Arizona short-term rental laws (2026)
Arizona settled the question at state level: a city or town may not prohibit vacation rentals or short-term rentals, and may not restrict them based on their classification, use or occupancy except in the ways the statute itself lists. That list is closed, and it is short. A city may protect health and safety, zone, require emergency contact details, require a local permit whose fee cannot exceed $250, require you to notify the neighbours before the first booking, and require the permit number on your advertisements. Anything outside that list is preempted.[1]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 20, 2026.
Is Airbnb legal in Arizona?
Legal, and cities are boxed in
No Arizona city may ban short-term rentals. It may require a permit, but the fee stops at $250 and the form may ask for only six things.
2 official sources · verified September 20, 2026
Photo: Kaileen Fitzpatrick on Unsplash
- PermitRequired · Local permit where the city has one, $250 at most
- Primary residenceNot required
- Number on listingRequired
- Night capNone the statute allows a city to set
Every Arizona rule, sorted by what it asks
Filter by topic. Each line carries the number of its official source, listed at the bottom of the page.
You must
- Give the city emergency contact details for you or your designee before you offer the property for rent.[1]
- Notify the adjacent, opposite and diagonally opposite properties before the first booking, and file the attestation.[1]
- Hold a state transaction privilege tax licence, which the city may ask you to prove.[1]
- Display the local permit or licence number on each advertisement, where your city requires one.[1]
- Keep a designee who can answer a complaint or an emergency at any hour, in person if public safety staff require it.[1]
You must not
Not required
- You do not have to live at the property: the statute's closed list gives a city no way to require it.[1]
- You do not have to prove insurance to get a local permit, since the application may ask for six things and that is not one.[1]
- You do not face a state night cap: no provision lets a city set one.[1]
Cities in this state
Short-term rental rules in 16 Arizona cities
Ranked by the share of housing the Census counts as seasonal. Each city page carries its own rules, its tax stack and its census figures.
| City | County | City rule | Primary residence | Seasonal homes per 1,000 | Seasonal homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinetop-Lakeside | Navajo | Permit required | Not required | 333 | 1,080 |
| Show Low | Navajo | Permit required | Not required | 296 | 2,296 |
| Carefree | Maricopa | Permit required | Not required | 192 | 444 |
| Sedona | Yavapai and Coconino | Permit required | Not required | 189 | 1,260 |
| Lake Havasu City | Mohave | Permit required | Not required | 150 | 5,293 |
| Payson | Gila | Registration required | Not required | 129 | 1,323 |
| Fountain Hills | Maricopa | Permit required | Not required | 119 | 1,565 |
| Bisbee | Cochise | Registration required | Not required | 101 | 328 |
| Scottsdale | Maricopa | Permit required | Not required | 89 | 12,314 |
| Prescott | Yavapai | Registration required | Not required | 84 | 2,144 |
| Wickenburg | Maricopa | Permit required | Not required | 78 | 388 |
| Cave Creek | Maricopa | Permit required | Not required | 77 | 221 |
| Page | Coconino | Registration required | Not required | 70 | 237 |
| Flagstaff | Coconino | Registration required | Not required | 63 | 1,999 |
| Prescott Valley | Yavapai | Registration required | Not required | 32 | 711 |
| Cottonwood | Yavapai | Registration required | Not required | 23 | 164 |
How to apply in Arizona
Official name: Local regulatory permit or licence, where the city requires one
- 1
Get a state transaction privilege tax licence, since the city may ask for proof of compliance with that statute as a condition of its own permit.[1]
- 2
Nominate the person who will answer complaints and emergencies at any hour, in person if public safety staff require it, and give the city their contact details.[1]
- 3
Notify the neighbouring properties before the first rental and keep the attestation, which lists the permit number, every address notified and how you notified them.[1]
- 4
Apply for the local permit or licence where your city has one, and put its number on every advertisement you maintain.[1]
Four jurisdictions, same questions
The Arizona column comes from the official sources on this page. The other columns show the headline rule from each WonderGuest page. Open a page for the full detail.
| Question | Arizona | Florida | Austin | San Bernardino County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit | RequiredLocal permit where the city has one, $250 at most | RequiredState license, $170 a year | Required$836.30 new, up to 2 years | Required$1,144 new, 1 year |
| Primary residence | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Night cap | None the statute allows a city to set | None published by the state | None published | None published |
| Number on listing | Required | Not required | Required | Required |
| Where allowed | Everywhere: a ban is preempted | No local bans after June 1, 2011 | Every zoning district | Mountain and Desert Regions only |
| Occupancy tax | Transient lodging tax under 30 nights | 6% state tax, Airbnb collects | 11% city tax, platforms collect | 7% county TOT, Airbnb collects |
| Fine without permit | Up to $1,000 per 30 days, then suspension | Second-degree misdemeanor | Up to $500 per offense, per day | $1,000 per violation per day |
| Florida rules | Austin rules | San Bernardino County rules |
Coming up
What's changing
No change with an effective date appears in the official sources on this page as of September 20, 2026.
FAQ
Arizona short-term rental questions
Can an Arizona city ban short-term rentals?
How much can an Arizona city charge for a short-term rental permit?
Do I really have to tell my neighbours before the first booking?
When does a stay stop being a short-term rental for tax purposes?
Sources
- A.R.S. § 9-500.39, Limits on regulation of vacation rentals and short-term rentals; state preemption, Arizona State Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
- A.R.S. § 42-5070, Transient lodging classification; definition, Arizona State Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 20, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.
Rental arbitrage calculator
Rent, deposit, furnishing, nightly rate and occupancy. You get monthly cash flow, the occupancy you break even at, and how long the setup takes to pay back.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.