I support legislation that regulates short-term rentals to owner-occupied homes (“Short term rentals on hot seat,” Sun City Independent, March 10, 2021) during the rental and that renters meet the various CC&Rs that maintain the restricted age limitations that make Sun City an attractive residential choice for seniors.
Anything beyond that invites the chaos that short-term rentals are having in neighborhoods across the Phoenix metro region and other communities in Arizona.
The horror stories of party houses of up to 50 people thoroughly disrupting neighbors and neighborhoods, indiscriminate disposal of trash, high levels of on-going noise, public urination and other unsafe activities are known throughout the Valley. This is the result when groups of people have no responsibility or accountability for their action. Short term rentals are not subject to the same laws as property owners who actually live in the homes they purchased and most investors have no accountability to ensure their properties meet health codes that are required of hotels and other tourism-related properties, in addition to ensuring their “renters” are good neighbors.
In addition, housing stock is being gobbled up and no longer exists for long-term rental supply for singles, couples and/or individual families who cannot afford to purchase a home. This is a real problem in Sedona, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley and other communities across Arizona, impacting the local economy and work force.
Current short-term rental law was sold as phony bill of goods that would have none or little impact on neighborhoods. Arizona House Bill 2481 and Senate Bill 1739 are efforts to correct the absurdity of current Arizona short term rental law that completely disregards any considerations of the neighbors who have to live with the destruction of their own neighborhoods by invading short-term renters and the Trojan Horses that are called short-term, investor-owned rental properties.
A little background — I am the treasurer for the Long Green Condo Owners Association and have both rented a single, detached home and now own a condo in Sun City for the last seven-plus years. I really would like to see Sun City as safe zone from short-term rentals, except in the limited exceptions that I stated in the first paragraph.
