My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Arizona
We rented our home in Arizona to a College Professor. She has been in the home for 4 1/2 years. She left the home on May 27th this year and was gone (and not due back) until August 18th. We received an email from her stating this yesterday. She said she had received a water bill for close to $5,000.00 and she couldn't "understand" it since she had been gone since the end of May. She stated she "didn't get a bill in July" but that she "opened" a bill this past week finding the high water bill. She said the bill had been "flat" (meaning no usage) in June. She said there must be something "wrong"...no kidding. We had our son, who is a licensed Plumber, go up to the house and make sure the water was turned OFF until he could figure out what the issue was. The City had been there and turned the water OFF at the meter on July 9th. To further complicate all of this we are 2,000 miles away, we live in a different state. She "sincerely hoped we would take care of it before she gets back on the 18th". We had her written permission to have our son go IN and check the interior of the home as he had already checked the outside. He turned the main shutoff OFF at the house and turned the meter back ON to see if the pipe from the meter to the house might be leaking....it was not. Then he turned ON the main shutoff at the house and he said "the meter was going so fast you could hardly see it turning". This meant there was a leak INSIDE the home. So, he went in. The interior of our home is destroyed. There is massive damage done. The walls in 6 rooms have black mold growing up the walls about 3 foot high...in some areas more. All the carpeting in the home is ruined, the cabinets, the doors...everything will have to be ripped out and replaced. He found that the supply line to the toilet in the master bathroom had burst, it blew a hole through the wall and into the Master Bedroom. From there it just went EVERYWHERE!
You cannot leave a home in Arizona for months during the hottest part of the Summer with no air conditioning on to prevent the home from getting so hot OR SHUTTING OFF THE WATER. The interior of a home in Arizona in June-September can easily climb to over 100 degrees. Temps that high can destroy plastics...and come to find out she left the home EVERY SUMMER SHE HAS BEEN THERE for that amount of time. Had we known she was leaving for that length of time we would of reminded her to shut the water off at the main AND had our son check the house from time to time.
According to her, we will have to pay for all her belongings that are ruined...and it's just about everything she owns AND THE WATER BILL. We can't see where any of this is our fault and why we should have to pay for HER negligence in not properly assuring the home would be safe in her absence. Who is right in a case like this, any suggestions? Thank you....I'm throwing up I'm so upset and my husbands blood pressure is through the roof!

