If the repair is yours to pay
Get more than one quote before you agree to a price, and ask the contractor to confirm where the property line and the public side begin.
Repair-request & landlord/tenant forms (LawDepot)Templates for a notice to repair, security-deposit demand, and more.
Partner link. Who Pays the Repair? may earn a commission if you request a quote or sign up, at no cost to you. It never changes who we say pays.
Default rule and exceptions
Phoenix City Code 39-5 requires rental housing units where cooling systems are installed to cool habitable rooms, bathrooms and flushing toilet rooms to no more than 82 degrees Fahrenheit with air conditioning or 86 degrees with evaporative cooling. The City describes the ordinance as requiring landlords to provide reasonable cooling.
| Party | What they are responsible for |
|---|---|
| Landlord | Provide reasonable cooling to rental housing units, capable of no greater than 82 degrees Fahrenheit (air conditioning) or 86 degrees Fahrenheit (evaporative cooling) |
| Exceptions | None on record |
What the source says
Last verified against the primary source on Oct 15, 2026.
Did you know there is a city ordinance that requires landlords to provide reasonable cooling to rental housing units?
Every rental housing unit where such systems are installed shall have cooling capable of safely cooling all habitable rooms, bathrooms and flushing toilet rooms to a temperature no greater than 86 degrees Fahrenheit, if cooled by evaporative cooling, or 82 degrees Fahrenheit, if cooled by air conditioning.
Temperature measurements shall be taken at a distance three feet above the floor in the center of the room. Required cooling shall be provided by permanently installed cooling facilities.
City rules rest on state law. Read Arizona's sidewalk statute, quoted verbatim, or see all 50 states in one table.
Common questions
Who pays for rental cooling: landlord air conditioning duty in Phoenix, AZ?
The landlord. Provide reasonable cooling to rental housing units, capable of no greater than 82 degrees Fahrenheit (air conditioning) or 86 degrees Fahrenheit (evaporative cooling)
What is this based on for Phoenix, AZ?
This verdict is sourced to City of Phoenix Cooling Ordinance flyer (Phoenix City Code, Chapter 39-5) and 3 sources in total, each independently re-checked before publication.
Sources
- City of Phoenix Cooling Ordinance flyer (Phoenix City Code, Chapter 39-5)official-guide · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-15
- Phoenix City Code 39-5 Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems; health and safety conditionsordinance · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-15
- Phoenix City Code 39-5 Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems; health and safety conditionsordinance · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-15
Spot an error? Challenge this record
Found an out-of-date code section, a wrong verdict, or a better primary source? Tell us. Corrections that check out are applied, with the change shown in history. That is our standing policy.