Avondale, AZ Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Avondale imposes no primary-residence or owner-occupancy requirement on short-term rentals. The city's ordinance (No. 2060-1023) licenses rentals regardless of whether the owner lives on site, and the published program speaks in terms of the property owner obtaining a license, providing an emergency contact and insurance, not residing in the home. This is dictated by Arizona state law: A.R.S. section 9-500.39 prohibits a city or town from prohibiting vacation rentals and short-term rentals and from restricting their use based on classifications such as owner-occupancy. As a result, Avondale cannot require that an STR be the host's primary residence, cannot cap how many properties an owner operates, and cannot limit rentals to homestead properties. What the city can require, and does, is licensing, a responsive emergency contact (owner or a designated local agent), liability insurance, neighbor notification, display of the license, and compliance with health and safety codes. Investors and out-of-area owners are therefore permitted to operate in Avondale provided they obtain and maintain the license and meet the ordinance's conditions. Owners who do not live nearby commonly appoint a local property manager as the emergency designee to satisfy the responsiveness requirement.