Know Your Rights
1. You have the right to organize with your neighbors and invite them to join the tenants union!
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution includes the Freedom of peaceful assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, which is the individual right or ability of people to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their collective or shared ideas.[2] The right to freedom of association is recognized as a human right, a political right and a civil liberty.
2. Enforcement of eviction action orders for residential premises are delayed until July 22, 2020 (120 days from March 24, 2020 executive order from Governor Doucey)
Here's a link to Governor Doucey's executive order: https://azgovernor.gov/sites/default/files/eo_2020-14_0.pdf
It's pretty shit, but it's better than nothing. We have ~ 2 months left to organize and ask for cancellation of all rents due between March 24 and July 2!
3. The Southern Arizona Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild has a letter you can submit to your landlord if you are unable to pay the rent due to COVID-19
Here's a link to it: https://www.nlg.org/information-for-arizona-renters-during-covid/
We added our information to it, and you can use our version to send to your landlord (don't forget to cc us!): https://bit.ly/phxtulandlordletter
Tenants cannot be evicted if they cannot pay rent due to any of the following reasons:
- If you have self-quarantined due to symptoms or possible exposure to COVID-19
- Underlying health conditions that make you more at risk from COVID-19 than the average person
- Loss of income due to any of the following:
- Job loss
- Compensation reduction
- Closure of your workplace
- Obligation to miss work to care for a school-age child at home
- Other pertinent circumstances – this could include anything affecting your ability to pay due to the crisis, forexample: increased medical or household costs from caring for loved ones, someone else in the household is immunocompromised, etc.
4. You are under no obligation to sign a payment plan with your landlord!
Governor Doucey's executive order does not require you to sign any payment plans or make any promises to your landlord about paying your rent. It simply does not! We advise against signing any payment plans, and rather give a letter advising your landlord that COVID-19 has affected your ability to pay rent.
Keep in mind: It is also your constitutional right thanks to the 5th amendment to abstain from self-incrimination. If your landlord asks you personal questions, you don't have to answer them! If you are a victim of landlord abuse, contact us ASAP!