Maricopa County, AZ

Fountain Hills, AZ short-term rental permit

Fountain Hills wrote its short-term rental rules in 2022, and you now need a town permit to rent. Register with the Arizona Department of Revenue before you apply, because the town wants proof of your tax license. The emergency contact you name lets the town and the neighbors reach someone at any hour.[4]

Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.

Can you rent short term in Fountain Hills?

Get a permit first

What you apply for: Town of Fountain Hills short-term rental permit

Seasonal homes
1,565
Housing units
13,177
Residents
23,789

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

  • City rulePermit required
  • City fee$250
  • Tax on each staySet locally
  • Seasonal homes119 per 1,000

Fountain Hills short-term rental permit

Fountain Hills requires owners of short-term rentals to obtain an annual permit from the town, under Ordinance 22-09. Every permit is valid for one year from the date of issue unless it is suspended or revoked. The annual fee is $250 per property. The permit application must contain the full name, address and twenty-four-hour telephone number of the person acting as the emergency point of contact. Proof of insurance and of a proper tax license goes with it. The ordinance also covers prohibited uses and notification of the neighborhood before a unit or home is rented. It sets advertising requirements, what must be posted at the property, and other compliance measures. Liability insurance covering a vacation rental in the aggregate for at least $500,000 must be in place before it is first offered or rented. The owner or the online marketplace must provide it. When the rules took effect, existing operators were given sixty days to obtain the permit, after which notices of violation were issued by code enforcement.[4]

What Fountain Hills asks of you

  • Ordinance 22-09 requires owners of short-term rentals to obtain an annual permit from the town.[5]

  • A permit is valid for one year from the date of issue, unless suspended or revoked, and the annual fee is $250 per property.[5]

  • The application must contain the full name, address and twenty-four-hour telephone number of the emergency point of contact, plus proof of insurance and of a proper tax license.[4]

  • The ordinance also covers prohibited uses, neighborhood notification before a unit is rented, advertising requirements and what must be posted at the property.[4]

  • Before a vacation rental is first offered or rented, liability insurance covering it in the aggregate for at least $500,000 must be provided by the owner or the online marketplace.[4]

  • Operators were given sixty days to obtain the permit when the regulations took effect, after which code enforcement began issuing notices of violation.[4]

Apply on the Fountain Hills site

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]

Arizona short-term rental rules

What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Fountain Hills

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

Short-term rental tax layers in Fountain Hills
LayerRateRemitted to
Arizona transient lodging transaction privilege tax[3]5.5%The state revenue department
City transient lodging tax[4]Not publishedThe city

The town wants proof of a proper tax license with the permit application. The Arizona Department of Revenue registration has to be in place before the local permit is sought.[4]

Arizona transient lodging taxAirbnb taxes for hosts

What the census counts

How much of Fountain Hills is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 1,565 of Fountain Hills's 13,177 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 119 out of every 1,000. It ranks Fountain Hills 12th of the 25 Arizona cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.

Rank in the state
12th of 25
Share of housing
119 per 1,000
Median home value
$622,900

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

Nearby and comparable

Where Fountain Hills sits among its neighbors

Scottsdale, AZ

License required

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

Scottsdale short-term rental rules

Wickenburg, AZ

Permit required

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

Wickenburg short-term rental rules

Cave Creek, AZ

License required

221 seasonal homes, 77 per 1,000 housing units.

Cave Creek short-term rental rules

Bisbee, AZ

License required

328 seasonal homes, 101 per 1,000 housing units.

Bisbee short-term rental rules
StatewideEvery 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.Arizona short-term rental rules

Keep exploring

FAQ

Fountain Hills short-term rental questions

How long does a Fountain Hills permit last?

One year from the date it is issued, unless the town suspends or revokes it first. The fee is $250 per property, each year.[5]

What insurance does the town require?

At least $500,000 of liability coverage in the aggregate, in place before the rental is first offered. Either the owner or the online marketplace provides it.[4]

Who is the emergency point of contact?

A named person whose full name, address and twenty-four-hour telephone number go on the permit application. The town and the neighbors can then reach someone at any hour.[4]
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 October 2, 2026
  3. A.R.S. § 42-5010, Rates; distribution base, Arizona State Legislature, read on October 2, 2026
  4. Real Property Rentals, short-term rental regulations, Town of Fountain Hills, read on September 20, 2026
  5. Ordinance 22-09, short-term rental permits, Town of Fountain Hills, 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.

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