Phoenix, AZ Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual Night Cap
- None (state-preempted)
- State Statute
- A.R.S. § 9-500.39
- STR Threshold
- <30 consecutive days
- Transient Tax
- ~14.5% combined
- Permit Required
- Yes (Sec. 10-195)
- STR Office
- 602-534-9723
Summary
Phoenix imposes NO annual or per-stay night cap on short-term rentals. Arizona Revised Statutes § 9-500.39 preempts cities from prohibiting STRs or capping the total number of dwelling units used as vacation rentals. Stays under 30 consecutive days are taxed as transient lodging at the 14.5% combined rate.
A. 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 regulations related to fire and building codes, health and sanitation, transportation or traffic control and solid or hazardous waste and pollution control, if the city or town demonstrates that the rule or regulation is for the primary purpose of protecting the public's health and safety.
2. 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.
Full Breakdown
39 (originally SB 1350, 2016; expanded by SB 1168 in 2022), a city or town may not prohibit vacation rentals or short-term rentals or restrict their use, classification or occupancy except to protect health and safety through fire, building, sanitation, traffic, noise, nuisance and zoning rules. State preemption blocks Phoenix from enacting an annual cap on the number of nights a property may be rented or a city-wide cap on the total number of STR units. Phoenix's vacation rental ordinance (City Code Sec. 10-195, Ord.
G-7156, effective Nov 6, 2023) accordingly contains no nightly cap; it focuses on permitting, $500,000 liability insurance, emergency contacts, neighbor notice and nuisance enforcement. 5%); rentals of 30 days or more are treated as long-term tenancies and fall outside the STR ordinance. gov or 602-534-9723.
Violations & Fines
Because no Phoenix night cap exists, there is no per-night-cap citation. Operating without a Sec. 10-195 permit still triggers escalating fines: $500/$1,000/$3,500 (or one/two/three nights' rent) for first, second and third offenses, regardless of how many nights the property was rented.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a maximum number of nights I can rent my Phoenix home short-term?
What counts as a short-term rental under Phoenix and Arizona law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Phoenix
Compare Phoenix to another location·View the Arizona short-term rentals overview
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Night Caps in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle night caps.