3 rules you need to know about short-term rentals
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On the cusp of tourism season — when bigger crowds can mean rowdier nights — Scottsdale's short-term rental (STR) rules are stricter than they were a year ago.
Why it matters: The new restrictions target party houses and nuisance complaints, a long-running source of frustration for residents.
By the numbers: Scottsdale residents made nearly 600 police calls and about 370 online complaints involving short-term rentals through July, according to city records.
- That's compared with 700 calls and about 670 online complaints in all of 2025.
Here's everything you need to know about rules for short-term rentals:
🚨 Answer the phone: An ordinance unanimously approved by the Council in late August requires short-term rental emergency contacts to be available 24/7 by phone or email for emergencies and complaints.
- The contact has to arrive at the property within an hour if public safety officials call them in the case of an emergency.
- Being unreachable carries a minimum $500 fine.
💒 Don't turn it into a venue: In June 2026, the city passed an ordinance defining "event center," to crack down on vacation rentals hosting weddings, conferences or other large gatherings.
- Normal residential get-togethers aren't affected. The fine is $1,000.
🪪 License it: A rule passed in October 2022 requires short-term rental owners to obtain a Scottsdale license for each property offered for rent for less than 30 days.
- It also mandates basic safety provisions, including pool barriers, working smoke alarms and basic sanitation compliance.
- City records show roughly 3,000 licensed STRs as of July.
The other side: Arizonans for Responsible Tourism says the ordinance defines "complaint" too broadly and could hold emergency contacts personally liable when public safety officials can't reach them.
Zoom out: Cities across Arizona are gearing up for another fight over short-term rentals at the state Capitol.
- Half of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns' eight legislative priorities for next year involve STRs, including a push for a ballot referral that could give local voters more say over their regulation, per the Arizona Capitol Times.
- Cities also want authority to charge higher STR license fees and place liens on properties with unpaid fines.
Flashback: State law bars cities from banning STRs but allows limited licensing, safety and nuisance rules.
What we're watching: Whether the new 24/7 contact rule actually cuts down on repeat complaints as Scottsdale heads into its busiest tourism months.