Looking for a Home or Apartment in Arizona to Rent?

We have rental information and resources to help you rent a house, condo or apartment in the Phoenix metro area.

Whether you need a short or long term lease, a house or apartment that allows pets, a furnished place, or need to rent a corporate condo or apartment, you’ll find information that can help you find what you’re looking for.

• Renters FAQs answers the questions you have when you’re looking for a place to rent.
• Rent Info covers fees, leases, requirements, and what you’ll need to bring with you.
• Utility Info is just that. It can be frustrating trying to find all the phone numbers you need - our guide can help.
• Transportation has the numbers you need to change your driver and car registrations, as well as info about public transportation available in the Valley.

• Vacation Rentals has sources for vacation homes for rent by owners in Arizona, as well as an idea of the costs and savings when you rent a house instead of staying at a resort hotel.
• Get some helpful ideas in Moving Tips that will make the move to your new house or apartment smoother and easier on everyone.
• Arizona Entertainment has some ideas for family friendly activities available to you in Arizona.
• Be sure to check out our Phoenix Driving Tips! You’ll get a big laugh, plus lots of the info is pretty much true to life.

Get 10% off!

Here’s a deal I found online - Discount Moving Boxes provides moving boxes and packing material supplies available in a kit that can be delivered with free shipping to your home or apartment within 24-48 hours. When you click on the link or the box on the right; you’ll land directly on the discount page.

This company offers:

• Low Prices 30% to 60% below moving company prices.
• Simple online order and moving box calculator.
• Top quality moving boxes from International Paper and Supplies.
• Free next day UPS and FedEx delivery (order by 4pm ET).
• 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.
• FAST EASY AFFORDABLE CONVENIENT!

It sure beats trekking over to the nearest U-Haul to buy boxes and other supplies, especially since shipping is free.

Be sure to read our Moving Tips to make your move even smoother.

By the way, if you decide to use boxes from this company, or have in the past, please leave a comment on how you liked the service.

$15 OFF First Month’s Rental!

GO MINI’S is a storage container aka moving pod. When you use them, you don’t need to rent a truck or move your belongings in and out of a storage facility. They do the driving and bring the moving and storage container to you along with the paperwork.

How nice to be able to take your time, pack and load at your pace without the usual clutter and chaos during the moving process!

You can also use GO MINI’S for decluttering and storing excess furniture and boxes while your house is being shown.

They deliver a vented steel weatherproof container to your driveway. Lock up the container so nobody can get into it, fill it up at your leisure, and then give them a call when you are ready for it to be moved.

GO MINI’S Portable moving and storage service is available in the Phoenix metro and Tucson areas of Arizona.

Here’s the discount deal:

To redeem offer, credit card is required for booking. A rental agreement will be sent to user. Use Promotional Code EMPLOYEE GOLD PROGRAM at checkout.

Offer Code:
EMPLOYEE GOLD PROGRAM

Find out what’s happening in Arizona - there are always fun things to do!

The Arizona Motor Vehicle Department is very strict about changing your driver’s license and registering your car as soon as you move here.

Fines for Not Registering Your Car Are Steep

The penalties for driving without a proper license, registration or insurance in Arizona are quite serious. Driving without a license is a class 1 misdemeanor and penalties can include the vehicle being impounded, 48 hours in jail and a court imposed fine of $300 or more.

New residents to the State of Arizona are required to obtain an Arizona driver license and to register their vehicles in this State.

Arizona state law requires that a new resident obtain a driver license and registration immediately if any one of the following applies, if you:

• Work in Arizona (other than for seasonal agricultural work)
• Place children in school without paying the tuition rate of a nonresident
• Have a business with an office in Arizona, and that bases and operates vehicles in this state
• Obtain a state license or pay school tuition fees at the same rate as an Arizona resident
• Have a business that operates vehicles to transport goods or passengers within Arizona
• Remain in Arizona for a total of 7 months or more during any calendar year, regardless of your permanent residence

The statute for driving without registration says that being without proper registration on a vehicle is a class 5 felony (which can come with jail time, usually spent in Tent City with guys wearing Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s pink boxers):

A person who is the resident or nonresident owner or operator of a motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer that is required by law to be registered in this state and that is not registered or does not display license plates assigned by the department for the current registration year and who operates or knowingly permits the vehicle to be operated on a highway is subject to a civil penalty of three hundred dollars.

The penalties are so harsh that if you’ve moved here, I urge you obtain current AZ registration and plates on your vehicle immediately!

Vehicle Registration Fees

So now you’re wondering what the car registration fees will run you…unfortunately, they’re a lot steeper in Arizona than in many other states, but at least they’re not as high as California.

Several fees are standard for all vehicles:

• Title fee - $4

• Registration fee - $8

• Air quality research fee - $1.50

The variable fee comes in the form of the vehicle license tax (VLT), which is assessed instead of the personal property tax that many other states charge. It is based on the manufacturer’s base retail price of the automobile, but takes into account amortization, so you will pay a little less to register your vehicle each year.

Let’s Do the Math

Here’s the formula - I suggest you break out your calculator (figures rounded):

Let’s say we’re talking about a 1 year old car that cost $25,000 new.

The VLT is based on an assessed value of 60% of the manufacturer’s base retail price:

$25,000 x .60 = $15,000

16.25% reduction for each year it has been registered in AZ:

$15,000 - 16.25% =  $12,563

Divide that figure by 100:

$12,563 / 100 = $1,256

Now you multiply that figure by $2.80 for a new car and $2.89 for a used car:

$1,256 x 2.89 = $363

So your vehicle registration fee will cost you $363 plus the standard fees for a total of $376.50. If you have an older car you’ll probably have to get an emissions test too.

If this math has driven you crazy, call the MVD instead and ask them for the registration cost.

Yep, it’s a lot, but at least you can use it as a deduction on your Arizona state taxes.

If you have a pet and are looking for an apartment or home to rent in the Phoenix area, you will have to search for a landlord that allows pets.

The good news is, many apartment complexes now allow pets, although many of them place a weight limit on dogs of 20 pounds. Some of the bigger, national companies will allow dogs up to 50 pounds.

There are often limitations on the type of dog you can have. Most will not allow pit bulls, German shepherds, Rottweilers, or Dobermans.

If you have a large dog, you may have an easier time renting a house than an apartment or condo. My large dog is so well behaved that I actually had references from a previous landlord for him, which made a difference when I had to rent someplace else.

You will have to pay a pet deposit and possibly an extra cleaning fee, some or all of which may not be refundable. Be very clear on that when you sign your lease. Sometimes the pet fees can be negotiated.

What happens when you need to leave an apartment or house before the lease is up?

Under Arizona law the only circumstance in which a tenant can break or terminate a lease early is when the landlord has failed to maintain the premises in a safe and habitable condition.

So unless that was the situation, breaking the lease will cost you money. It doesn’t matter if you lost your job, are relocating, your roommate moved out, or any other situation that makes it impossible to continue to rent a house or apartment

You’re responsible for the balance of rent due under the lease until the end of the term. You can’t just find someone else to move in either, either, unless you’re allowed to do so under the lease agreement; most specify that you cannot sublease a rental.

The best thing to do is to contact the landlord and make every effort to work something out. Some will be more cooperative than others, but if you can get out of a lease making only partial payment count yourself lucky.

People from other parts of the world, as well as the mid and eastern United States, often think of Arizona as the ‘Wild West’ with everyone packing a gun, shootouts on street corners, cowboys riding their horses down unpaved streets, rattlesnakes coiled and ready to strike at any given moment, Gila monsters prowling about, and so on.

So, is any of this true?

Well, yeah, some of it, LOL.

The packing a gun part - yes, Arizona is a generally gun-friendly state, where people are allowed to carry a weapon on their hip without a permit as long as people can see it. I don’t see guns on hips all that much though, anymore, and it’s rather jarring and disturbing when I do, unless it’s on a police officer. I remember years ago the popular local supermarket, Smitty’s, had a sign that you had to check your firearms in at the front desk before grocery shopping.

I know people carry concealed weapon in their cars, but I don’t think that’s a particularly Arizona thing. Arizona law stipulates that concealed weapons carriers must be legally licensed to carry. Contrary to the humorous Phoenix Driving article, we don’t experience any more shootouts than anywhere else, and possible fewer.

We do have crime here, like anywhere else, but statistically, Phoenix has a lower crime rate per capita then most major cities. We have an auto theft problem, being so close to Mexico, where stolen cars are taken and stripped down, or whatever it is they do with them.

We still have a few unpaved streets in unincorporated areas of the city, and occasionally you will see horses being ridden down them, or more likely, at a bridle path ‘horse crossing’ across a busy (paved) street. Sometimes an entrepreneur will have a horse and wagon or buggy to take tourists for rides, but then, they do that in New York City, too.

Rattlesnakes, coyotes, Gila monsters - yep, we’ve got ‘em, but it’s unlikely you’ll see one unless you’re in a less populated area or in the desert (which is, by the way, quite green and beautiful much of the time).

Here’s a quote I came across on a forum:

I love the nightlife scene here. Mill Avenue in Tempe has to be one of the best spots. There are plenty people, clubs, and bars to have a good time in. Scottsdale has a very nice nightlife also. There are plenty of unique houses and neighborhoods, like that castle on the side of Camelback Mountain — not to mention the awesome desert landscaping and the rest of the neighborhoods around there.

I never find myself bored in Phoenix. There is always something to do. Whether it is hanging out at the clubs, heading north to Flagstaff skiing, or the Grand Canyon, Sedona, golfing in Phoenix, everything is awesome. I feel there is plenty of culture here, even with the urban sprawl.

In reality, if you want a taste of the Wild West, head out to Tombstone, or take a Pink Jeep ride to see the desert. Otherwise you may just be pleasantly surprised with Arizona’s casual, friendly, yet urban people and environment.

In case you’re wondering about our Apartments.com ad, it’s there because I’ve used them more than once to find an apartment in the Phoenix area, and have been very pleased. Their service is free for renters, you can search thousands of apartment listings at Apartments.com, and I think just about anyplace that’s for rent in the area is in their listings.

The name is a bit misleading - you can search for single family homes, condos and vacation homes as well as apartments. That’s a big plus! They offer photos that include grounds and interiors, and usually have all the rent and deposit amounts listed, as well as lease terms, furnished or unfurnished, floor plans, and whether pets are allowed.

Their site also offers moving and general apartment living info. They have reasonably priced landlord services if you want to rent out a home, condo, or apartment.

You can narrow down your search criteria by:

• State
• Region(s)
• Area(s)
• Community(ies)
• Price
• Bedrooms
• Type Of Housing

Oh yes - did I say that the site is free for renters? Give them a try:

	- Select a State - Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington, D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Like most states, Arizona has laws some crazy laws that are outdated and just haven’t yet been removed from the books.

State Of Arizona

• Any misdemeanor committed while wearing a red mask is considered a felony.
• There is a possible 25 years in prison for cutting down a cactus.
• When being attacked by a criminal or burglar, you may only protect yourself with the same weapon that the other person possesses.
• Hunting camels is prohibited.
• Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs.
• You may not have more than two dildos in a house.
• It is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water.

County Of Maricopa

• No more than six girls may live in any house.

City Of Glendale

• Cars may not be driven in reverse.

City Of Mesa

• It is illegal to smoke cigarettes with 15 feet of a public place unless you have a Class 12 liqueur license.

City Of Tombstone

• It is illegal for men and women over the age of 18 to have less than one missing tooth visible when smiling.