landlord tenant rental assistance; fund

SB 1554 creates the Arizona Rental Assistance Fund to help tenants who are behind on rent or anticipate falling behind. Tenants and landlords can jointly apply for up to three months of rent assistance, paid directly to the landlord, with eligibility covering future rent payments. The fund is financed by 10% of the state’s transaction privilege tax on prime contracting, administered by the Arizona Department of Housing, and limits assistance to one instance per household within any 12-month period. Landlords receiving assistance cannot evict tenants for the covered months or subsequent months included in the payment.