rental-property arizona
What options do I have as a renter when the carpet smells like pet urine?
<p>I moved to AZ and was unable to personally inspect the unit prior to signing a lease. I noticed the carpets smelled like pet urine within 48 hours and noted this in the move in checklist.</p>
<p>I eventually got ahold of the landlord and they sent carpet cleaners to the unit but after several days the urine scent is still very present.</p>
<p>Am I able to break the lease if I feel the carpet poses a health risk or do I somehow need to prove it's a health risk?
What are they required to do to remedy?</p>
<p><a href="https://housing.az.gov/general-public/landlord-and-tenant-act" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://housing.az.gov/general-public/landlord-and-tenant-act</a>
<a href="https://housing.az.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/Landlord-Tenant-Act-ADOH-Publication-July-2018_0.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://housing.az.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/Landlord-Tenant-Act-ADOH-Publication-July-2018_0.pdf</a></p>

<p>Whether the carpet is a health risk is a question of fact. Your inexpert opinion counts for little; you would have to bring evidence to show that the carpet does in fact present a health risk, probably in the shape of written evidence from an expert (e.g. a doctor). Unfortunately mere smell is almost certainly not a health risk, so you are out of luck on that front.</p>
<p>(Side note: carpet cleaning services vary. Your landlord probably just got someone cheap to do a quick shampoo of the whole carpet. If you can find out where the smell is coming from then you can probably do a better job yourself with proprietary urine-odour removers from a pet store.)</p>
