Key Takeaways
- Scottsdale unanimously approved an ordinance that can help enforce short-term rental party violations
- In May alone, police responded to 48 nuisance calls at STR properties and issued 56 charges tied to assaults and criminal investigations
- The ordinance took effect just before the Fourth of July holiday
An Arizona city is tightening its grip on short-term rental parties.
Scottsdale, Arizona’s city council recently voted unanimously to approve a new ordinance targeting short-term rental party houses, giving police significantly broader authority to act on problem properties and attaching real consequences to both the guests who attend and the owners who enable them, according to a local outlet.
The ordinance went into effect just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday — which the city identifies as one of its busiest weekends for short-term rental activity.
The timing was deliberate.
In May alone, Scottsdale police responded to 48 nuisance-related calls at rental properties and issued 56 charges and citations tied to loud parties, assaults, criminal investigations, and welfare concerns.
Scottsdale’s new ‘event center’ definition closes enforcement gap
The ordinance’s sharpest edge is a new legal definition of “event center.”
Mayor Lisa Borowsky described the old system as having “no teeth.”
“Why now? We’re just really tired of it. It’s gone on too long,” Borowsky said. “I would say there’s about 10 percent of the short-term rental, STR, unit or property owners that constitute the bad actors in Scottsdale.”
“What we are looking to do is create a greater ability to enforce the regulations and enhance the ordinance,” she added.
Under the previous framework, police responding to a noise complaint had little leverage once the crowd quieted down — partygoers would wait out the officers and resume.
But that’s officially changed.
Now, if a house party is advertised on social media or tickets are sold for entry, the city can classify that home as an event center regardless of how quiet things get when officers arrive, giving authorities more grounds to act.
Borowsky estimated that roughly 10 percent of Scottsdale’s STR property owners are responsible for the pattern of violations.
Related: Three people hospitalized after Kentucky short-term rental party
“What we are looking to do is create a greater ability to enforce the regulations and enhance the ordinance,” said Mayor Borowsky.
For operators running legitimate properties in the market, the ordinance functions as a line of demarcation between compliant hosts and the minority driving regulatory pressure
The new rules apply equally to property owners and guests, meaning the risk calculus shifts for anyone booking a high-capacity luxury rental and advertising it as a ticketed event.
