Phoenix, AZ short-term rental permit
Since November 6, 2023, a short-term rental in Phoenix needs a city permit, which replaced the old registration. An ADU whose certificate of occupancy dates from September 14, 2024, or later qualifies only if the owner lives on the site.[3]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Phoenix?
Get a permit first
What you apply for: City of Phoenix short-term rental permit
- Seasonal homes
- 7,584
- Housing units
- 653,065
- Residents
- 1,642,323
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City rulePermit required
- City fee$250
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes12 per 1,000
Phoenix short-term rental permit
Phoenix charges $250 to apply for a short-term rental permit, the same at every renewal, and refunds none of it. The Planning and Development Department must rule on it within 7 days of a complete file. The paperwork is notarized. The owner and any designee attest that neither is a registered sex offender. They also attest to no felony conviction for causing death or serious physical injury in the five years before applying. You need an Arizona transaction privilege tax license and the rental registered with the Maricopa County Assessor. Liability insurance with a limit of no less than $500,000 has to stay in force. Before offering the property, you send a Notice of Intent by certified mail to the neighboring single-family homes. Registered homeowners and neighborhood associations within 600 feet receive it too. The permit number then goes on every advertisement, and the permit is renewed every 12 months.[3]
What Phoenix asks of you
A text amendment approved by the City Council in September 2023 turned the registration requirement into a permit requirement, in force since November 6, 2023.[3]
The non-refundable fee is $250 per permit, charged on the first application and again at each renewal. The city issues or denies a permit within 7 days of a complete application.[3]
The owner and any designee submit a notarized attestation that neither is a registered sex offender. Nor may either have a disqualifying felony conviction in the five years before the application.[4]
An applicant shows a transaction privilege tax license and a Maricopa County Assessor registration. A liability policy with a $500,000 floor must be kept in force.[4]
A Notice of Intent goes by certified mail to the single-family properties adjacent to the rental, directly across the street or diagonally across it. Registered homeowners and neighborhood associations within 600 feet receive it as well.[3]
You also file a map locating the required safety equipment, from smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to fire extinguishers. The address must meet the pool barrier rules of the Phoenix Building Construction Code.[4]
The short-term rental permit number has to appear on each advertisement for the rental.[3]
For an ADU whose certificate of occupancy was issued on or after September 14, 2024, the owner must live on the same property. Since April 4, 2026, that takes a notarized attestation with proof of address.[3]
Arizona law sets the civil penalty at up to $500 or one night's advertised rent for a first verified violation, whichever is greater. From the third violation, it reaches up to $3,500 or three nights' rent.[1]
Three court-adjudicated violations within 12 months suspend the permit for 12 months. A single felony conviction within one year does the same.[3]
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 Phoenix
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[2] | Not published | The state revenue department |
| Phoenix transient lodging tax[5] | 5.8% | The city |
On a stay no longer than 29 consecutive days, the city takes 5.8%, per its rate chart effective January 1, 2026. That combines 2.8% with an additional 3.0% on transient lodging.[5]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Phoenix is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 7,584 of Phoenix's 653,065 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 12 out of every 1,000. It ranks Phoenix 25th of the 25 Arizona cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 25th of 25
- Share of housing
- 12 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $420,700
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Phoenix sits among its neighbors
Tempe, AZ
License required
1,294 seasonal homes, 15 per 1,000 housing units.
Tempe short-term rental rulesCave Creek, AZ
License required
221 seasonal homes, 77 per 1,000 housing units.
Cave Creek short-term rental rulesWickenburg, AZ
Permit required
388 seasonal homes, 78 per 1,000 housing units.
Wickenburg short-term rental rulesPinetop-Lakeside, AZ
Permit required
1,080 seasonal homes, 333 per 1,000 housing units.
Pinetop-Lakeside short-term rental rulesFAQ
Phoenix short-term rental questions
How much is a Phoenix short-term rental permit?
Can I rent out my ADU short term in Phoenix?
Who gets the Notice of Intent?
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 September 20, 2026
- Short-Term Rental Registry, Planning and Development Department, City of Phoenix, read on October 2, 2026
- Affidavit and Attestation, Acknowledgement of Short-Term Rental Permit Requirements (Rev. 08/2026), City of Phoenix, read on October 2, 2026
- Combined Tax Rates, Phoenix, State and County, effective January 1, 2026, City of Phoenix, read on October 2, 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
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