Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 9-1305
Inspection fees; penalties
Operative Text
A. A city or town shall not charge a fee for nonpermit related initial exterior inspections, initial interior inspections that are requested by an owner of record or a lawful tenant, for initial interior inspections pursuant to issuance of a warrant, initial annual inspection pursuant to a residential rental inspection program or for an initial follow-up inspection where all building code violations identified to the property owner with a written notice or citation have been corrected. B. A city or town may charge a reasonable fee: 1. For each subsequent follow-up interior or exterior inspection to ensure compliance with a citation or notice issued for violations of the building code that materially affect the health and safety of residents. 2. If an owner fails to correct a violation for which a notice or citation has been issued and the owner has been given adequate time to correct the violation. For the purposes of this paragraph, adequate time shall be no less than fifteen calendar days. For the purpose of this section, a reasonable fee may include the costs incurred by the city or town for all related inspections prior to the failure of the owner to correct identified violations. C. Notwithstanding subsection B, a violation of the building code that immediately threatens the health and safety of occupants shall be cited and repaired immediately.
Under A.R.S. § 9-1301 et seq. § 9-1305, Arizona cities and towns are prohibited from charging fees for certain initial property inspections, including exterior inspections, interior inspections requested by an owner or tenant, warrant-based interior inspections, initial annual inspections under a residential rental inspection program, and initial follow-up inspections where all cited violations have already been corrected. However, municipalities are permitted to charge reasonable fees for subsequent follow-up inspections and when an owner has failed to correct a cited violation after being given at least fifteen calendar days to do so. Separately, any building code violation that poses an immediate threat to occupant health and safety must be cited and repaired without delay, regardless of the fee structure.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under A.R.S. § 9-1301 et seq. § 9-1305, compliant property owners generally correct all building code violations identified in a written notice or citation before any follow-up inspection occurs, which helps avoid the reasonable fees a city or town is permitted to charge for subsequent inspections. Owners are afforded at least fifteen calendar days to address cited violations before a municipality may impose fees that can include the costs of all related prior inspections. Violations that immediately threaten occupant health and safety carry no such grace period and require prompt remediation under the statute.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
A.R.S. § 9-1301 et seq. § 9-1305 establishes that tenants who request an initial interior inspection of their rental unit should not be charged a fee by the city or town for that inspection. If a landlord fails to correct cited building code violations that materially affect health and safety, the municipality has authority to conduct follow-up inspections and impose fees on the owner, and violations posing an immediate threat to occupants must be addressed right away. Tenants who believe their housing conditions implicate this provision may consider contacting their local city or town housing or code enforcement office, or reaching out to a tenant-rights organization for general information about available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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