Removal of “Unwanted Guest” From Rental Home

Question: Last year we rented our Chandler rental home for one year to an employee in our business. His girlfriend was specifically listed on the lease as an “occupant.” The girlfriend’s sister later moved into our rental home without our knowledge. The one-year lease is now over, and our employee and his girlfriend have moved out of our rental home. The girlfriend’s sister is still there. She told us that that we have to give her thirty days’ notice and then go to court to evict her. This seems crazy when we didn’t even know that she was living there! Is she right?

Answer: No. The girlfriend’s sister never had any right to live in your rental home. Therefore, under the “unwanted guest” statute, A.R.S. § 33-1378, you can now simply request that a law enforcement officer remove the girlfriend’s sister from your rental home.