Scottsdale STR License Checklist for New Hosts (2026)

Opening a short-term rental in Scottsdale takes more than a furnished home and a listing. The city, the state and the county each have a step, and some of them have to be finished before the first guest arrives. This checklist puts those steps in order, links each one to the official page that sets the rule, and ends with the step we handle: listing photos.

This checklist is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm each step on the official page linked beside it before you list.

On September 28, 2026, the City of Scottsdale's public license data listed 2,817 active short-term rental licenses, and 10 new licenses had become active since September 25. New hosts keep arriving, and each new listing competes with thousands of licensed rentals.

Who needs a Scottsdale license

The city's rule is short. In its words: "Short-term/vacation rental owners must obtain and maintain an annual city license for each Scottsdale property." The fee is stated the same way: "The annual license fee is $250 per property" (City of Scottsdale, Information for Owners and Operators).

The license covers stays of less than 30 days. The city adds that "Owners that rent for 30 days or longer do not need to obtain a City of Scottsdale license through this process." One license per property, so an owner with three Scottsdale homes holds three licenses.

The steps, in order

1. Get an Arizona TPT license

Start with the state. The city says "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." You apply with the Arizona Department of Revenue through AZTaxes.gov, and the city asks you to list Scottsdale (SC) as a region code on that license. (City of Scottsdale)

The Department of Revenue also notes that "penalties are imposed for not obtaining a TPT license or displaying that license on any advertisement, including OLM postings", which covers your Airbnb and Vrbo listings. (Arizona Department of Revenue, Online Lodging Marketplace)

2. Apply for the City of Scottsdale license

The city's process guide lists what each application needs, for each property:

• the name, address, phone number and email for the owner or the owner's agent;
• the address of the property;
• proof of your TPT license;
• emergency contact information.

The application is filed through the city's online licensing portal, linked from the owners and operators page. (Short-Term/Vacation Rental Licensing Process Guide, PDF)

3. Notify the neighbors and show proof of insurance

"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." The letter carries the license number, the rental's address, and the name, address and 24-hour phone number of the emergency contact.

The city also requires liability coverage "of at least $500,000 (either directly or through an online lodging marketplace)." Once the neighbors are notified, you complete the city's Neighbor Notification and Liability Insurance Compliance Attestation. (City of Scottsdale)

4. Register the rental with Maricopa County

Each rental must be registered with the Maricopa County Assessor before anyone stays there. The city puts it plainly: "It is illegal to rent a property before it is registered with the Maricopa County Assessor." The state law behind it is A.R.S. 33-1902.

5. Post the required short-term rental notice

The city generates a notice that has to be printed "in 14-point or larger bold font, on a laminated or otherwise similarly shielded paper," and displayed on the inside of the front door and the main door to the backyard, or near each. It lists where the fire and life safety equipment is, such as fire extinguishers, and the city's waste disposal rules. (City of Scottsdale)

6. Pools, hot tubs and spas: check the barriers

If the home has a pool, hot tub or spa, Scottsdale requires barriers. The city lists a 60-inch perimeter fence that is not easy to climb, perimeter gates that are self-closing and self-latching with the latch at least 54 inches high, and a second barrier at the pool itself: either a separate 60-inch pool fence or audible alarms on the doors and windows that open to the pool area. A spa or hot tub outside the pool barrier needs a lockable cover. (City of Scottsdale, Short-Term Rental Pool Barriers)

7. Keep the contact details current

If the emergency or management contact changes, the city says you must update your license and give the new contact details to the neighbors, then file the attestation again. (Licensing Process Guide)

How long it takes

The city license moves on a clock set by the state. Arizona law says a city "shall issue or deny the permit or license within seven business days of receipt of the information required" (A.R.S. 9-500.39). Apply for the TPT license first, since its number goes on the city application. After the city license arrives, you have 30 days for the neighbor notice, and the county registration has to be done before the first guest checks in.

Set the photo shoot for the end of that list, once the home is furnished and the barriers and notices are up. That way the listing shows the home exactly as guests will find it.

Before your first booking

Your listing goes live into a market with thousands of active licenses, and guests compare it on their phones in a few seconds. The cover photo, the pool and the outdoor living space decide whether they open your listing or the next one.

• Shoot after setup, not before. Furniture, linens and decor in place, and the pool fence or alarms installed, so nothing in the photos changes later.
• Show the outdoor space. In Scottsdale the yard sells the stay: pool, patio seating, fire pit, outdoor kitchen. Our pool photography tips cover the angles.
• Get the gallery fast. We deliver within 24 hours of the end of the shoot day, so photos never hold up your launch. No rush fee. Fast is the standard.

Booked Visual photographs short-term rentals across Scottsdale at a flat rate from $249 by home size, with unlimited photos hand-edited by our in-house team. Twilight is a paid add-on (virtual $99, or real twilight $249 as a sunset return visit). See the Scottsdale page, read how our Airbnb photography works, or book your shoot.

Scottsdale STR license FAQ

Official sources

• City of Scottsdale: Information for Owners and Operators
• City of Scottsdale: Short-Term/Vacation Rental Licensing Process Guide (PDF)
• City of Scottsdale: Short-Term Rental Pool Barriers
• Arizona Department of Revenue: Online Lodging Marketplace
• Arizona Revised Statutes 9-500.39
• Arizona Revised Statutes 33-1902

License figures are from the City of Scottsdale's public short-term rental license data as of September 28, 2026. This checklist is general information, not legal advice.

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