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Kara Edgerson | Manager of Digital Operations
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| What’s really in your lease? And what could get you evicted — even if you did nothing wrong? |
| That’s the unsettling question Hannah Dreyfus , an investigative reporter at The Republic, set out to answer in her latest investigation into the widespread use of “Crime-Free Lease Addendums” in Arizona. Marketed as tools to help reduce crime, these clauses are now standard in many rental agreements, and they can be used to evict tenants based on accusations, suspicions or even the actions of guests that their host may not know about. |
| This week, Hannah walks us through what she uncovered, including the surprising scope of these policies, the lack of evidence that they work, and what renters should do if they spot one in their lease. |
| Here’s what she had to say: |
What surprised me the most
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| What surprised you most during your reporting from what renters shared or what you learned about how these lease addendums are being used? |
| When I began investigating Arizona’s widespread use of the Crime Free Lease Addendum, I expected to find tough policies aimed at cracking down on illegal activity. But what surprised me most was how broad and discretionary these policies are — and how easily they can be weaponized against renters. |
| For example, I was struck by the case of April Sabari in Peoria, who was evicted after three men were found smoking marijuana in a car outside her apartment. They weren’t inside her unit, and she wasn’t present — but her landlord called it a “failure” to control her guests and moved to evict her immediately. Under these addendums, tenants can be held responsible for the behavior of visitors they didn’t even know about and had no reasonable way to prevent. Even more surprising, the lease language extends the definition of “criminal activity” to cover things happening near the premises, giving landlords wide latitude to decide what — and where — qualifies. |
| I was also shocked to discover that despite all the police-run training programs teaching landlords how to apply these policies, police departments don’t track whether the programs actually reduce crime. Given the effort and public money going into these initiatives, you’d expect a robust evaluation of their impact — but of the 14 Arizona police departments who responded to my questions, none reported tracking this data. |
| Finally, one of the most troubling surprises was the racialized nature of the police training materials used to educate landlords. Many of these materials contain inflammatory images and language that reinforce racial stereotypes. It took me months of persistent records requests to obtain these slideshows and pamphlets from police departments, and I was denied entry to multiple police training sessions. The public largely has no idea these programs exist or what landlords are being told behind closed doors about how to evict tenants accused of criminal activity. |
Why legal experts are pushing back
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| You mention that some housing advocates believe these addendums can be discriminatory or lead to evictions without due process. What did legal experts or landlords say in response to those concerns? |
| When housing advocates raised concerns that Crime-Free Lease Addendums can be discriminatory and lead to evictions without due process, landlords and program promoters pushed back by defending the legality and intent of the policy. |
| Landlord groups, like the Arizona Multihousing Association, emphasized that the addendum communicates a “zero-tolerance” policy to potential tenants. The creator of the crime free addendum, retired police officer Tim Zehring, cited the 2002 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the right of public housing authorities to evict tenants for drug-related activity as legal backing for the addendum. |
| Police officers I interviewed said the program “empowers” landlords to manage their properties, which then reduces the burden on law enforcement. As Cpl. Scott Borgstadt of Sierra Vista One officer described, the crime free program “teaches management and landlords about what they can do, so they can solve their own problems.” |
| Legal experts, including the ACLU’s Deborah Archer, pushed back. She explained that these justifications overlook a serious risk: co-opting landlords into informal law enforcement roles. This allows criminal accusations to be leveraged based on suspicion or discomfort with a tenant, rather than legal standards. Archer noted that the addendum expands the definition of “criminal activity” so broadly that tenants can lose their homes over the mere suspicion of wrongdoing — even without an arrest, charge, or conviction. |
What Arizonans should look out for
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| If someone reading your story is worried they might have signed one of these addendums, what should they do or look out for in their lease? |
| If you’re reading this and worried you might have signed one of these addendums, you’re not alone — in Arizona, the addendum is included in most standard lease agreements! |
| Here’s what you can do: First, carefully check your lease for any mention of a “Crime-Free Lease Addendum” or language referring to criminal activity, illegal behavior, or your responsibility for the actions of guests or household members. Sometimes these clauses appear as separate attachments, but they can also be buried in the fine print. Pay close attention to how broadly the lease defines “criminal activity” — many addendums cover not just arrests or convictions, but accusations, disturbances or incidents that happen near the property, meaning you could be held responsible for something you didn’t do or know about. |
| Even if your lease includes this kind of clause, remember that Arizona law still grants you certain basic protections. Landlords cannot simply change your locks or throw you out; they must provide proper notice and go through a formal court process before carrying out an eviction, even an immediate eviction. |
| If you receive a warning or eviction notice connected to an alleged violation of the crime free addendum, it’s crucial to seek legal advice as soon as you can. Early action can significantly increase your chances of protecting your housing. For additional resources or if you want to share your experience, you can also reach out to me directly at hannah.dreyfus@arizonarepublic.com. I would love to hear your story. |
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| An Arizona Republic investigation looked at renters who faced immediate evictions after being accused of a crime. It could happen to you. |
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