Maricopa County, AZ

Cave Creek, AZ short-term rental registration

Cave Creek adopted its short-term rental rules on 17 July 2023, unanimously, and framed them as public health and safety protections rather than as a limit on the use — which is the only framing Arizona law leaves open. The cost comes in two parts: an annual permit fee of $250 per property and a $50 annual business licence on top. Two registrations have to exist before the town will look at either: a transaction privilege tax licence from the Department of Revenue, and the property's filing with the Maricopa County Assessor.[3]

Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 20, 2026.

Can you rent short term in Cave Creek?

Get a permit first

What you apply for: Short-term residential registration and business licence

Seasonal homes
221
Housing units
2,859
Residents
5,091

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates

  • City rulePermit required
  • City fee$250
  • Tax on each staySet locally
  • Seasonal homes77 per 1,000

Cave Creek short-term rental license

Cave Creek requires a property to be registered as a short-term residential with the town, with an annual permit fee of $250 per property and an annual business licence fee of $50 on top. Before applying, an owner must hold a valid transaction privilege tax licence issued by the Arizona Department of Revenue, and the property must be registered with Maricopa County as required by A.R.S. § 33-1902 — the town states that it is illegal to rent a property before it is registered with the Maricopa County Assessor. Applications are made through the town's short-term rental online registration system. The rules come from the short-term rental public health and safety protections ordinance that the town council adopted unanimously on 17 July 2023, presented as a reasonable and consistent approach to protecting the health, welfare and quality of life of residents and visitors, which is the ground A.R.S. § 9-500.39 leaves an Arizona town to stand on.[3]

What Cave Creek asks of you

  • A property must be registered as a short-term residential with the Town of Cave Creek, with an annual permit fee of $250 per property.[3]

  • An annual business licence fee of $50 applies on top of the permit.[3]

  • The owner must hold a valid transaction privilege tax licence issued by the Arizona Department of Revenue before applying for the town licence.[3]

  • Each property must be registered with Maricopa County as required by A.R.S. § 33-1902. The town states it is illegal to rent a property before it is registered with the Maricopa County Assessor.[3]

  • Applications are made through the town's short-term rental online registration system.[3]

  • The town council unanimously adopted its short-term rental public health and safety protections ordinance on 17 July 2023.[3]

Apply on the Cave Creek site

What Arizona asks wherever you host

These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.

  • No Arizona city may prohibit short-term rentals, or restrict them by classification, use or occupancy beyond the closed list the statute sets out.[1]

  • Where a city requires a permit, its fee cannot exceed the actual cost of issuing it or $250, whichever is less, and the application may ask for only six things.[1]

  • A city may require you to notify the adjacent, opposite and diagonally opposite properties before the first booking, and to display the permit number on every advertisement.[1]

  • A stay of under thirty consecutive days falls in the state's transient lodging classification; from thirty consecutive days it does not.[2]

All Arizona short-term rental laws

What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Cave Creek

Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.

Short-term rental tax layers in Cave Creek
LayerRateRemitted to
Arizona transient lodging transaction privilege tax[2]Not publishedThe state revenue department
City transient lodging tax[3]Not publishedThe city

Two filings precede the town licence and neither is optional: the state transaction privilege tax licence, and the Maricopa County assessor registration that makes the let lawful in the first place.[3]

How short-term rental taxes work for US hosts

What the census counts

How much of Cave Creek is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 221 of Cave Creek's 2,859 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use — 77 out of every 1,000. That ranks Cave Creek 12th of the 16 Arizona cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.

Rank in the state
12th of 16
Share of housing
77 per 1,000
Median home value
$906,100

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.

Nearby and comparable

Where Cave Creek sits among its neighbors

Wickenburg, AZ

Permit required

388 seasonal homes, 78 per 1,000 housing units.

Rules in Wickenburg

Scottsdale, AZ

Permit required

12,314 seasonal homes, 89 per 1,000 housing units.

Rules in Scottsdale

Fountain Hills, AZ

Permit required

1,565 seasonal homes, 119 per 1,000 housing units.

Rules in Fountain Hills

Carefree, AZ

Permit required

444 seasonal homes, 192 per 1,000 housing units.

Rules in Carefree
The state hubEvery Arizona city on this site, in one tableState law, the tax stack and every city we cover in Arizona, with what each one asks of a host.Open the Arizona hub

FAQ

Cave Creek short-term rental questions

What does a Cave Creek short-term rental cost each year?

$250 for the permit per property, plus a $50 annual business licence. Arizona caps the permit fee itself at the cost of issuing it or $250, whichever is less.[3]

Do I need to register with the county as well?

Yes, under A.R.S. § 33-1902. The town says plainly that renting before the property is registered with the Maricopa County Assessor is illegal.[3]

When did Cave Creek adopt its rules?

On 17 July 2023, unanimously, as a short-term rental public health and safety protections ordinance rather than as a restriction on the use itself.[3]
Read nextHow to start an AirbnbThe six steps in order, starting with the permit check.Read the guide

Sources

  1. A.R.S. § 9-500.39, Limits on regulation of vacation rentals and short-term rentals, Arizona State Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
  2. A.R.S. § 42-5070, Transient lodging classification; definition, Arizona State Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
  3. Short Term Rental License, Town of Cave Creek, 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.

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