Property manager manipulating the facts and not responding!

[Mary Funiga]

Hello everyone in the BIGGER POCKETS community!!

I need some guidance on how to deal with an ongoing issue I am having with a property manager of a home I presently own in Buckeye AZ!

The case is that a new couple of tenants signed in May 2025 trough property  management company a two (2) years lease on my property. 

Now, after a month of the second year lease , I received a notification from the property management office telling me: 

"Hello Mary
The tenants here turned in keys to our office just now with no notice & stated it was due to domestic violence but did not provide documenation of such.
We will get an inspection done asap & will keep you posted
Please let me know if you have any questions
Thank you"

After a brief research and checking the documents submitted subsecuently and the corresponding police report,  I found the domestic violence case occurred 56 days before (early May/2026) , which indicates the tenants missed the statutory 30 days window I.A.W State of Arizona law for an early termination of their lease.  After  some questions asked to the property management office, they sent me some additional information which so far hints that they had actually  received an early termination of lease notification in the last week of May/2026, but they did not inform us of any ongoing issues at the property.  I have been asking additional question and explanations for PM, but they are not responding now...

Do I have any legal recourse to act against the property management company for their deception and neglect of their responsabilities with me as a property owner?

Since the perpetrator of the domestic violence is not exempted from the early lease termination, and its protection is strictly designed to protect the victim and not the abuser, Is there anything I could do to collect from the abuser tenant - who is a cosigner of the lease - partial or total early termination fees?

Thanks in advance for any input in this matter

Mary F.

[Chris Seveney]

So I'm trying to understand the situation. You had a two-year lease, and the tenants handed in the keys because there's a domestic violence situation. You're trying to place some blame on the property manager based on how long it took them to notify you of the situation? Wow, communication could have been better. You will spend more on legal fees than any actual recovery.

First, regarding recovery of the property manager, I'm not sure there's any damages you have against them, and you would also need to review your agreement with them. I would wager to bet the indemnification clause in there makes you liable for everything, even if they did something wrong.

Regarding the tenants, you can try and go after them, but you have to try and re-lease the unit. Your damages would be the delta, which, again, even if you get a judgment, trying to collect against it is nearly impossible.

Lastly, trying to throw your property manager under the bus, just remember that companies talk to other companies, and people move from one company to the other. If you are a difficult owner, you may have trouble finding a new property manager as well if you bad mouth the existing