This article submitted by the City of Sedona
Sedona AZ (July 28, 2011) – The City of Sedona Community Development Department continues to proactively enforce 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. This is a reminder by the city not to engage in illegal rental activity or face legal action by City code enforcement.
“Since January of 2010, we have investigated numerous alleged Sedona area vacation rentals and issued notices of violation to 29 property owners. Of these, 22 were brought into compliance, one is still under active investigation, three cases were found guilty in Sedona Magistrate Court and three cases are pending in Sedona Magistrate Court,” states Jim Windham, Code Enforcement Supervisor.
For questions regarding the specific restrictions and regulations pertaining to vacation rentals, contact 928-204-7114.
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The SS huh? And what makes you think that you have the right to override someones constitutional right to “Free Enterprise!”
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.
to “R. Ridiculous: U R properly named. What is it you don’t understand about
zoning identified as “single family residential.” Not to mention bed tax revenue lost to city from the illegal, yes, illegal rentals based on zoning code alone. Move along to one of the places you mention practices a melting pot of non-enforcement. Get a life.
PS: Thank you City of Sedona for staying on top if this violation in single family residential zoning.