You rent out one or more properties in Scottsdale on Airbnb and Vrbo, and you run them yourself. This page covers the city license, the taxes, and which guest work software can do.
Your emergency point of contact does the visits and anything that needs hands on site. BnBGenius answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7 and creates cleaning and repair tasks after checkout. You handle the city license and the taxes.
The city requires a license for each Scottsdale rental property.
“Short-term/vacation rental owners must obtain and maintain an annual city license for each Scottsdale property.”
What this means for you: You need one license per property. If you rent out two homes, you need two licenses.
The city also names an emergency point of contact who must come to the property.
“In the event of an emergency, any person designated as an emergency contact pursuant to section 18-154 upon the request of public safety personnel shall respond in-person within one (1) hour to the physical location of the vacation rental or short-term rental for which they are a designated emergency contact.”
What this means for you: In an emergency, when public safety personnel ask, this person must arrive in person within one hour. Pick someone who lives or works close enough to make that trip.
What BnBGenius Does for a Host in Scottsdale
Answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7
Guests on Airbnb and Vrbo may ask about parties, noise and visitors. The city holds the owner accountable for repeated unruly gatherings under its nuisance parties ordinance.
“Under Scottsdale’s Nuisance Parties & Unlawful Gatherings Ordinance (SRC 18-121), property owners are accountable for repeated unruly gatherings or parties. This ordinance applies to all private residences whether they are long- or short-term rentals, or owner occupied.”
What this means for you: The city can hold you responsible if unruly gatherings happen again and again. Put your answers about parties, noise and guests in your house rules and check-in instructions. BnBGenius answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7, but it does not know local rules by itself. It is also not the emergency point of contact.
Requests a review from the guest and publishes the host’s review
A review does not replace house rules. BnBGenius requests a review from the guest and publishes the host’s review.
Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder:
“We went from reviewing 40% of stays to 100% overnight. The AI even thanked guests for things we fixed mid-stay. Our review-to-review rate jumped immediately.”
Source: Testimonial, Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder (reviews)
Creates cleaning and repair tasks after checkout
The city sets one cleaning rule that belongs on every turnover checklist.
“The owner or owner’s designee of a vacation rental or short-term rental shall have the property cleaned between stays.”
What this means for you: The property must be cleaned between every stay. Your person on site does the cleaning, the inspection and any repairs. A pool or hot tub is a good example: a broken gate latch or alarm becomes a task for your person, because the pool barrier rule applies (see “What the City Requires” below).
Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder:
“We used to find out about issues in post-stay reviews. Now BnBGenius flags them mid-stay, creates the task, and our cleaners respond in under 15 minutes.”
Source: Testimonial, Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder (tasks)
Answers guest calls with a voice AI agent
Voice Concierge is an add-on that answers guest calls with a voice AI agent. It does not make BnBGenius the emergency point of contact.
Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder:
“The concierge answered 84% of our after-hours calls last month without waking anyone up. Guests thought it was our in-house team the whole time.”
Source: Testimonial, Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder (voice)
Sells gap nights, early check-in and late checkout
BnBGenius sells gap nights, early check-in and late checkout. A gap night booked at short notice still needs the guest background check. The city requires that check no later than 24 hours before every stay (the quote is under “What the City Requires” below). BnBGenius does not do that check. Agree early check-in and late checkout times with your person so cleaning still fits between stays.
Is run from Telegram
BnBGenius is run from Telegram.
Your Local Person
A cleaner or handyman can do the visits. The city application asks for the emergency point of contact.
“The name, address, email and twenty-four (24) hour telephone number of the individual who will serve as the emergency point of contact for the vacation rental or short-term rental. An individual pursuant to this subsection must be a real person and cannot be a fictitious person.”
The owner may also name a designee.
“The name, address, email and telephone number of the owner’s designee, if any. The owner shall certify that the owner’s designee is authorized to act upon the owner’s behalf.”
The city page offers a tip about response.
“One of the most common complaints the city receives is a lack of response from property managers or emergency contacts when issues arise.”
What this means for you: The emergency point of contact must be a real person with a 24 hour phone number. Pick someone who lives or works close to the property.
You organize cleaning and repairs yourself, through your person or a cleaning company you choose. BnBGenius creates cleaning and repair tasks after checkout. BnBGenius is not the city’s emergency point of contact; that role is always held by a real person the owner names.
What the City Requires
License steps. The city page lists the state tax license first, then the city license.
“Scottsdale Ordinance 4566 requires rental property owners/operators to obtain a Scottsdale license for each property and comply with several safety, health and neighborhood notification requirements.”
Source: City of Scottsdale rules for owners and operators
“A valid TPT license is required for each rental property in Scottsdale; your TPT number will be needed to apply for the City of Scottsdale rental license in Step 2.”
Source: City of Scottsdale rules for owners and operators
“A separate current vacation rental license is required for each house or dwelling unit where a vacation rental or short-term rental is operated.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-151(a)
“The city’s license described here applies only to rentals of less than 30 days. Owners that rent for 30 days or longer do not need to obtain a City of Scottsdale license through this process.”
What this means for you: You get the state TPT license first, because you need its number for the city application. Then you apply for the city license, one for each house or unit. If you rent for 30 days or longer, this city license is not needed.
Fee, term and changes.
“The annual license fee is $250 per property; funds received will go 100 percent to cover costs associated with licensing vacation and short-term rentals.”
Source: City of Scottsdale rules for owners and operators
“Every application, including any renewal application, for a vacation rental license under this article shall be accompanied by a non-refundable two hundred fifty-dollar ($250.00) license fee and penalties incurred pursuant to this section.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-152(a)
“A vacation rental license issued under this article shall be valid for a period of one (1) year from the date of issuance unless suspended or revoked.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-153(a)
“The city shall issue a vacation rental license within seven (7) business days after receipt of a complete application unless grounds for denial exist as follows: (1) Failure to provide the information required by this article; (2) Failure to pay the required license fee(s) including any penalties; (3) At the time of application, the owner has a revoked or suspended license for the same vacation rental or short-term rental; (4) The applicant has provided false information; (5) The owner or designee of the owner: (i) is a registered sex offender; (ii) has been convicted of any felony act that resulted in death or serious physical injury; (iii) or has been convicted of any felony use of a deadly weapon within five (5) years of submitting the application; and (6) Any grounds for revocation or suspension of a vacation rental license exist for the specific license application.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-155(a)
“All applicants and persons holding licenses issued pursuant to this article shall give written notice to the city manager or designee of any material changes in information submitted in connection with an application or application for renewal of a license. Any information required for an application pursuant to section 18-154 is deemed to be material for purposes of this section. This information shall be provided to the city manager or designee by the licensee or the effected person, as applicable, within ten (10) business days of any such change.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-160
What this means for you: The fee is 250 dollars for each property, and it is not refunded. You pay it with every application and every renewal. The license lasts one year from the date it is issued. It ends early only if the city suspends or revokes it, so set a reminder before the renewal date. The city issues the license within seven business days after a complete application. It can deny the license if any of the quoted grounds exist. You must give written notice of material changes within ten business days.
Arizona limits on the city.
“A city or town may not prohibit vacation rentals or short-term rentals.”
Source: Arizona A.R.S. 9-500.39(A)
“A city or town may not restrict the use of or regulate vacation rentals or short-term rentals based on their classification, use or occupancy except as provided in this section.”
Source: Arizona A.R.S. 9-500.39(B)
“A fee not to exceed the actual cost of issuing the permit or license or $250, whichever is less.”
Source: Arizona A.R.S. 9-500.39(B)(5)(f)
What this means for you: State law says a city cannot ban short-term rentals. The state caps the license fee at 250 dollars or the actual cost of issuing it, whichever is less. Scottsdale’s stated fee of 250 dollars matches that ceiling.
Neighbor letter and insurance. The city page and the city code set different clocks for the neighbor letter.
“Within 30 days of receiving your Scottsdale license (or any time the contact information for a property changes), you must notify all single-family residential properties adjacent to, directly and diagonally across the street from the property, or in a multi-family residential building, all units on the same building floor.”
Source: City of Scottsdale rules for owners and operators
“Prior to offering a vacation rental or short-term rental for rent for the first time, the owner or owner’s designee is required to notify all single-family residential properties adjacent to, directly and diagonally across the street from the property, or in a multi-family residential building, to all units on the same building floor.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-191(a)
“The notification required by subsection (a) above is also required anytime the contact information for the vacation rental or short-term rental changes. Notification pursuant to this subsection shall occur within fifteen (15) business days.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-191(b)
“The Neighbor Notification letter must include the short-term rental license number, the physical address of the short-term rental, and the name, address, and twenty-four (24) hour telephone number of the emergency point of contact for the rental.”
Source: City of Scottsdale rules for owners and operators
“Scottsdale’s ordinance requires that every short-term/vacation rental property be insured with liability coverage of at least $500,000 (either directly or through an online lodging marketplace).”
What this means for you: The city page says to send the letter within 30 days after you receive your license. The city code says to send it before you offer the rental for the first time. The code also requires a new letter within 15 business days any time the contact information changes. The letter must carry the emergency point of contact’s name and a 24 hour phone number. Separately, the ordinance requires liability coverage of at least 500,000 dollars. You can get it directly or through an online lodging marketplace. Confirm the timing with the city before you first offer the rental.
County registration.
“Each property must be registered with Maricopa County as required by ARS 33-1902 prior to being occupied. It is illegal to rent a property before it is registered with the Maricopa County Assessor.”
What this means for you: Register each home with the county before guests stay. Renting before you register is against the law.
Advertising.
“It shall be unlawful for the owner, operator or owner’s designee of a vacation rental or short-term rental to fail to display or list a city vacation rental license number on each advertisement for a vacation rental or short-term rental located within the city.”
What this means for you: Every advertisement must show the city license number. Both the Airbnb listing and the Vrbo listing need it.
Notice in the unit.
“The following notice must be completed in 14-point or larger bold font, on a laminated or otherwise similarly shielded paper, and prominently displayed on the inside of the front door and the primary door to the backyard or a conspicuous location near each such door.”
Source: City of Scottsdale rules for owners and operators
“The occupancy of this premises is limited to a single family of one to six adults and, if any, their related dependent children as defined in Appendix B, Sec. 3.100 of the Scottsdale Zoning Ordinance.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-175(h)
“The owner or owner’s designee of a vacation rental or short-term rental shall provide and prominently display a map of the floor plan of the property showing the following information: safe routes of egress in the event of a fire or other emergency; the location of fire detection and suppression equipment; and any additional information relevant to such emergency preparedness measures.”
What this means for you: Print the notice in 14-point or larger bold font, laminate it or shield it, and post it inside the front door and at the backyard door. The notice names the occupancy limit. You must also display a floor plan map showing escape routes and where fire equipment sits.
Safety, trash and the pool.
“Any person owning or operating a vacation rental or short-term rental shall ensure that every vacation rental or short-term rental has working smoke alarms”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-175(c)
“The owner of a vacation rental or short-term rental that includes a swimming pool, spa or hot tub that is accessible to the renters, shall comply with the current barrier requirements applicable to residences in Scottsdale Revised Code Chapter 31.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-175(g)
“collection containers shall not be placed for collection before 6:00 p.m. on the day preceding the date of collection, and after the containers are emptied, they shall be removed from the curbline on the day of collection.”
What this means for you: Check that the smoke alarms work. If the rental has a pool, spa or hot tub that guests can use, the barrier rule applies. For trash, do not put containers out before 6:00 p.m. the day before collection, and take them back in on collection day.
Guest background check.
“No later than twenty-four (24) hours before every stay the owner or owner’s designee shall perform a background check on the person booking a vacation rental or short-term rental through the online national sex offender public website operated by the United States Department of Justice to ensure that there are no sex offenders at the vacation rental or short-term rental.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-176(a)
“An owner or owner’s designee shall retain a printout (either in hard copy or electronic form) of the background check on the person booking the property for twelve (12) months after the booking date.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-176(b)
“The requirements of subsections a and b above are satisfied and/or waived if the online lodging marketplace on which the vacation rental or short-term rental is advertised performs the background check.”
What this means for you: Run the check on the booking person through the US Department of Justice sex offender website no later than 24 hours before every stay. Keep the printout for twelve months after the booking date. The code lets the marketplace’s check satisfy your duty; this page does not say whether Airbnb or Vrbo does it. Find out, and keep the proof yourself.
If a rule is broken.
“For the purpose of this section “in the event of an emergency” means any time police, fire or other public safety personnel respond to a vacation rental or short-term rental for a call for service including responding to a nuisance party or unlawful gathering.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-172(b)
“Failure to respond shall be punished by a minimum fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) and failure to arrive within one (1) hour shall be punished by a minimum fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00).”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-172(c)
“It shall be a civil offense for the owner of a vacation rental or short-term rental to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly have the owner’s emergency contact fail to comply with the requirements of subsection (a). A violation of this subsection shall be punished by a minimum fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00).”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-172(d)
“A violation of this section is a civil offense and shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per violation.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-151(d)
“Up to $500.00 or up to an amount equal to one night’s rent for the vacation rental or short-term rental as advertised, whichever is greater, for a first verified violation.”
Source: Scottsdale City Code Sec. 18-177(a)(1)
“Up to $3,500.00 or up to an amount equal to three nights’ rent for the vacation rental or short-term rental as advertised, whichever is greater, for a third verified violation and any subsequent violation.”
What this means for you: An emergency is any time police, fire or other public safety personnel respond. This includes calls about a nuisance party or unlawful gathering. Your contact can be fined for not showing up or arriving late. You can be fined too, if you let the contact fail to respond on purpose, or knowing about it, or by reckless conduct. Renting without a license brings a fine of at least one thousand dollars per violation. Verified violations bring civil penalties that grow with each repeat.
Taxes
Arizona’s state transaction privilege tax on transient lodging is set in the state statute, A.R.S. 42-5010, on the Arizona Legislature’s site.
“Five and one-half percent of the tax base as computed for the business of every person engaging or continuing in this state in: (a) The transient lodging classification described in section 42-5070.”
Source: Arizona A.R.S. 42-5010
The state tax license and the Scottsdale region code come next.
“A Transaction Privilege Sales Tax license with the State of Arizona Department of Revenue is required.”
Source: City of Scottsdale rules for owners and operators
“Be sure to list Scottsdale (SC) as a region code on your license.”
The City of Scottsdale tax brochure sets out the city’s own rules.
“The City of Scottsdale tax rate for hotel/motel is 1.70% of the gross income. The additional transient tax rate is 5.0% of the gross income charged for lodging furnished to a transient.”
Source: City of Scottsdale hotel/motel tax brochure
“You must be licensed and pay tax if you are located in Scottsdale, and you are charging for lodging space furnished to any person on a short-term basis (less than 30 consecutive days).”
Source: City of Scottsdale hotel/motel tax brochure
“Tax is due on the 20th day of the month following the month in which the revenue was recognized.”
Source: City of Scottsdale hotel/motel tax brochure
““Nonrefundable deposits” for cleaning, keys, pet fees, maintenance, or for any other purpose are deemed gross income upon receipt.”
What this means for you: The state charges 5.5 percent on transient lodging. The city’s own two rates add up to 1.70 + 5.0 = 6.70 percent of gross income. The brochure does not give a county rate, and neither does this page. If you charge for lodging under 30 consecutive days, you must be licensed and pay. Tax is due on the 20th of the month after the month in which you recognized the revenue. Nonrefundable deposits for cleaning, keys, pet fees, maintenance or other purposes count as gross income when you receive them.
| Platform | What the platform lists | What the owner checks |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | “Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax: 5.5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 29 nights and shorter.” (Source: Airbnb Help) “County Excise Tax: The county excise tax rate varies by county. It is typically 0.28%-6.5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 29 nights and shorter.” (Source: Airbnb Help) “The local transient occupancy tax rate varies by city. It is typically 1.5%-10% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 29 nights and shorter.” (Source: Airbnb Help) | “Hosts may need to manually collect and remit other applicable taxes on their stay or experience price.” (Source: Airbnb Help) |
| Vrbo | “Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax, County Excise Tax, and Local Transient Occupancy Taxes (may be termed Transaction Privilege Tax, Transient Lodging Tax, Bed Tax, or Hotel-Motel Tax, depending on the locality) The state of Arizona under 30 nights” (Source: Vrbo Help) | “You’re also responsible for collecting and remitting lodging taxes when we’re not liable to do so.” (Source: Vrbo Help) |
What this means for you: Airbnb’s Arizona page lists the state rate and gives ranges for county and local taxes without naming Scottsdale. Vrbo’s list has one statewide Arizona entry for stays under 30 nights. The city brochure gives its own rates. The sources give different levels of detail, so check after each booking whether anything is left for you to collect and remit.
BnBGenius is not an accounting tool.
Airbnb and Vrbo
| Guest work | Airbnb | Vrbo |
|---|---|---|
| Messages | “Every reservation automatically creates a group thread where all bookers, co-travelers, hosts and co-hosts can connect.” (Source: Airbnb Help) | “You can send a message to a host through our secure messaging platform.” (Source: Vrbo Help) |
| Reviews | “On the day of checkout, both the guest and their host will be prompted to leave a review . Both parties will have 14 days after checkout to submit their review.” (Source: Airbnb Help) | “You and your guests have 180 days to provide your review. Once one party submits their review, the other party has 14 days to complete their review.” (Source: Vrbo Help) |
| Check-in details | “Guests will see your check-in method (such as smart lock, keypad, or lock box) but they won’t see the detailed check-in instructions until 48 hours before check-in.” (Source: Airbnb Help) | “The welcome guide includes: Host or property manager contact information. Directions to the property. Parking instructions. Access instructions. Check-in and check-out instructions.” (Source: Vrbo Help) “The welcome guide information is emailed to your guests in the language you wrote it in, three days before check-in.” (Source: Vrbo Help) |
| Listing details | Both listings must show the city license number (see “What the City Requires”). | Both listings must show the city license number (see “What the City Requires”). |
What this means for you: Airbnb shows detailed check-in instructions 48 hours before check-in, while Vrbo emails the welcome guide three days before. Review windows also differ, so do not count on one schedule for both.
How to Start
BnBGenius is not a PMS, a channel manager, a calendar sync, a direct-booking, pricing or accounting tool.
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Rules and rates last checked on 2 October 2026.
