Flagstaff, AZ short-term rental license
Before you list a home in Flagstaff, get the city's Short Term Rental License. Once you are renting, you remit tax at the same rate as a hotel. That rate is in the Department of Revenue's rate table rather than on the city's own pages.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Flagstaff?
Get a license first
What you apply for: Short Term Rental License
- Seasonal homes
- 1,999
- Housing units
- 31,994
- Residents
- 76,445
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleLicense required
- City fee$250
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes63 per 1,000
Flagstaff short-term rental license
Flagstaff has required a Short Term Rental License since November 2023. It is valid for one year and costs $250, up from $185, which is the maximum Arizona law allows a city to charge. To hold one you need at least $500,000 of liability insurance before the property is offered or rented. Equivalent coverage through a marketplace such as Airbnb or Vrbo also counts. You need a transaction privilege tax license from the Arizona Department of Revenue as well. Flagstaff adds a duty few cities impose. You or your designee check each booking guest against the National Sex Offender Public Website no later than twenty-four hours before the stay. Adjacent properties must also be told the home is a short-term rental and given an emergency contact. The notice carries the license number, a name, a physical address, an email and a 24-hour telephone number.[4]
What Flagstaff asks of you
A Short Term Rental License has been required since November 2023 and is valid for one year.[4]
The annual license fee has risen to the state maximum of $250, from $185.[4]
A minimum of $500,000 in liability insurance is required before you offer or rent the property, or equivalent coverage through a marketplace such as Airbnb or Vrbo.[4]
No later than twenty-four hours before each stay, you or your designee must check the booking guest against the National Sex Offender Public Website.[4]
Adjacent properties have to be told the property is a short-term rental and given an emergency point of contact. The notice includes the license number, a name, a physical address, an email and a 24-hour telephone number.[4]
A transaction privilege tax license from the Arizona Department of Revenue is required, and the rental remits transient occupancy tax at the same rate as a hotel.[4]
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 Flagstaff
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 |
Flagstaff states that a short-term rental remits transaction privilege tax at the same rate as a hotel. The rate itself sits in the Department of Revenue's rate table rather than in the city's own pages.[4]
What the census counts
How much of Flagstaff is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 1,999 of Flagstaff's 31,994 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 63 out of every 1,000. It ranks Flagstaff 19th of the 25 Arizona cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 19th of 25
- Share of housing
- 63 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $552,900
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Flagstaff sits among its neighbors
Williams, AZ
Permit required
309 seasonal homes, 176 per 1,000 housing units.
Williams short-term rental rulesCave Creek, AZ
License required
221 seasonal homes, 77 per 1,000 housing units.
Cave Creek short-term rental rulesCamp Verde, AZ
No city ordinance
187 seasonal homes, 37 per 1,000 housing units.
Camp Verde short-term rental rulesFAQ
Flagstaff short-term rental questions
Do I really have to screen guests in Flagstaff?
How much is the Flagstaff short-term rental license?
Does Airbnb's insurance satisfy the Flagstaff requirement?
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
- STR Property Owners, Short Term Rentals, City of Flagstaff, 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 income calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.