By Melissa Rosequist | Daily Independent
If a vacation rental home you tried to book asked for background checks for you and all your guests, would you move forward with booking the property for the weekend?
This new rule, which officials say is to ensure sex offenders don’t rent short-term rental properties, and other potential code amendments are being considered by the Town of Paradise Valley.
On Nov. 18, the Paradise Valley Town Council will discuss additional ways to strengthen its authority to work with short-term rentals in the community. The Town Council will not be rendering a vote on any of the proposed code amendment at this meeting.
Town Attorney Andrew McGuire is expected to propose a handful of town code amendments related to short-term rentals, unruly gatherings and nuisance ordinances.
Arizona law prohibits municipalities from restricting short-term rentals, but they can regulate the homes for four purposes, which includes prohibiting the use of a STR for housing sex offenders, among other things.
“Accordingly, staff and the legal team have worked together on several proposed code amendments focused on addressing nuisances, unruly gatherings, non-complaint STRs, and the peace, health, safety and welfare of the general public,” a Paradise Valley staff report states.
The proposed code amendments include:
- Expanding the definition of “special events” to capture problem activities;
- Requiring certain disclosure in online advertisements, such as in-person check-in requirements and that renters may also be sanctioned by violating the code;
- Requires heightened health and safety compliance;
- Requires owner’s in-person complaint response within one hour when people on property;
- Makes emergency contact numbers publicly available.
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