Can an Owner Conduct Their Own Interior Inspection?

Yes. An owner may conduct an interior inspection of their property. However, please be aware of Opulent RE’s policies and procedures regarding owner-conducted inspections.

Under our management agreement, owners should generally avoid direct contact with tenants. This includes participating in inspections. We can make an exception for an owner-conducted inspection, provided that any follow-up communication, requests, notices, or concerns are directed back through Opulent RE.

We strongly recommend allowing Opulent RE to conduct inspections on your behalf. This helps minimize potential conflict, misunderstandings, and liability. Even with the best intentions, face-to-face interactions can sometimes lead to on-the-spot maintenance or improvement requests, disagreements over the condition of the property, or statements that may later be interpreted differently than intended.

Having Opulent RE Conduct the Inspection

When Opulent RE conducts the inspection, we schedule it within our normal inspection timeline and typically complete it within 30 days of the request.

You will receive a detailed PDF inspection report by email, including date- and time-stamped photographs.

If we identify legitimate concerns or lease violations, we will review them with you and, when appropriate, issue the applicable cure notice to the tenant requiring correction.

Request an inspection:
https://www.opulentre.com/request_an_inspection

If You Prefer to Conduct the Inspection Yourself

If you prefer to personally inspect the property, we will pass the baton to you.

Opulent RE will notify the tenant that you, as the property owner, will be contacting them directly to arrange the inspection. We will then provide you with the tenant’s contact information so that you can coordinate a mutually agreeable date and time.

Once you elect to conduct the inspection yourself, scheduling and coordinating the appointment becomes your responsibility. Opulent RE does not coordinate owner-conducted inspections or participate as a co-inspector.

Any concerns discovered during the inspection should be documented and returned to Opulent RE for review and appropriate follow-up.

Can Opulent RE Schedule the Inspection With the Tenant for Me?

If you choose to conduct the inspection yourself, you must also coordinate the appointment directly with the tenant.

Schedules change, and direct communication between the owner and tenant is important to ensuring that both parties understand and agree upon the inspection date and time.

What if the Tenant Does Not Cooperate?

If you and the tenant are unable to agree upon a reasonable date and time, please return the inspection request to Opulent RE.

At that point, we will take over the inspection and complete it independently in accordance with our standard inspection procedures and scheduling timeline.

Can We Simply Issue a 48-Hour Notice if the Tenant Does Not Cooperate?

Arizona law permits landlord access with proper notice under appropriate circumstances. However, Opulent RE generally reserves the use of formal access notices for legitimate management needs, urgent or material matters, or continued unreasonable tenant non-cooperation.

For example, if an owner is only in town for a limited period but the tenant has a legitimate scheduling conflict, family event, holiday, or similar circumstance, we would generally recommend rescheduling rather than forcing access solely to accommodate the owner's travel schedule.

Our goal is to balance the owner's right to reasonably inspect the property with the tenant's right to privacy and quiet enjoyment.

Arizona law specifically provides under A.R.S. § 33-1343(D) that:

“The landlord shall not abuse the right to access or use it to harass the tenant.”

For that reason, we try to avoid unnecessary forced access or conduct that a tenant could reasonably characterize as excessive, intimidating, or harassing.

What if I Find Damage or Other Concerns?

Please remember that a routine interior inspection is not a move-out inspection.

The primary purpose is to identify significant lease violations, health and safety concerns, unauthorized occupants or animals, neglect, or conditions that could cause material damage to the property.

Owners should avoid focusing excessively on minor cosmetic imperfections or ordinary day-to-day wear during an occupied tenancy.

If you conduct your own inspection:

• Photograph and document any significant concerns.

• Do not make promises, demands, or agreements with the tenant regarding repairs, charges, improvements, or lease enforcement.

• Send your photographs and concerns to Opulent RE for review.

• Allow our team to determine the appropriate notice or next step under the lease and Arizona law.

Immediate corrective action during an occupied tenancy is generally reserved for legitimate lease violations or failures to properly maintain the premises, particularly conditions involving health, safety, sanitation, electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, appliances, or other material property concerns.

When appropriate, Opulent RE will issue the legally applicable cure notice and follow up to determine whether the tenant has complied.

If the tenant fails to cure a legitimate lease violation, available remedies may include, depending upon the circumstances and applicable law:

• Completing necessary work and seeking reimbursement from the tenant when permitted;

• Documenting the condition for consideration as part of the security-deposit disposition after move-out; or

• Pursuing lease enforcement or termination when warranted.

A Note About Cosmetic Concerns

Cosmetic imperfections, minor damage, or other non-urgent concerns may certainly be photographed and documented in the tenant's file. However, an occupied-property inspection should not be treated as an opportunity to conduct a premature security-deposit disposition.

Potential tenant charges for cosmetic damage are generally evaluated at the conclusion of the tenancy, after possession has been returned and the property's final condition can be properly assessed against the move-in condition, ordinary wear and tear, the lease, and applicable Arizona law.

Additional information regarding cure notices:
https://www.opulentre.com/cure_notice

Will Opulent RE Join Me on the Inspection?

No. Opulent RE does not conduct co-inspections with owners.

Coordinating the schedules of the owner, tenant, and our inspection team can create unnecessary delays and confusion regarding who is directing the inspection.

Owners therefore have two options:

1. Have Opulent RE conduct the inspection.
We will schedule and perform the inspection independently and provide you with a complete PDF report with date- and time-stamped photographs.

2. Conduct the inspection yourself.
We will notify the tenant and provide their contact information. You will then coordinate and conduct the inspection directly and provide any concerns to us afterward.

We share your goal of protecting your investment while maintaining a professional and appropriate relationship with the tenant. These procedures are designed to protect the property, the owner, the tenant, and Opulent RE while ensuring that legitimate concerns are properly documented and addressed.

Ready. Set. Inspect!

Please choose one of the following:

• Have Opulent RE conduct the inspection: One complimentary routine inspection per property, per calendar year, is included upon owner request. Additional inspections are $75 each.

• Conduct the inspection yourself: Opulent RE will notify the tenant of your intent to inspect and provide you with their contact information. You will then be responsible for scheduling and coordinating the inspection directly with the tenant.