Arizona's rules live in §33-1321 of the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act — a clean framework with a hard cap, one of the faster return clocks in the country, and a move-out inspection right most Arizona tenants never use.
How much can a landlord charge?
One and a half months' rent, maximum — unless the tenant voluntarily agrees to more (a narrow exception courts read skeptically). Separate non-refundable fees (cleaning, redecorating) are legal only if their purpose and non-refundable status are stated in writing — an unlabeled fee is refundable by law.
The 14-business-day clock
After termination and delivery of possession (and a demand or forwarding address), the landlord has 14 days — excluding weekends and legal holidays — to return the deposit with an itemized list of deductions. Business days, not calendar days: the fastest effective deadline outside New York.
Your inspection right
When the landlord notifies the tenant of the move-out inspection, the tenant has the right to be present. Exercise it: joint inspections collapse most disputes before they start, and what the landlord doesn't note with you standing there is hard to invent later.
Deductions and the penalty
Unpaid rent, other lease-authorized charges, and damage beyond reasonable wear and tear. A landlord who wrongfully withholds owes the tenant the amount withheld plus damages of twice that amount — and the lease can't waive the tenant's rights under the Act.
Why Arizona deposit disputes are documentation disputes
Arizona's inspection right tells you where the legislature thinks disputes die: both parties looking at the same rooms. But an inspection is a moment; a lease is a year or more of Arizona sun on paint and carpet. The wear-and-tear argument is won by whoever can show the before next to the after.
SealMove shows it undeniably. Every photo and video is cryptographically sealed the instant it's captured, independently timestamped, and locked with Face ID into a tamper-evident archive. At move-out, your walkthrough lines up room-by-room against the sealed baseline — and either party can send the other a report to review and acknowledge, no app required.