5 rules for unincorporated Yavapai County, Arizona.
Verified from official government sources
Short-term rentals (rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days) are allowed in unincorporated Yavapai County, but only in structures that have been permitted and inspected as habitable space for overnight occupancy under the County's Planning and Zoning Ordinance. Eligible structures include single-family residences, permitted guest houses, apartments, and condominiums; converted sheds, RVs, or unpermitted accessory buildings cannot be used as STRs. The County's authority to regulate is set by Arizona Revised Statutes Section 9-500.39 (cities) and analogous county provisions, which bar outright bans but allow registration, emergency-contact, and operational requirements. Property must hold a current Arizona Department of Revenue Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license before being advertised, and the TPT or local permit number must appear on every listing. Operators should confirm the structure's habitable status with Yavapai County Development Services and check that no homeowners' association covenants prohibit short-term rentals before listing.
Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 9-500.39 - Limits on regulation of vacation rentals and short-term rentals; state preemption
A city or town may not prohibit vacation rentals or short-term rentals. B. A city or town may not restrict the use of or regulate vacation rentals or short-term rentals based on their classification, use or occupancy except as provided in this section. A city or town may regulate vacation rentals or short-term rentals as follows: 1. To protect the public's health and safety, including rules and...
Short-term rentals in unincorporated Yavapai County are subject to the same noise and nuisance enforcement as any other dwelling. Arizona Revised Statutes Section 9-500.39(B)(2) expressly preserves a local government's authority to adopt and enforce zoning ordinances, noise rules, property-maintenance standards, and other nuisance provisions, so long as they apply uniformly to all residential properties and not just to STRs. Yavapai County does not impose a separate STR-only quiet-hour code; instead, complaints about loud music, parties, barking dogs, and other disturbances are handled through the County's general nuisance and zoning provisions and through the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office for after-hours response. Operators must provide an emergency contact reachable 24 hours a day by phone, email, or in person under A.R.S. Sec. 9-500.39(B)(4); failure to provide a working contact can result in penalties of up to $1,000 per 30-day period. Repeated verified disturbances at the same address can trigger civil penalties against the owner.
Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 9-500.39 - Limits on regulation of vacation rentals and short-term rentals; state preemption
To adopt and enforce use and zoning ordinances, including ordinances related to noise, protection of welfare, property maintenance and other nuisance issues, if the ordinance is applied in the same manner as other property classified under sections 42-12003 and 42-12004. 3. To limit or prohibit the use of a vacation rental or short-term rental for the purposes of housing sex offenders, operatin...
Short-term rental operators in unincorporated Yavapai County must hold an Arizona Department of Revenue Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license and remit transient lodging tax on every stay of fewer than 30 consecutive days. The combined state and county TPT rate on transient lodging in the unincorporated areas of Yavapai County is set by A.R.S. Title 42, Chapter 5, and the County's share is administered alongside state collection. Where a booking platform (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com) has signed a marketplace facilitator agreement with the Arizona Department of Revenue, the platform collects and remits TPT on the operator's behalf, but the operator still must hold an active TPT license and file returns. Under A.R.S. Sec. 9-500.39(B)(5)(f), any local STR regulatory permit fee is capped at actual cost or $250 per year, whichever is less. The TPT license number (or local permit number, where one exists) must appear on every online listing and advertisement per A.R.S. Sec. 9-500.39(B)(7).
Unincorporated Yavapai County does not set a fixed countywide overnight-occupancy cap on short-term rentals. Maximum occupancy is instead governed by the underlying building permit and habitability of the dwelling under the County's adopted building codes (2024 IRC/IBC family) and septic capacity approved by the Yavapai County Environmental Services Division. As a practical limit, occupancy is sized to bedroom count, on-site parking, and septic/water system capacity that was approved when the structure was permitted. Arizona Revised Statutes Section 9-500.39 (and parallel county authority) does not preempt occupancy limits tied to building, fire, or septic codes, so an owner who advertises beyond the approved habitability and septic capacity of the home can be cited under the County's Planning and Zoning Ordinance and building-code provisions. Owners should confirm approved bedroom count on the original building permit before setting an advertised guest maximum.
Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 9-500.39 - Limits on regulation of vacation rentals and short-term rentals; state preemption
A city or town may not restrict the use of or regulate vacation rentals or short-term rentals based on their classification, use or occupancy except as provided in this section. A city or town may regulate vacation rentals or short-term rentals as follows: 1. To protect the public's health and safety, including rules and regulations related to fire and building codes, health and sanitation, tra...
Short-term rental owners in unincorporated Yavapai County must complete two state-mandated registrations before listing. First, the property must be registered with the Yavapai County Assessor as residential rental property under Arizona Revised Statutes Section 33-1902. The registration must include the owner's name, address, telephone number; the parcel number and street address; year of construction; and, for entities, an officer/partner/trustee contact. Owners residing outside Arizona must designate an in-state statutory agent for service of process. Updates must be filed within 10 days of any change. Civil penalties for failing to register newly acquired property start at $1,000 plus $100 per month under A.R.S. Sec. 33-1902, and cities/towns may impose $150 per day for ongoing violations. Second, the operator must obtain an Arizona Department of Revenue Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license and display the TPT or local permit number on every advertisement, as required by A.R.S. Sec. 9-500.39(B)(7).
Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 9-500.39 - Limits on regulation of vacation rentals and short-term rentals; state preemption
A city or town may not prohibit vacation rentals or short-term rentals. B. A city or town may not restrict the use of or regulate vacation rentals or short-term rentals based on their classification, use or occupancy except as provided in this section. A city or town may regulate vacation rentals or short-term rentals as follows: 1. To protect the public's health and safety, including rules and...
See every category we cover for Yavapai County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Yavapai County Ordinance Hub →