PHOENIX — Rejecting the concerns of some neighborhood groups, Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Thursday to prohibit cities from barring homeowners from renting out their houses to vacationers.
The measure, which takes effect later this year, overrides existing ordinances in several ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ communities that specifically make it illegal to rent out property in residential neighborhoods for less than 30 days.
Sedona’s city council adopted a ban on short-term rentals in 1995, for instance.
“We resent being dictated to by legislators who do not even live in Sedona or anywhere near it,†Warren Woodward, president of a Sedona homeowners association, testified to state lawmakers in a bid to kill the new measure before it reached Ducey’s desk. He said the changes will lead to more traffic and noise.
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But Daniel Scarpinato, Ducey’s spokesman, said there are sufficient protections built in. “There’s already laws and ordinances in place dealing with noise, dealing with disruptions,†he said. “So if you’re making noise at all hours of the night and waking people up, guess what? You’re going to get in trouble.â€
Scarpinato said the bottom line for Ducey is his belief that removing local laws is good for business, including people who have houses and want to make some money from them.
The new law also recognizes the reality of the market, Scarpinato said. “This is how consumers, particularly in our state, want to do business now. They want to be able to be able to make their properties available. And people want to be able to have this as an option rather than necessarily going to a hotel or motel.â€
The measure was designed largely to help Airbnb, an online service that links up property owners and renters around the world.
Cities, towns and counties will not be allowed to prohibit or restrict such rentals simply because the property is not classified as a hotel. That protects the rights of individual property owners to use their homes the way they want, said Jared Blanchard of the Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank.
Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who opposed the bill, countered: “I didn’t move into a neighborhood to have the house next door to me turned into a weekly rental property.â€
