Except under certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, a landlord generally may not interrupt utilities provided to a residential tenant—such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone, cable television, security systems, and in some areas, trash collection—unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an emergency.

A landlord generally may not shut off utilities to a residential tenant because the tenant is late in paying for the utilities. Laws vary from state to state, and laws related to a landlord’s interruption of a residential tenant’s utility services are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In Arizona, landlords are prohibited from shutting off utilities to a residential tenant as a means of eviction or to force a tenant to leave the premises. This includes essential services such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone, cable television, security systems, and trash collection. Arizona law specifically outlines that a landlord may not interrupt a tenant's utility services due to late payment or nonpayment of rent or other disputes. The only exceptions to this rule are when utility interruptions are necessary for bona fide repairs, construction, or in the case of an emergency. These regulations are designed to protect tenants from unlawful evictions and to ensure that their access to essential services is not unjustly interrupted. Landlords who violate these provisions may be subject to penalties, including potential damages payable to the tenant. These rules are typically found in the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.