Sahuarita Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps Rules (2026)

Arizona Revised Statutes Section 9-500.39 preempts cities from banning short-term rentals but explicitly allows regulation of health, safety, and nuisance conditions, which includes occupancy limits. Sahuarita may establish maximum overnight guest counts based on bedroom count or square footage to prevent overcrowding that creates fire-safety risks, parking overflow, noise disturbances, or septic and wastewater capacity issues. A common standard among Arizona cities that have adopted STR occupancy rules is two persons per bedroom plus two additional guests, or a hard cap based on building and fire code maximum occupancy for the structure. The 2022 SB 1168 amendments strengthened enforcement tools, allowing the Town to levy fines for verified violations and potentially suspend problem properties after repeated offenses. Short-term rental listings should accurately represent the maximum sleeping capacity. Party houses or event rentals that exceed posted occupancy create grounds for enforcement action under both nuisance provisions and fire codes. HOA CC&Rs in Rancho Sahuarita may impose their own guest limits that are stricter than any Town-adopted cap.