Hi renters,

In today’s issue, we’re talking about “breach of lease” notices and what it means if your landlord sticks one in your door. 

Join the conversation by letting me know if you’ve ever received one of these notices and how you handled it. 

We also look at one of the most expensive rentals I’ve seen listed, and we revisit last edition’s conversation on moving frequently.

The next edition of this newsletter will be in your inbox on Dec. 3. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. If you know any renters in Phoenix who might be interested in this newsletter, please forward it their way!

Received a scary note from your landlord? Here’s what to know about notice periods for evictions in Phoenix and the rest of the state. (Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley/Shutterstock)

Right after my friend and I graduated from college, we moved into a big central Phoenix apartment complex that was taken over by another company during our lease. 

The new company decided that a screen hanging on our balcony—that was there when we moved in—violated a rule about what tenants could have on the outside of their apartments. Instead of contacting us and asking us to remove the screen, the company delivered this request in the scariest way possible: by placing a note on our door that said they’d end our lease in 10 days if we did not comply. 

My roommate and I immediately freaked out seeing something this dire delivered to us on a piece of paper. We hadn’t missed any payments, and we hadn’t thrown any crazy parties, so the note caught us completely off guard. After reading it a few times and understanding how minor the problem was, we fixed the issue and never heard from the front office about it again. But it upset us to know that, even for good tenants, landlords could be this quick to threaten eviction. 

This incident sent me down a rabbit hole of learning about how evictions happen in Arizona, and how quickly they can happen. Here’s some information about notice periods for evictions, in case you find yourself living with a trigger-happy landlord, too.

😳 If you’re ready for your eyes to bug out: Sometimes you see a listing that makes you almost spit your coffee out. This 9,722-square-foot eight-bedroom, eight-bathroom home in Arcadia is listed for $30,000 a month. It has all the features you’d expect at a place like this: resort-style backyard with a pool and spa, basketball court, fire pits, a game room, and a playground. One unique thing about it, though, is a tower (with a moat) for viewing Camelback Mountain.

🌀 If you’re ready to come back to reality: On the other end of the spectrum, here’s a 600-square-foot apartment for $895 a month off of 19 and Peoria avenues. The one-bed, one-bath accepts pets, and its owner is offering $500 off the first month’s rent. There is a large pile of dirt sitting outside of the complex, though—not sure what that’s about.

🧱 If you like a cozy brick home: This 960-square-foot home off the Grand Avenue/19th Avenue/McDowell Road intersection is listed for $1,799 a month. It was built in the 1920s and has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and in-unit laundry. Cats and small dogs are allowed.

If you come across any interesting, weird, or surprisingly affordable listings that you think should be featured here, please send them my way!

Listings available as of Nov. 19. I’m not paid to share these listings, but that doesn’t mean I can personally vouch for them. Please do your research before applying and signing a lease!

In the last Rent Check PHX, I asked how many times you have moved. Here were your answers:

🏠 “11, most was when I was young, divorced with kids and trying to get schooling to get out of poverty rut. I’ve been in same home now for 35 years in Phoenix.” — Leslie P.

🏠 “Last week was my 23rd move—from Verrado to Sun City Festival. No military moves, either! I moved here from CA in Nov. last year … to Verrado, got taken in an online scam and had to find a new home.” — Jamison K. 

🏠 “Since moving to Phoenix in 2016 we have moved four times.” — Stephanie F.

🏠 “Would you even believe me if I told you I’ve moved 17 times in 40 years?” — Mary B.

Yes, Mary, I would believe that! I’ve moved 10 times in less than three decades, and that’s not counting the times I’ve briefly moved in with family between leases.

Thanks to everyone who weighed in! If you missed out last time, let me know how many times you’ve moved by hitting the button below.

🅿️ A city-owned park-and-ride near Christown Mall and the light rail could be redeveloped into housing. (azcentral)

🔑 A rental community offering 161 affordable units opened in south Phoenix last week. (KTAR)

🚈 A 400-unit affordable housing complex and grocery store is coming to Tempe along the light rail. (Phoenix Business Journal)

🛠️ A study found that solving Arizona’s affordable housing crisis would create over 126,000 jobs. (Phoenix New Times)

🏡 A massive development that is eventually expected to house 300,000 people opened in Buckeye this week. (Axios Phoenix)

🎄 Here are some places to find old-school holiday decorations if you’re going for a vintage look in your rental. (Apartment Therapy)

📦 I’ve moved rentals nearly every 2 years. Turns out in Phoenix, that’s pretty common. (The Copper Courier)

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Contact advertise@couriernewsroom.com for more information.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Jessica Swarner and edited by Paula Solis.

Rent Check PHX is happily free to read for everyone. Your financial support means a lot to us.

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