This article submitted by the City of Sedona
Sedona AZ (January 27, 2010) – Over the past few months, the City of Sedona Community Development Department has been proactively enforcing the City ordinance that prohibits the establishment and advertising of vacation rentals. The City’s ordinance prohibits the rental of single-family residences for less than 30 days. It is also illegal to advertise and facilitate the rental of a residence for less than 30 days.
Several Internet websites illegally advertise vacation rentals within the Sedona City limits and the investigation of these websites has been the focus of the proactive enforcement.
“Since October of 2009, we have investigated 70 Sedona area vacation rentals. Of these, 23 were found to be located within the Sedona city limits and were in violation of the ordinance. Of the 23 violations, 14 have been brought into compliance, one location is pending a court date and the remaining eight are still in the enforcement stage,” states Jim Windham, Code Enforcement Supervisor.
Property owners are reminded that it is a Class One misdemeanor to violate the vacation rental ordinance with penalties up to a $2,500 fine per day and or six months in jail.
For questions regarding the specific restrictions and regulations pertaining to vacation rentals, contact Jim Windham at 928-204-7114.
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For more than one reason it’s my opinion that this example of code enforcement might just represent the beginning of a new trend in Sedona.
For much too long, and I speak largely from personal experience, lack of enforcement has been detrimental to this community. By shirking enforcement responsibilities in an effort to divert them as being civil matters, thereby imposing neighbor hostilities, questions of integrity within the Department of Community Development have arisen.
This issue before you represents a chance to uphold the strength of local City Codes with an example that’s been tested in a court of law wherein the City Code prevailed and, not to be dismissed, an opportunity to exercise a legitimate method by which to collect city revenue via imposition of justifiable fines for non-compliance.
Congratulations on taking meaningful enforcement steps which could very well serve to discourage other code violations once the word is out the tradition of lack of enforcement has become a thing of the past.
Thank you Jim Windham and related sources for making this happen.
Sincerely,
Eddie Maddock
This ordinance is ridiculous and demonstrates the elitist NIMBY attitude that pervades the geriatric aristocratic beliefs “rentals” is bad for the neighborhood. Keep in mind not all rentals should be viewed the same; there are long term and short term.
Yes! Absentee landlords with long term rentals should be the focus for the City code enforcement office. These neglected properties certainly do detract from the neighborhood, lower home values and are an eyesore for neighbors. Of course eyesore is a subjective term. Long rows of identical latte colored homes/apartments or a dilapidated trailer park that caters to illegal immigrants, I would consider an eyesore.
Moreover, vacant and neglected foreclosures should be addressed rather than the short term (<30 days) vacation rental witch-hunt. In an economy that has declined so greatly wouldn’t a vacation rental that can pay the mortgage be better than an empty, degraded foreclosure?
However, short term vacation rentals are exactly the opposite. The properties must be clean and tidy to attract and retain business. They employ handyman, cleaners, web designers and a variety of other tradespeople.
These visitors pay more daily than long term renters and are typically from an affluent background. Sedona does not attract the teen spring break party types…and even if the tenant of the short term vacation rental is obnoxious-they are gone in a few days. Unlike an obnoxious, problem- persistent long term renter who is difficult to remove per tenant laws.
These vacationers bring dollars to local businesses when they pay for meals, jeep tours, helicopter/bi plane tours etc. A long term renter does not buy these goods or if they do it is a rarity.
These short term vacationers do not always want a hotel room. They want to bring their pets, cook their own vegetarian or vegan meals occasionally, leave their bikes unlocked on property and have a secluded yard for themselves and not pay the $500 creekside rates of uptown hotels. They would rather spend their discretionary dollars on recreational experiences than the overpriced hotels.
In short these vacation rentals fulfill a need that hotels cannot.
Sedona typically has visitors for less than a week, how are vacation rentals any more damaging than a hotel or resort? Vacation rentals don’t have a large parking lot, dumpsters and tons of traffic and an illuminated sign that impedes the night sky.
Many cities are embracing the need to abate the financial damages of foreclosed properties and are enacting ways to make short term vacation rentals legal. These amended city ordinances are one way to shore up the decreasing values of homes in the flood of foreclosures.
Since money is always the heart of the issue and I would wager hoteliers argue that short term vacation rentals takes their customers and dollars away from them… perhaps the City of Sedona should embrace these dastardly vacation rental running rebels and charge taxes and a license/registration fee rather than make outlaws out of homeowners trying to afford their mortgage.
Must be a vacation rental witch-hunt, for if it wasn’t then the hotels would be shutdown for there viloation of <30 rents. If the city needs money then they should implent a lodging tax for < 30 day rents.
@Bruce Vollmer – how I wish you would take the time to check your facts prior to your rant post that is without Fact or merit and is simply Fiction.
FACT: Hotels/Motels, in City of Sedona, Will Not Be Shut Down – because they ARE and HAVE been paying the B&B Daily Tax as required by the City. This Tax has been in place for some 20+/- years.
FACT: Illegal short term rentals are just that – ILLEGAL – since they fly under the radar, by design, and they are not licensed and do not collect City B&B taxes on a daily basis as they just collect rent payments. They just cheat for the sound of money in their pockets.
The definition of a Short Term Rental that is subject to all taxes as defined by local and State is well documented in ARS (Arizona Revised Statues) so I can’t find any rational for your routine that there is some “vacation rental witch-hunt”.
@Bruce Vollmer writes: ” If the city needs money then they should implent a lodging tax for < 30 day rents." This statement alone causes me to ask/ponder and surmise YOU are one of those folks who think they can circumvent our laws, never educate yourself to our laws and have zero respect for the rest of us and have absolutely not one second of respect for your neighbors or our laws…….you must own an illegal short term rental?
My suggestion is that before you spew incorrect information – ya just might want to check out your Facts as all that you wrote is per FICTION!.
@Bruce Vollmer
Why do you think those of us who purchase properties zoned “single family” do so? I can tell you. It is NOT for the purpose of being intruded on by “vacation rentals” (or any other that degrades the classification of “single family.”) I say kudos to City of Sedona for #1 Having the law; #2 Serving penalties on those who violate it.
Right on Lodging Owner and Nora and Kudos to the City for going after those folks who care to thumb their nose at our City and our quality of Life!
Doesnt the city have any better to do with my Hard Earned Tax dollars.. I say the hell with city government and any government.. Lets all do what we want and leave my Hard Earned Tax dollars alone.. BTW my contribution to the city budget is only the money I spend on sales tax..
I purchased a home in the City limits as I wanted the incorporated city to manage and protect the health welfare and safety of the district. Enforce laws and rules. Homes in the city limits currently run 10% more than outside the limits. I wanted to live in a community that had a city. I expected the city to manage the city. Protect us.
I don’t want the house next to me to be rented out as a Time Share House or a Vacation Rental which it has been. This is why I bought a home in a residential area. What happened to transitional zoning? People come and go all hours, weddings, parties. The quality of life ruined.
The property owners in Sedona all pay property taxes. Residents pay licensing, franchise fees along state tax income taxes. Cities get their fair share from state, county and other franchise fees.
Don’t forget the other county services the city gets services or funds from like Health Services and Flood control. Both Yavapai and Coconino county provide the city of Sedona services. Did you know that all your hotels get inspected by the county? All the lodging and restaurants get inspected , educated and directed by the county.
The taxes pay for schools, fire, and other services. Most small towns function this way.
I see a big dysfunctional system here. The government was put in place for health safety and welfare for the city limits. But they HATE us. They let us know every day we don’t matter. Ron Budnick has it correct. You are paying.
The city limits, health welfare and safety. THAT is what they need to be measured by. How the government performs is measured by the residents in the city limits. Are they doing the job?
Anything they do for those outside the limits is outside the their limit. Counts as zero. Makes the entire management look silly. Sedona is shrinking because of all this. Old school, olde boys thinking they know what is best.
Sedona is being destroyed. Wake up Sedona. Tell you city council. By not speaking up they think you agree. SAVE SEDONA.
Just look at the dirty politics played out in our last election. Shameful
It works really well for me.