Notice to Enter Clause
in Phoenix, AZ
How this page is sourced
Statutes verified against primary state sources
Every statute cited here was read in its published text before this page went live: on the state's own site where that site can be reached, otherwise on a republished copy of the code. Court decisions are quoted from the published opinion and linked to it, so you can read the original yourself.
Primary sourcesNot legal advice
Content verified against primary state statutes before publicationLast updated: October 2026
What it actually means, what Arizona law says, what's specific to Phoenix - and exactly what to do. In plain English.
Quick Summary - What You Need to Know
- Arizona requires at least 48 hours of advance notice before a non-emergency entry (A.R.S. 33-1343).
- The visit must also happen at a reasonable time and serve a legitimate purpose.
- In an emergency the landlord may enter with no notice. Notice is also excused when giving it is impracticable.
- Each non-emergency visit needs its own notice. One notice at move-in does not cover the year.
- Phoenix adds nothing beyond state law, and the city's Landlord and Tenant Program is educational only.
Step by step
How it plays out
- Notice arrivesLandlord says they will enterAt least 48 hours of advance notice is required before a non-emergency entry (A.R.S. 33-1343).
- 48 hours laterEarliest non-emergency entry allowedThe two days run before the visit, not around it. In an emergency, or when notice is impracticable, no wait applies.
- The visitReasonable time, legitimate purposeEntry only at reasonable times and for a legitimate purpose (A.R.S. 33-1343), such as repairs, an inspection, services or a showing.
Count it for your dates
48 hours: when does it end?
What it means: A non-emergency entry may not take place before 48 hours have passed, and it must still be at a reasonable time and for a legitimate purpose. Applies to Arizona landlords, including in Phoenix; not in an emergency, and notice is also excused when giving it is impracticable (A.R.S. 33-1343). Calendar arithmetic only; check how the section counts days before you rely on a date.
Copy and send: After an entry or a request to enter came with less than 48 hours' notice, at an unreasonable time, or without a stated purpose
Ask for proper notice before entry
Fill in the brackets and keep a copy of what you send.
How Arizona compares
Required entry notice, state by state
12 hrs24 hrs48 hrsNo figureGuide coming soonYou are here
See all 26 cities as a chart
Figures are the state rule, or the stronger city ordinance where one exists. Verify the current law for your own situation before relying on it.
Understanding the Notice to Enter Clause
This page is for Phoenix renters whose landlord wants to come in, or already came in. Arizona's notice rule is easy to count: two full days before the visit, not around it.
A text sent Tuesday night for a Wednesday morning repair does not clear it. The harder questions are the hour of the visit and its purpose, and neither is counted in hours.
So keep a dated, written trail of every notice and every visit.
What renters assume
Because the landlord owns the place, they can come by whenever they want to check on things or drop off a filter.
What is actually true
Ownership does not come with a walk-in pass. A.R.S. 33-1343 requires 48 hours' notice, a reasonable hour and a legitimate purpose for every non-emergency entry.
Arizona sits at the top of this chart at 48 hours - tied with Washington, and double what Florida and California require. The difference is where it comes from: Chicago renters get their two days from a city ordinance, while Arizona's protection is baked into state law, so it follows you from Phoenix to Tucson to Flagstaff without changing.
Entry Notice Clause Example - What the Wording Looks Like in Phoenix, AZ
The sample clause below is real lease language - a court quoted it word for word, and then ruled on it. What the judge decided is at the bottom of this block.
Find the equivalent paragraph in your own lease and read the two side by side. The wording will differ; the moving parts rarely do.
Lessor hereby reserves, and the Lessee hereby grants to the Lessor or his agents, the right to enter said leased premises at reasonable times, for the purpose of making repairs or to inspect the premises, to show the dwelling to prospective tenants after notice of termination.
Quoted from the published opinion in Kalmas v. Wagner, 133 Wn.2d 210 (Wash. 1997) (en banc). Judicial opinions are not subject to copyright; the lease language is reproduced in limited part for commentary under 17 U.S.C. § 107.
What the 4 highlighted phrases mean
“the Lessor or his agents”
In Arizona the rule is the same for whoever turns up. A.R.S. 33-1343 binds the landlord and anyone acting for them - so a maintenance company arriving unannounced is the landlord's problem, not an exception to it.
“the right to enter said leased premises at reasonable times”
Arizona requires three things together, and a clause satisfying only one is not enough: at least two days' notice, entry at reasonable times, and a legitimate purpose. The purpose requirement is the one tenants forget they can ask about.
“for the purpose of making repairs”
Arizona has a second exception beyond emergencies, and it is easy to miss: notice is also excused where giving it is impracticable. That is narrower than convenience but wider than a fire, and it is the provision a landlord will reach for when they did not plan ahead.
“to show the dwelling to prospective tenants after notice”
Phoenix adds nothing here, and that is worth saying plainly rather than leaving you to search for a city rule. Arizona treats landlord-tenant law as a matter of statewide concern, so the state statute sets the floor - no Phoenix ordinance improves on it.
See the example
The clause held - because the landlord followed the statute. The agent gave the notice the state's landlord-tenant act requires before entering to show the unit, so the tenants “had no reasonable expectation other than that entry for inspection would occur” and the brief entry was not unreasonable. The court was careful about what the clause bought: it and the statute together grant only a limited right to inspect.
How this state's law treats this clause
One court, one lease, one state. That answer is not automatically yours, and your lease may be worded to land differently. Use this to know what to look for and what to ask - your state's tenant hotline or a local tenant attorney can answer it for your document.
Arizona Law on Notice to Enter Clause
- 48 hours of advance notice is required before a non-emergency entry.
- Arizona landlords must give at least two days' notice before entering, enter only at reasonable times, and have a legitimate purpose; emergencies are exempt.
- In an emergency the landlord may enter without consent and without any advance notice; notice is also excused when giving it is impracticable.
- Phoenix adds nothing beyond state law - Arizona treats landlord-tenant rights as a matter of statewide concern not subject to city regulation, and the city's Landlord and Tenant Program is educational only.
Sources include A.R.S. 33-1343 - statutes change; verify the current text for your situation.
Arizona's entry rule sits in A.R.S. 33-1343 and has three parts:
- Notice. At least 48 hours of advance notice before a non-emergency entry. The two days run before the visit.
- Time. Entry only at reasonable times. Sending notice does not by itself make any hour acceptable.
- Purpose. A legitimate reason, such as repairs, an inspection, services or a showing. Repeat drive-by "inspections" or a manager letting themselves in to look around are hard to call legitimate.
In an emergency the landlord may enter without consent and without any advance notice. Notice is also excused when giving it is impracticable.
Time and purpose are not counted in hours, so a dated log of every visit is how you show a pattern. Read the current text of A.R.S. 33-1343 before you rely on it in a dispute.
What's Specific to Phoenix
Phoenix adds nothing beyond state law. Arizona treats landlord-tenant rights as a matter of statewide concern not subject to city regulation, and the city's Landlord and Tenant Program is educational only.
It explains the rules and points renters to resources. That leaves the 48 hours in A.R.S.
33-1343 as the number you count in Phoenix, the same as in Tucson or Flagstaff. If a manager names a city rule with a different window, ask which section it is.
That matches A.R.S. 33-1343. A clause that states the period gives you a written term to point to.
Reasonable times is the legal standard. A clause that names actual hours heads off the argument later.
Repairs, inspections, services and showings fit the legitimate-purpose rule. A list keeps each visit tied to a reason.
Blanket consent collected at signing tries to contract around the 48-hour rule. Raise it before you sign.
Sources
The law this guide relies on, and where to read it. Statutes change, so confirm the current text before you act on it.
- A.R.S. 33-1343 on azleg.gov, Arizona's own publication of its statutes.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
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Notice period set at 24 hours
Some national lease templates default to 24 hours. Arizona's floor is 48 hours, so that line is short by a full day.
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Entry at the landlord's sole discretion
Wording that lets management enter "as needed" or "at its discretion" erases both the notice and the legitimate-purpose rule in one sentence.
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Notice given after the visit
A voicemail saying someone already came by is not notice. Outside an emergency, the two days run before anyone unlocks your door.
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Standing access for showings
Clauses granting open-ended showing access near the end of your term, by agent, lockbox or self-guided tour, still leave each showing needing its own 48-hour notice.
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A broad emergency definition
Watch for leases that define emergency to include routine maintenance or landlord convenience. The no-notice exception is for emergencies, not a scheduling shortcut.
Your Rights as a Phoenix Tenant
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48 hours, every time
Each non-emergency entry needs its own 48 hours of advance notice, given before the visit.
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Reasonable hours only
Even with proper notice, entry has to happen at a reasonable time.
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A legitimate reason
Each visit needs an actual purpose, such as repairs, an inspection, services or a showing.
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Two named exceptions
Our record of A.R.S. 33-1343 excuses notice in two cases: an emergency, or when giving it is impracticable.
What To Do - Step by Step
Read your entry clause first
Find the notice paragraph and compare it with the 48-hour minimum. Know whether you are arguing about the lease or the statute.
Ask for written notice only
Ask for entry notices by email or text, not at the door. A written notice gives you a timestamp to count the 48 hours from.
Log every entry
Note the date, time, who came, the reason given and what notice you got. A pattern of short-notice visits is more persuasive than one complaint.
Send one clear objection
Email the manager, name A.R.S. 33-1343, and say you expect 48 hours' notice going forward. Keep it factual and keep a copy.
Escalate above the on-site staff
Send the same dated log to the regional manager or the ownership company.
Get legal help if it continues
Talk to a Maricopa County legal aid office or a tenant attorney about your options before the lease ends.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Notice to Enter rules near Arizona
The same clause in the nearest states we cover.
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