Arizona Short Term Rental Laws Mesa / chandler / Gilbert

[Brandon Bonfiglio]

Hi, Im looking to purchase a home in the Mesa/Gilbert/Chandler Arizona area for a Short Term Rental.

I cant really find anything on the laws and regulations on short term rentals in these cities if anyone has any information that would be useful.

Im looking to purchase a large property to fit around 12-16 people 4-6 bedroom and am aware that scottsdale rules say your not allowed more then 8 guests, So just looking for more info on the surrounding cities.

I already own very successful rentals in TN and UT and am really considering getting my hands in the "HOT" (pun intended) Market.

[James Carlson]

@Brandon Bonfiglio

Call the planning departments in each city or county. (They'll each be subject to their own rules.) We do this for our Airbnb investor clients in Colorado. Most planning departments will have a website. Call their general number and then ask for a planner of the day. Most departments around Denver and Colorado Springs here have a planner that is on call. I'm sure that's true there in Arizona.

Once you get someone on the phone, ask specific questions. (You'd be surprised how often they tell you wrong information, so make sure to ask all the different angles.) For instance:

-- Do you actively allow rentals of less than 30 days? 

-- Be aware that some jurisdictions may not address short-term rentals or vacation rentals one way or the other. Then you need to ask how the city or county ordinances treat issues not addressed. Some cities allow activities not explicitly prohibited, while others prohibit activities not explicitly allowed. (Confused yet?)

-- Do they have a primary residence rule? If so, how do they define primary residency?

-- Do they allow non-owner occupied short-term rentals? If so, are there any limits? (Caps on # of STRs based on council district or city? Density restrictions like only one every 500', for instance? Do you have to be a resident of the jurisdiction in which you own a non-owner occupied STR?)

-- And for all of this, ask them to send you a link or PDF of the ordinance that lays out the above rules. (You'd be surprised how often I call Colorado city governments, and they tell me with surety that X or Y is true of their Airbnb/STR laws, but get less sure when I ask for a copy of the ordinance. And sure enough, you'll find that some don't actually know the law at all.)

Good luck!