SUMMARY ISSUES
HOME SHARING IS OK – That is, an actual resident sharing their actual home with paying guests. Home Sharing is the classic situation for “Mom & Pop” to make some extra income that Airbnb likes to talk about. But only about 10% of listings are for true Home Sharing.
SHORT TERM RENTALS (STRs), VACATION RENTAL PROPERTIES (VRPs) and WHOLE HOUSE RENTALS (WHRs) with no on-site management, owned by investors and offered year round for “public transient lodging” are obviously, clearly commercial operations that belong in commercially zoned areas, NOT in residential neighborhoods. They are worse than having a hotel next door since there is NO OCCUPANCY LIMIT and NO ON-SITE STAFF to deal with the transients or monitor and control their behavior.
IT’S A CORPORATE, INVESTOR INVASION – Airbnb uses small “Mom & Pop” operators like a shield against complaints, when in reality 1/3 of all “Whole House” listings are by operators with 25 or more listings! 65% of operators in Scottsdale have 4 or more units, 61% of operators in Phoenix have multiple units, and 66% of operators system wide have multiple “whole house” units. This is NOT Mom & Pop, its a Corporate Investor Invasion! Commercial investors belong in commercial areas, NOT residential.
ARIZONA STATE SENATE BILL 1350 – “SB1350” or “THE AIRBNB LAW” – is the Arizona law signed by Gov. Ducey in 2016 that stripped away residential zoning throughout the state and prohibits municipalities from regulating STRs. The bill gave preferential zoning to STRs to open anywhere and everywhere in the state with no restrictions on occupancy or use.
SB1487 is the Arizona law also signed in 2016 that allows the state to withhold funds from any municipality that acts counter to state law. If a municipality tries to regulate STRs its state funding could be cut off in 60 days. This has completely tied the hands of towns and cities to even try and regulate STRs.
THE SOLUTION needs to be at the State level since the problem is at the State level. Contact your State legislators and tell them you support legislation that will:
- Reinstate residential zoning that was stripped away by SB1350
- Allow local regulation of STRs according to their own needs and standards
- Define rentals for less than 30 days as a commercial use unless it’s the actual home of the “host”.
TAKE ACTION:
- Contact your State Senator, Representatives and Governor to “FIX 1350!”
- Contact your Mayor and City / Town Council members about regulating STRs
- Talk to your friends and neighbors – encourage them to contact their legislators too
- Get a “Neighbors not Nightmares” yard sign, show them where you stand!
- Send us your email address so we can notify you of pending legislation and events
- Raise awareness through social media, letters to the Editor, etc.
NEIGHBORS NOT NIGHTMARES!! FIX 1350!