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Arizona · Flagstaff

Flagstaff

city Allowed with registration Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term rentals (transient lodging for fewer than 30 consecutive days) are legal in Flagstaff but require a mandatory annual City Short-Term Rental (STR) License under Flagstaff City Code Chapter 3-12. Chapter 3-12 was repealed and re-enacted by Ord. 2023-16 (Rep&ReEn, 07/03/2023, Res. 2023-38) and substantially amended by Ord. 2026-11 (Amended/Enacted, 05/19/2026, Res. 2026-19), whose new requirements take effect July 1, 2026 (City STR pages state "New Changes effective July 1"). Arizona state law (A.R.S. 9-500.39) preempts any outright ban or cap on STRs, so the city cannot prohibit them. "It is unlawful to rent or offer to rent a short-term rental (STR) without having first obtained a valid STR license issued under this chapter. A separate license is required for each STR." (3-12-001-0003.A). The annual license fee is $250 (set by reference in Chapter 3-10 User Fees; the ordinance itself does not state a dollar figure — 3-12-001-0004.A.9 says "A license fee in the amount established in Chapter 3-10, User Fees. The license fee is nonrefundable, shall not be prorated, and is for an entire year"); the City raised the fee from $185 to $250 effective July 1, 2026, described in local reporting as "the maximum allowed under state law." Prerequisites/ongoing obligations include: an Arizona TPT (transaction privilege tax) license number from ADOR, including the location code where applicable (3-12-001-0004.A.5); written neighbor notification to each single-family property adjacent to, directly across from, and diagonally across the street from the STR (or same-floor residents in a multifamily building) before first rental (3-12-001-0010.A); and a designated 24-hour emergency point of contact who, when requested by a police officer, must be on premises or reachable by phone/text within 60 minutes (3-12-001-0006.A). Ord. 2026-11 added, effective 07/01/2026: liability insurance of at least $500,000 in the aggregate, or listing through an online lodging marketplace providing equal/greater coverage (3-12-001-0011); a sex-offender background check on the person booking, performed within 24 hours before every stay via the U.S. DOJ national sex-offender public website (waived if the marketplace performs it; records kept 12 months) (3-12-001-0012); and public-safety equipment — smoke alarms, CO detectors where a fuel-burning appliance/fireplace/attached garage exists, at least one 2-A:10-B:C fire extinguisher, generally two means of egress, and removal/disabling/locking of fire pits and open-flame grills during Stage 2+ fire restrictions (3-12-001-0013). Owners must also post a notice inside the unit within 10 feet of the primary entrance (3-12-001-0009), display the City STR license number on every advertisement (3-12-001-0008), and — only where the property contains an accessory dwelling unit whose certificate of occupancy issued on or after September 14, 2024 — reside on-site as their primary residence (3-12-001-0007.B). Nonresidential uses (special events, retail, restaurant, banquet space, event center) are prohibited (3-12-001-0007.A.1). Enforcement is by the City Manager, City Police Department, City Code Compliance Manager, and City Attorney or their designees (3-12-001-0016.A); enhanced civil penalties escalate $500 / $1,000 / $3,500 for the 1st / 2nd / 3rd-and-subsequent verified violation on the same STR within a 12-month period (3-12-001-0015.A), with $1,000/month for failing to apply for a license within 30 days of written notice (3-12-001-0004.E) and $1,000 per 30 days for failing to maintain emergency-contact info (3-12-001-0006.B); the City may suspend a license for up to 12 months for three verified violations in 12 months or one serious verified violation (3-12-001-0014.A). STRs must collect and remit transaction privilege / transient-lodging tax at the same rate as a hotel: combined state+Coconino County transient lodging (ADOR class 025) 6.90% plus City of Flagstaff hotel tax (ADOR class 044) 4.486%, i.e., about 11.386% total (ADOR TPT Rate Table effective 01/01/2026).

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-15 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

  • city City of Flagstaff Short-Term Rental (STR) License Required
    Fee: $250 / year · Renewal: Annual; license valid one (1) year from date of issuance unless suspended or revoked; owner applies for renewal and pays a renewal fee via the STR license account (3-12-001-0005) · Applies to: Every dwelling unit rented or offered for transient use (fewer than 30 consecutive days); a separate license is required for each STR · official page ↗
  • state Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) License Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Annual with ADOR · Applies to: All properties used as short-term rentals; the TPT license number issued for the STR by the State of Arizona, including the location code where applicable, must be provided on the STR application · official page ↗
  • city Liability insurance ($500,000 aggregate) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Must be maintained while operating · Applies to: Every STR before it is offered or rented, unless advertised/offered through an online lodging marketplace providing equal or greater coverage; mirrors A.R.S. 9-500.39(B). Effective July 1, 2026 (Ord. 2026-11). · official page ↗
  • city Guest sex-offender background check Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Per booking · Applies to: Person booking each stay; performed no later than 24 hours before every stay via the U.S. DOJ online national sex offender public website; satisfied/waived if the online lodging marketplace performs it; records retained 12 months. Effective July 1, 2026 (Ord. 2026-11). · official page ↗
  • city Public safety and property protection (smoke/CO/fire extinguisher/egress/fire restrictions) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Maintained in operable condition at all times; fire extinguisher serviced/inspected/tagged at least annually · Applies to: Every STR: functioning smoke alarms with battery backup outside and within each sleeping area and on every story; CO detectors where a fuel-burning appliance/fireplace or attached garage is present; at least one 2-A:10-B:C fire extinguisher; generally two distinct unobstructed means of egress; and removal/disabling/locking of fire pits and open-flame grills during Stage 2+ fire restrictions. Effective July 1, 2026 (Ord. 2026-11). · official page ↗
  • city Neighbor notification Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Additional notice on emergency-contact change; attestation of compliance upon City request · Applies to: Before first rental: each single-family residential property adjacent to, directly across from, and diagonally across the street from the STR (or residents on the same building floor in a multifamily building); an additional notification is required within 10 days of any change in the emergency point of contact · official page ↗
  • city 24-hour emergency point of contact Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Keep current on file; $1,000 civil penalty per 30 days for failure to provide/maintain (after 30 days' written notice) · Applies to: Every STR; when requested by a police officer, the contact must be on the STR premises or available by phone/text within 60 minutes of the request related to an emergency requiring police response · official page ↗
  • city In-unit notice posting Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Every STR; a notice (prohibited uses; Nov 1-Apr 1 midnight-7am street-parking ban; fire restrictions; trash/recycling rules; emergency contact; and the City STR license number) must be displayed inside the STR within 10 feet of the primary entrance · official page ↗
  • city City STR license number on advertisements Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Every advertisement for the STR (including online listings) must display the City short-term rental license number · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
State + Coconino County transient lodging tax (TPT class 025) — — — —
City of Flagstaff hotel/transient lodging tax (TPT class 044) — — — —
Combined effective STR lodging tax (Flagstaff) — — — —

Operating rules

Primary residence
No
Min stay (nights)
—
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
—
Zoning-restricted
—
Cap on licenses
—

Zoning: 'Nonresidential use' means any use not permitted in a residentially zoned district; STRs are treated as a residential/transient-lodging use subject to the citywide Chapter 3-12 licensing scheme.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Flagstaff?
Short-term rentals (transient lodging for fewer than 30 consecutive days) are legal in Flagstaff but require a mandatory annual City Short-Term Rental (STR) License under Flagstaff City Code Chapter 3-12. Chapter 3-12 was repealed and re-enacted by Ord. 2023-16 (Rep&ReEn, 07/03/2023, Res. 2023-38) and substantially amended by Ord. 2026-11 (Amended/Enacted, 05/19/2026, Res. 2026-19), whose new requirements take effect July 1, 2026 (City STR pages state "New Changes effective July 1"). Arizona state law (A.R.S. 9-500.39) preempts any outright ban or cap on STRs, so the city cannot prohibit them. "It is unlawful to rent or offer to rent a short-term rental (STR) without having first obtained a valid STR license issued under this chapter. A separate license is required for each STR." (3-12-001-0003.A). The annual license fee is $250 (set by reference in Chapter 3-10 User Fees; the ordinance itself does not state a dollar figure — 3-12-001-0004.A.9 says "A license fee in the amount established in Chapter 3-10, User Fees. The license fee is nonrefundable, shall not be prorated, and is for an entire year"); the City raised the fee from $185 to $250 effective July 1, 2026, described in local reporting as "the maximum allowed under state law." Prerequisites/ongoing obligations include: an Arizona TPT (transaction privilege tax) license number from ADOR, including the location code where applicable (3-12-001-0004.A.5); written neighbor notification to each single-family property adjacent to, directly across from, and diagonally across the street from the STR (or same-floor residents in a multifamily building) before first rental (3-12-001-0010.A); and a designated 24-hour emergency point of contact who, when requested by a police officer, must be on premises or reachable by phone/text within 60 minutes (3-12-001-0006.A). Ord. 2026-11 added, effective 07/01/2026: liability insurance of at least $500,000 in the aggregate, or listing through an online lodging marketplace providing equal/greater coverage (3-12-001-0011); a sex-offender background check on the person booking, performed within 24 hours before every stay via the U.S. DOJ national sex-offender public website (waived if the marketplace performs it; records kept 12 months) (3-12-001-0012); and public-safety equipment — smoke alarms, CO detectors where a fuel-burning appliance/fireplace/attached garage exists, at least one 2-A:10-B:C fire extinguisher, generally two means of egress, and removal/disabling/locking of fire pits and open-flame grills during Stage 2+ fire restrictions (3-12-001-0013). Owners must also post a notice inside the unit within 10 feet of the primary entrance (3-12-001-0009), display the City STR license number on every advertisement (3-12-001-0008), and — only where the property contains an accessory dwelling unit whose certificate of occupancy issued on or after September 14, 2024 — reside on-site as their primary residence (3-12-001-0007.B). Nonresidential uses (special events, retail, restaurant, banquet space, event center) are prohibited (3-12-001-0007.A.1). Enforcement is by the City Manager, City Police Department, City Code Compliance Manager, and City Attorney or their designees (3-12-001-0016.A); enhanced civil penalties escalate $500 / $1,000 / $3,500 for the 1st / 2nd / 3rd-and-subsequent verified violation on the same STR within a 12-month period (3-12-001-0015.A), with $1,000/month for failing to apply for a license within 30 days of written notice (3-12-001-0004.E) and $1,000 per 30 days for failing to maintain emergency-contact info (3-12-001-0006.B); the City may suspend a license for up to 12 months for three verified violations in 12 months or one serious verified violation (3-12-001-0014.A). STRs must collect and remit transaction privilege / transient-lodging tax at the same rate as a hotel: combined state+Coconino County transient lodging (ADOR class 025) 6.90% plus City of Flagstaff hotel tax (ADOR class 044) 4.486%, i.e., about 11.386% total (ADOR TPT Rate Table effective 01/01/2026).
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Flagstaff?
Yes — Flagstaff requires: City of Flagstaff Short-Term Rental (STR) License; Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) License; Liability insurance ($500,000 aggregate). See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Flagstaff?
State + Coconino County transient lodging tax (TPT class 025), City of Flagstaff hotel/transient lodging tax (TPT class 044), Combined effective STR lodging tax (Flagstaff). Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

In Arizona · Coconino County

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Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.