Arizona · Scottsdale

Scottsdale

Name: Scottsdale short-term rental regulations
Creator: RuleGrid
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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

Short-term/vacation rentals (any single-family or one-to-four-family dwelling rented for less than 30 consecutive days) are ALLOWED in Scottsdale but require an annual City "vacation rental license" for each dwelling unit. The governing ordinance is Scottsdale Ordinance No. 4566 (adopted Oct. 25, 2022; effective January 8, 2023), codified at Scottsdale Revised Code Chapter 18, Article IX ("Vacation Rentals and Short-Term Rentals," Secs. 18-150 through 18-195). Per Sec. 18-151(a), effective January 8, 2023, no person may operate a vacation/short-term rental without a current city vacation rental license; per Sec. 18-152(a) each application AND renewal carries a non-refundable $250.00 license fee, and per Sec. 18-153 a license is valid for one (1) year and is non-transferable. To license, an owner must hold a valid Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license (Sec. 18-154(a)(7)), designate a real-person 24-hour emergency point of contact who must respond in person within one (1) hour (Secs. 18-154(a)(4), 18-172), carry (or obtain via an online lodging marketplace) liability insurance of at least $500,000 (Sec. 18-173), notify adjacent and nearby neighbors BEFORE first offering the rental (Sec. 18-191(a); the 30-day compliance window applies only to rentals already lawfully operating before that section's effective date per 18-191(d), and re-notification is required within 15 business days of any contact-info change per 18-191(b)), attest that the owner/designee are not registered sex offenders or disqualifying felons (Sec. 18-154(a)(6)) and perform a national sex-offender background check no later than 24 hours before every stay retained 12 months (Sec. 18-176), and comply with residential-rental recording/registration laws (including Maricopa County Assessor registration under A.R.S. 33-1902, referenced generally via Sec. 18-170). Non-residential use is prohibited: STRs may not be used as event centers, banquet/retail/restaurant space, sober-living homes, or for special events requiring a permit (Sec. 18-171); Ordinance No. 4719 (2026, effective July 23, 2026) further strengthens enforcement by formally defining "event center" to cover weddings, corporate events, and ticketed/promoter-driven parties. Occupancy is limited to a single family of one to six adults plus their related dependent children (per the required posted notice, Sec. 18-175(h) item 9). Scottsdale is preempted by A.R.S. 9-500.39 from prohibiting STRs or capping licenses; the city cannot charge more than $250 or require primary residency. Transient-lodging tax applies: Scottsdale city hotel/motel privilege tax 1.70% (business code 044) plus additional city transient (bed) tax 5.00% (code 144), plus Arizona state transient-lodging TPT 5.5% and Maricopa County transient-lodging excise 1.77% (= 7.27% state+county), for a combined transient-lodging tax of about 13.97%.

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

Requirements checklist

city City of Scottsdale Vacation Rental License Required

Fee: $250 / year · Renewal: Annual (license valid one year from issuance; renewal application requires the same non-refundable $250 fee) · Applies to: Each house or dwelling unit offered for rent for less than 30 consecutive days (a separate license per property) · official page ↗
state Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) License Required

Fee: — · Renewal: Annual TPT license renewal via ADOR · Applies to: Every transient lodging operator (lodging for less than 30 consecutive days); obtained via ADOR at aztaxes.gov, and its number is a prerequisite for the city vacation rental license (Sec. 18-154(a)(7)) · official page ↗
city Liability insurance of at least $500,000 Required

Fee: — · Renewal: Must be maintained continuously · Applies to: Every licensed vacation/short-term rental; the $500,000 coverage is mandatory but may be satisfied directly by the owner OR by an online lodging marketplace that provides at least $500,000 primary coverage · official page ↗
city 24-hour emergency point of contact (1-hour in-person response) Required

Fee: — · Renewal: Contact information must be kept current; material changes reported within 10 business days (Sec. 18-160) and trigger renewed neighbor notification within 15 business days (Sec. 18-191(b)) · Applies to: Every licensed rental; a real person (not a fictitious person) providing name, address, email and 24-hour phone; must respond in person within one hour when requested by public safety · official page ↗
city Neighbor notification before first offering the rental Required

Fee: — · Renewal: Re-notify neighbors within 15 business days whenever emergency/management contact information changes (Sec. 18-191(b)) · Applies to: All single-family residential properties adjacent to, directly across, and diagonally across the street from the property (or, in a multi-family building, all units on the same floor). Written notice must include the license number, physical address, and 24-hour emergency contact. · official page ↗
city Sex-offender / felony attestation and per-stay background checks Required

Fee: — · Renewal: Attested at each application/renewal; per-stay check runs before every booking · Applies to: Owner and each owner's designee must attest at each application/renewal that they are not registered sex offenders and have not been convicted of a felony causing death/serious physical injury, or felony use of a deadly weapon within 5 years. Separately, before every stay a national sex-offender check must be run on the booking person. · official page ↗

Taxes

Tax	Rate	Administered by	Airbnb remits	Vrbo remits
City of Scottsdale Hotel/Motel privilege tax (business code 044)	—	—	—	—
City of Scottsdale Additional Transient (Bed) tax (business code 144)	—	—	—	—
Arizona State transient-lodging TPT	—	—	—	—
Maricopa County transient-lodging excise	—	—	—	—
Combined transient-lodging tax (approximate)	—	—	—	—

Operating rules

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

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Scottsdale?

Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Scottsdale?

Yes — Scottsdale requires: City of Scottsdale Vacation Rental License; Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) License; Liability insurance of at least $500,000. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.

What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Scottsdale?

City of Scottsdale Hotel/Motel privilege tax (business code 044), City of Scottsdale Additional Transient (Bed) tax (business code 144), Arizona State transient-lodging TPT, Maricopa County transient-lodging excise, Combined transient-lodging tax (approximate). Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

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