The legislature should be congratulated for passing SB1168, now awaiting the governor’s signature.

It is both good news and a good step forward on short-term rental issues.

Importantly, it allows local governments to license short-term rentals as well as to suspend licenses, for cause, and may help reduce short-term rentals issues.

It reflects well on all parties involved in the negotiation, but the parties involved did not include ordinary citizens as “stake holders,” even though they are directly affected by short-term rentals.

SB1168 is a beginning and a great effort, but more may be needed to correct some flaws and inconsistencies, and to address lingering short-term rental issues, including public safety, jobs, housing, taxes, community impact, nuisance, primary residence use, property rights, etc.

Hopefully, the SB1168 roll out will work smoothly and the short-term rental industry will actually work with local governments. Hopefully, SB1168 will prove good for the more than 800,000 Arizona residents who live near one of the 60,000 known short-term rentals, and for the millions more who concerned about one popping up nearby.