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

There is no primary-residence requirement for short-term rentals in Queen Creek. The Town cannot impose one: A.R.S. § 9-500.39 forbids Arizona cities and towns from prohibiting short-term or vacation rentals and from restricting their use or regulating them based on classification, use or occupancy except in the limited ways the statute spells out. A primary-residence or owner-occupancy mandate would restrict the use based on occupancy and is therefore preempted. As a result, fully non-owner-occupied properties — dedicated investment short-term rentals where the owner does not live on site — may operate in Queen Creek so long as they register, hold a state TPT license, and comply with the Town's health-and-safety and nuisance rules and the prohibited-use restrictions. The statute does, however, tie the rental to a responsible person: the owner must provide an emergency contact (the owner or a designee) able to respond to complaints or emergencies in a timely manner, which substitutes for any on-site presence requirement. Queen Creek's registration program is built around capturing exactly that contact information rather than confirming where the owner lives.