Arizona Senate Votes to Ban Cities from Banning Airbnb, Couch-Surfing

A new bill approved by the Arizona Senate on Tuesday would bar cities, towns and counties from prohibiting short-term rentals. Sponsored by Sen. Debbie Lesko, the bill, SB 1350, passed the state senate overwhelmingly, with just one vote against it.

SB 1350 would provide welcome relief for property owners under siege by government busybodies. Last year, an official in Yavapai County warned that roughly 1,000 people could be illegally renting out their properties. In Jerome, officials announced a ban on short-term vacation rentals. According to attorneys at the Goldwater Institute, who are representing affected property owners, “homeowners face a $300 fine and up to 90 days in jail for each day they violate the town’s new edict.”

Read More: Virginia Lawmaker Tried To Legalize Airbnb—Then Lobbyists Got Involved

But by providing side income and more affordable accommodations, short-term rentals benefit thousands of people in the state. According to a report by Airbnb, 5,000 people hosted 131,000 guests using the short-term rental service last year in Arizona. On average, guests spent 3.7 nights on an Airbnb property, while a typical host earned about $4,000 from the site.

If enacted, SB 1350 would allow municipalities to regulate vacation rental properties so long as the restrictions are “narrowly tailored” to matters like fire and building codes and public health and sanitation. It also would require sites that host short-term rentals to collect taxes from hosts.

SB 1350 is not the only common-sense reform under consideration by Arizona lawmakers. Last month, the House voted unanimously to legalize potlucks hosted at home.