Scottsdale, AZ short-term rental license
Each property you rent short term in Scottsdale needs its own city license. The license comes with a list of safety and health requirements on top of the neighbor notice. Confirm Scottsdale's own transient lodging rate with the tax and license office before you price a stay.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Scottsdale?
Get a license first
What you apply for: City of Scottsdale short-term rental license
- Seasonal homes
- 12,314
- Housing units
- 139,168
- Residents
- 243,821
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleLicense required
- City fee$250
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes89 per 1,000
Scottsdale short-term rental license
Scottsdale requires owners and operators to obtain a city license for each short-term or vacation rental property, under Ordinance 4566. The annual fee is $250 per property. The city says all of it goes to the cost of licensing. Within thirty days of receiving the license, or whenever the contact information changes, the owner must notify the neighbors. That means every single-family property adjacent to, directly across from and diagonally across the street from the rental. In a multi-family building, it means every unit on the same floor. That notification letter has to carry the short-term rental license number and the physical address of the rental. It also gives the name, address and twenty-four-hour telephone number of the emergency point of contact. A prescribed notice must be printed in fourteen-point or larger bold type. The paper must be laminated or similarly shielded, and displayed prominently on the inside of the front door and the primary door to the backyard. Every property must also carry liability insurance of at least $500,000, either directly or through the online lodging marketplace.[4]
What Scottsdale asks of you
Ordinance 4566 requires owners and operators to obtain a Scottsdale license for each property and to meet a list of safety, health and neighborhood notification requirements.[4]
The annual license fee is $250 per property, and the city states that all of it covers the cost of licensing vacation and short-term rentals.[4]
Within thirty days of receiving the license, or whenever the contact information changes, the owner must notify the neighbors. That covers every single-family property adjacent to, directly across from and diagonally across the street from the rental, or every unit on the same floor of a multi-family building.[4]
The notification letter must include the short-term rental license number, the physical address of the rental, and the name, address and twenty-four-hour telephone number of the emergency point of contact.[4]
A prescribed notice must be printed in fourteen-point or larger bold type, laminated or similarly shielded, and displayed prominently inside the front door and the primary door to the backyard.[4]
Every short-term rental must carry liability coverage of at least $500,000, held either directly or through the online lodging marketplace.[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 Scottsdale
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 |
Scottsdale publishes its own transient lodging rate. Confirm it with the tax and license office before pricing a stay.[4]
What the census counts
How much of Scottsdale is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 12,314 of Scottsdale's 139,168 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 89 out of every 1,000. It ranks Scottsdale 14th of the 25 Arizona cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 14th of 25
- Share of housing
- 89 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $789,800
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Scottsdale sits among its neighbors
Fountain Hills, AZ
Permit required
1,565 seasonal homes, 119 per 1,000 housing units.
Fountain Hills short-term rental rulesWickenburg, AZ
Permit required
388 seasonal homes, 78 per 1,000 housing units.
Wickenburg short-term rental rulesCave Creek, AZ
License required
221 seasonal homes, 77 per 1,000 housing units.
Cave Creek short-term rental rulesPrescott, AZ
Registration required
2,144 seasonal homes, 84 per 1,000 housing units.
Prescott short-term rental rulesFAQ
Scottsdale short-term rental questions
Who do I have to write to in Scottsdale, and when?
What has to be on the door?
Does my platform's insurance count?
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 and Short-Term Rentals, information for owners and operators, City of Scottsdale, 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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