Bisbee, AZ short-term rental license
Bisbee handles vacation rentals through its business license rather than a dedicated permit, so that license comes first. The city still issues a permit number, and it belongs on each ad you run.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Bisbee?
Get a license first
What you apply for: Vacation rental business license, city code article 8.2
- Seasonal homes
- 328
- Housing units
- 3,256
- Residents
- 4,977
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleLicense required
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes101 per 1,000
Bisbee short-term rental license
Bisbee requires a business license for a vacation or short-term rental, secured under Article 8.2 of the city code. Before offering the property for rent or renting it, the owner must give the City Clerk a complaint contact's details. That contact is the person responsible for responding to complaints at any time of day. The owner or the owner's designee is then responsible for displaying the permit number issued by the city on each advertisement for the rental. Bisbee also screens occupants. No sex offender may rent or occupy a vacation rental, and an owner who allows one is in violation. Compliance is demonstrated by retaining a full copy of each background check for at least twelve months after the booking date. The copy is provided to the city on request. The city publishes a short-term rental guide and checklist alongside the registration form to take an applicant through the sequence. Business license applications are available on the city website or at City Hall.[4]
What Bisbee asks of you
The owner must secure a business license pursuant to Article 8.2 of the city code.[4]
The owner must give the City Clerk contact information for the person responsible for responding to complaints at any time of day. That has to happen before offering the property for rent or renting it.[4]
The owner or the owner's designee must display the permit number issued by the city on each advertisement for the vacation rental.[4]
No sex offender may rent or occupy the vacation rental, and an owner who allows one is found in violation.[4]
Compliance is demonstrated by retaining a full copy of each background check for at least twelve months after the booking date and providing it to the city on request.[4]
The city publishes a short-term rental guide and checklist with the registration form, and business license applications are available on the city website or at City Hall.[5]
What Arizona asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Arizona cities may not ban short-term rentals. A restriction by classification, use or occupancy is allowed only where the statute lists it.[1]
A city permit fee is capped at $250, or at the city's actual cost of issuing it if that is lower. The application may ask for six things only.[1]
A city may make you notify the adjacent, opposite and diagonally opposite properties before the first booking. It may also require the permit number on every advertisement.[1]
Stays shorter than thirty consecutive days are taxed under the state's transient lodging classification. Longer stays fall outside it.[2]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Bisbee
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona transient lodging transaction privilege tax[3] | 5.5% | The state revenue department |
| City transient lodging tax[4] | Not published | The city |
Bisbee keeps its own tax code, published separately from the license pages. The state transient lodging classification applies to any stay of under thirty consecutive days regardless.[2]
What the census counts
How much of Bisbee is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 328 of Bisbee's 3,256 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 101 out of every 1,000. It ranks Bisbee 13th of the 25 Arizona cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 13th of 25
- Share of housing
- 101 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $216,700
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Bisbee sits among its neighbors
Tombstone, AZ
No city ordinance
102 seasonal homes, 120 per 1,000 housing units.
Tombstone short-term rental rulesFountain Hills, AZ
Permit required
1,565 seasonal homes, 119 per 1,000 housing units.
Fountain Hills short-term rental rulesScottsdale, AZ
License required
12,314 seasonal homes, 89 per 1,000 housing units.
Scottsdale short-term rental rulesBullhead City, AZ
Permit required
3,023 seasonal homes, 120 per 1,000 housing units.
Bullhead City short-term rental rulesFAQ
Bisbee short-term rental questions
Does my Bisbee listing need a permit number?
When does the complaint contact have to be filed?
How long do I keep the background checks?
Sources
- A.R.S. § 9-500.39, Limits on regulation of vacation rentals and short-term rentals, Arizona State Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
- A.R.S. § 42-5070, Transient lodging classification; definition, Arizona State Legislature, read on October 2, 2026
- A.R.S. § 42-5010, Rates; distribution base, Arizona State Legislature, read on October 2, 2026
- Vacation Rentals & Short Term Rentals, City of Bisbee, read on September 20, 2026
- Short-term rental guide, checklist, acknowledgment and registration form, City of Bisbee, read on September 20, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 2, 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 host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.