As I write this piece, the clock winds down on the Jan. 8 deadline for the estimated 5,000 short-term rentals in Scottsdale to apply for licenses to operate. Absolutely no one paying attention to this issue is surprised by the fact less than 20% have complied with the new ordinance.
The numbers released by the city of Scottsdale evidence the scofflaw attitude prevalent amongst the short-term rental industry and its operators. This industry, infamous for its impotence to self-regulate, now seems equally challenged to comply with this ordinance they supported. It would be comical if it weren’t a serious issue.
For all of us who deal with the blight of short-term rentals every day, it’s no joke. Especially as the high tourist season is upon us. Perhaps now we can dispense with their trite appeals of wanting to be good neighbors and the worn-out excuse of only a handful of bad apples ruin it for the rest of the operators. The numbers speak for themselves.
Now the city of Scottsdale must deliver for the long-suffering neighbors and enforce this ordinance fully.
I’m encouraged by comments made by Mayor Ortega committing to strict enforcement. This is a “trust but verify” moment for the mayor and council.
This is a simple test. Now equipped with this ordinance, will you push the pendulum back in favor of residents who call Scottsdale home and invested in this community?
Take the win and fully enforce this ordinance to send the message to these operators and the industry as a whole. Stop the flagrant disregard these commercial operations have for the neighborhoods in which they operate.
By no means do I think this lone ordinance will cure the myriad ills brought to our community as a whole by short-term rentals but it does represent the City’s ownership in the resolution of this pervasive problem.
I will be watching city hall as I wait for the notification from the short-term rental across the street from me. We’ll see…
