Scottsdale’s Short-Term Rental Team sets the standard for enforcement and innovation in Arizona

The city of Scottsdale continues to lead Arizona to address the challenges associated with vacation and short-term rentals through a coordinated, data-driven and community-focused approach that is becoming a model for other municipalities across the state.

In April 2021, Scottsdale established a Short-Term Rental Working Group to identify solutions and improve accountability for vacation and short-term rental properties. Since then, the city has built a multidisciplinary response team that brings together the City Manager’s Office, Constituent Services, Government Relations, Planning and Development Services, the Tax and Licensing Office, the City Attorney’s Office, Code Enforcement and the Scottsdale Police Department.

The collaborative team coordinates enforcement efforts, monitors legislative changes and ensures consistent communication with property owners, operators and residents. Recent efforts have focused on improving enforcement efficiency, increasing transparency and enhancing officer readiness through expanded public communication tools, improved officer training, proactive identification of illegal gatherings and a shift toward issuing citations rather than warnings for violations.

“Scottsdale has taken a proactive and innovative approach to short-term rental management that balances neighborhood quality of life with property owner responsibilities,” said Scottsdale City Manager Greg Caton. “Our multidisciplinary team has become an example for communities across Arizona by combining technology, collaboration and consistent enforcement to deliver measurable results for residents.”

A key component of Scottsdale’s efforts is the city’s Short-Term Rental Resource Center. The platform uses advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to help identify short-term rental properties, assess compliance status and improve communication between residents and property owners.

By leveraging geospatial analytics and real-time data integration, the Resource Center has significantly improved compliance accuracy, streamlined enforcement processes and enhanced transparency for the community. The initiative has also reduced operational costs and positioned Scottsdale at the forefront of digital transformation in local government.

“Our officers are better equipped than ever to respond to short-term rental-related issues quickly and effectively,” said Scottsdale Police Commander Jeromie O’Meara. “The collaboration between city departments, combined with stronger enforcement tools and improved training, has helped reduce nuisance activity while increasing accountability for operators who fail to follow the law.”

Scottsdale’s recent enforcement data demonstrates measurable progress:

• Officers responded to 239 calls for service at short-term rental locations from January through March 2026, with 31 percent classified as nuisance complaints.
• A total of 185 charges were filed, with nearly 88 percent related to non-compliance.
• Compared to the first three months of 2025, total calls for service decreased by 29 percent, reflecting the impact of stronger enforcement strategies.
• Citations for unlicensed short-term rental operations increased by 26 percent, consistent with the police department’s shift toward stricter enforcement.

Through innovation, cross-department collaboration and commitment to neighborhood preservation, Scottsdale continues to make measurable progress in reducing short-term rental-related calls for service while increasing accountability for non-compliant operators.

Learn more about short-term rental information for residents and neighborhoods at ScottsdaleAZ.gov, search "short-term rentals."

Contact Scottsdale’s Constituent Services Team at 480-312-3111 for questions about short-term rentals.