and current criminal activity. Material falsification of information in this paragraph is not curable under this section.
121121
122122 If there is a noncompliance by the tenant with section 33-1341 materially affecting health and safety, the landlord may deliver a written notice to the tenant specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than five days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied in five days. However, If the breach is remediable by repair or the payment of damages or otherwise, and the tenant adequately remedies the breach before the date specified in the notice, the rental agreement will not terminate. If there is an additional act of these types of noncompliance of the same or a similar nature during the term of the lease after the previous remedy of noncompliance, the landlord may institute a special detainer action pursuant to section 33-1377 ten days after delivery of a written notice advising the tenant that a second noncompliance of the same or a similar nature has occurred. If there is a breach that is both material and irreparable and that occurs on the premises, which may include an illegal discharge of a weapon, homicide as prescribed in sections 13-1102, 13-1103, 13-1104 and 13-1105, prostitution as defined in section 13-3211, criminal street gang activity as prescribed in section 13-105, activity as prohibited in section 13-2308, the unlawful manufacturing, selling, transferring, possessing, using or storing of a controlled substance as defined in section 13-3451, threatening or intimidating as prohibited in section 13-1202, assault as prohibited in section 13-1203, acts that have been found to constitute a nuisance pursuant to section 12-991 or a breach of the lease agreement that otherwise jeopardizes the health, safety and welfare of the landlord, the landlord's agent or another tenant or involving imminent or actual serious property damage, the landlord may deliver a written notice for immediate termination of the rental agreement and shall proceed under section 33-1377. The foregoing list of actions, which may constitute a material and irreparable breach of a tenant's lease, is not exhaustive.
123123
124124 B. A tenant may not withhold rent for any reason not authorized by this chapter. If rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay rent within five fifteen days after written notice by the landlord of nonpayment and the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement if the rent is not paid within that period of time, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement by filing a special detainer action pursuant to section 33-1377. Before the filing of a special detainer action, the rental agreement shall be reinstated if the tenant tenders all past due and unpaid periodic rent and a reasonable late fee set forth in a written rental agreement. After a special detainer action is filed, the rental agreement is reinstated only if the tenant pays all past due rent, reasonable late fees set forth in a written rental agreement, attorney fees and court costs. After a judgment has been entered in a special detainer action in favor of the landlord, any reinstatement of the rental agreement is solely in the discretion of the landlord.
125125
126126 C. The landlord may recover all reasonable damages resulting from noncompliance by the tenant with the rental agreement or section 33-1341 or occupancy of the dwelling unit, court costs, reasonable attorney fees and all quantifiable damage caused by the tenant to the premises.
127127
128128 D. The landlord may discontinue utility services provided by the landlord on the day following the day that a writ of restitution or execution is executed pursuant to section 12-1181. Disconnections shall be performed only by a person authorized by the utility whose service is being discontinued. This section does not supersede standard tariff and operational procedures that apply to any public service corporation, municipal corporation or special districts providing utility services in this state.
129129
130130 E. On the day following the day that a writ of restitution or execution is executed pursuant to section 12-1181, the landlord shall comply with section 33-1370, subsections D, E, F, G, H and I regarding the tenant's personal property.
131131
132132 F. For the purposes of this chapter, the tenant shall be held responsible for the actions of the tenant's guests that violate the lease agreement or rules or regulations of the landlord if the tenant could reasonably be expected to be aware that such actions might occur and did not attempt to prevent those actions to the best of the tenant's ability.
133133
134134 G. For the purposes of this section, "days" means calendar days.END_STATUTE
135135
136136 Sec. 3. Section 33-1370, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
137137
138138 START_STATUTE33-1370. Abandonment; notice; remedies; personal property; definition
139139
140140 A. If a dwelling unit is abandoned after the time prescribed in subsection J of this section, the landlord shall send the tenant a notice of abandonment by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the tenant's last known address and to any of the tenant's alternate addresses known to the landlord. The landlord shall also post a notice of abandonment on the door to the dwelling unit or any other conspicuous place on the property for five days.
141141
142142 B. Five days after the notice of abandonment has been both posted and mailed, the landlord may retake the dwelling unit and rerent the dwelling unit at a fair rental value if no personal property remains in the dwelling unit. After the landlord retakes the dwelling unit, money held by the landlord as a security deposit is forfeited and shall be applied to the payment of any accrued rent and other reasonable costs incurred by the landlord by reason of the tenant's abandonment.
143143
144144 C. If the tenant abandons the dwelling unit, the landlord shall make reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at a fair rental. If the landlord rents the dwelling unit for a term beginning before the expiration of the rental agreement, the rental agreement is deemed to be terminated as of the date the new tenancy begins. If the landlord fails to use reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at a fair rental or if the landlord accepts the abandonment as a surrender, the rental agreement is deemed to be terminated by the landlord as of the date the landlord has notice of the abandonment. If the tenancy is from month to month month-to-month or week to week week-to-week, the term of the rental agreement for this purpose shall be deemed to be a month or a week, as the case may be.
145145
146146 D. After the landlord retakes possession of the dwelling unit, and if the tenant's personal property remains in the dwelling unit, the landlord shall prepare an inventory and notify the tenant of the location and cost of storage of the personal property in the same manner prescribed in subsection A of this section.
147147
148148 E. After the landlord retakes possession of the dwelling unit, the landlord may store the tenant's personal possessions in the unoccupied dwelling unit that was abandoned by the tenant, any other available unit or any storage space owned by the landlord or off the premises if a dwelling unit or storage space is not available. The landlord is not required to store the tenant's perishable items, plants and animals on behalf of the tenant. The landlord may remove or dispose of, as appropriate, the perishable items, including plants. At the landlord's discretion, the landlord may remove and dispose of any personal property in the dwelling unit that is contaminated, may be considered a biohazard or poses a health and safety risk. After notifying any person who was authorized by the tenant to retrieve the tenant's animal as prescribed in section 33-1314 and no retrieval occurs after one calendar day, the tenant's abandoned animals may be immediately removed and released to a shelter or boarding facility. The landlord shall keep a record of the name and location of the shelter or boarding facility to which the animal was released. If the landlord does not immediately remove and release the abandoned animals to a shelter or boarding facility, the landlord shall provide reasonable care for the abandoned animals for the period prescribed by subsection F of this section. If the landlord is unable or unwilling to provide reasonable care to the abandoned animals, the landlord shall notify the county enforcement agent as defined in section 11-1001 or an animal control officer as prescribed in section 9-499.04 of the presence of the tenant's abandoned animals on the property to be seized pursuant to section 13-4281. The landlord is not liable for any actions taken in good faith related to the removal, release, seizure or care of the abandoned animals pursuant to this section.
149149
150150 F. The landlord shall hold the tenant's personal property for a period of fourteen calendar days after the landlord retakes possession of the dwelling unit. The landlord shall use reasonable care in moving and holding the tenant's personal property. If the landlord holds the property for this period and the tenant makes no reasonable effort to recover it, the landlord may donate the personal property to a qualifying charitable organization as defined in section 43-1088 or otherwise recognized charity or sell the property. If the landlord sells the property, the landlord shall retain the proceeds and apply them toward the tenant's outstanding rent or other costs that are covered in the lease agreement or otherwise provided for in this chapter or title 12, chapter 8 and that have been incurred by the landlord, and excess proceeds shall be mailed to the tenant at the tenant's last known address. A tenant does not have any right of access to that property until the actual removal and storage costs have been paid in full, except that the tenant may obtain clothing and the tools, apparatus and books of a trade or profession and any identification or financial documents, including all those related to the tenant's immigration status, employment status, public assistance or medical care. The landlord may destroy or otherwise dispose of some or all of the property if the landlord reasonably determines that the value of the property is so low that the cost of moving and storing the property and conducting a public sale exceeds the amount that would be realized from the sale. Any tax benefit associated with the donation of the personal property belongs to the tenant. A landlord that complies with this section is not liable for any loss to the tenant or any third party that results from moving, storing or donating any personal property left in the dwelling unit.
151151
152152 G. For a period of twelve months after the sale, the landlord shall:
153153
154154 1. Keep adequate records of the outstanding and unpaid rent and the sale of the tenant's personal property.
155155
156156 2. Hold for the benefit of the tenant any excess proceeds that have been returned as undeliverable.
157157
158158 H. If the tenant notifies the landlord in writing on or before the date the landlord sells or otherwise disposes of the personal property that the tenant intends to remove the personal property from the dwelling unit or the place of safekeeping, the tenant has five days to reclaim the personal property. To reclaim the personal property the tenant must only pay for the costs associated with removal and storage for the period the tenant's personal property was stored. Except as provided in subsection E or I of this section for personal property exempt from storage requirements, within five days after a written offer by the tenant to pay the applicable storage or removal costs the landlord must surrender possession of the personal property in the landlord's possession to the tenant on the tenant's tender of payment. If the landlord fails to surrender possession of the personal property to the tenant, the tenant may recover the possessions or an amount equal to the damages determined by the court if the landlord has destroyed or disposed of the possessions before the fourteen days specified in this section or after the tenant's offer to pay.
159159
160160 I. Notwithstanding subsections D, E, F and G of this section, if the tenant returns to the landlord the keys to the dwelling unit and there is personal property remaining in the dwelling unit, the landlord may immediately remove and dispose of the personal property without liability to the tenant or a third party unless the landlord and tenant have agreed in writing to some other treatment of the property.
161161
162162 J. For the purposes of this section, "abandonment" means either of the following:
163163
164164 1. The absence of the tenant from the dwelling unit, without notice to the landlord for at least seven days, if rent for the dwelling unit is outstanding and unpaid for ten fifteen days and there is no reasonable evidence other than the presence of the tenant's personal property that the tenant is occupying the residence.
165165
166166 2. The absence of the tenant for at least five days, if the rent for the dwelling unit is outstanding and unpaid for five fifteen days and none of the tenant's personal property is in the dwelling unit. END_STATUTE