Arizona Bill Stopping Cities From Banning Vacation Rentals Heads to Governor
Photo Credit: Short-term rental platforms like Airbnb will soon be legalized throughout the state of Arizona. Airbnb
Skift Take
It's obvious that states and cities throughout the U.S. are trying to find the right balance between welcoming the sharing economy and regulating it. It's still unclear whether laws like this streamline the experience for consumers or ignore community needs when it comes to short-term rentals.
Last week, the Arizona State House of Reprsentatives approved a bill, SB 1350, that would prevent Arizona cities and counties from banning short-term rentals and sets up rules for collecting taxes from platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway, FlipKey, and the like, essentially legalizing short-term rentals throughout the state.
The bill, which was already approved by the state senate, is just one signature away from being signed into law by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, a noted champion of pro-sharing economy legislation.
Once Ducey signs off on the bill, which he is expected to do so, cities and counties in Arizona will not be able to ban short-term rentals or vacation rentals, but they can regulate them in certain cases where issues of public health and safety, noise/nuisance, and the operation of "adult-oriented businesses."
The law also puts into place a tax collection structure by which taxes collected from short-terms rentals will go toward a Hospitality Studies Scholarship Fund.
