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Casago Flagstaff, a DBA of Acme Sedona Flagstaff AZ LLC · Spencer T. Farnsworth · ADRE Broker License #BR564714000; Entity Lic #LC721287000.
Flagstaff · Owner guide
What the City licence involves, what the 2026 ordinance changed, what happens if the parcel sits outside the city line, and why a permit is never the last word.
Existing owner? Access your Owner Portal
A Flagstaff mailing address tells you almost nothing about which rulebook applies. The city is surrounded by unincorporated Coconino County, and communities like Kachina Village, Mountainaire and Fort Valley sit outside the city line with their own County area plans. The City runs one programme, the County runs another, and they do not share a checklist. Settle the jurisdiction from the parcel record before you do anything else.
Effective November 2023, City ordinance requires owners of short-term rentals to obtain a Short Term Rental License. Licences are valid for one year and must be renewed annually. The City defines a short-term rental as the rental of part or all of any legally permitted dwelling unit for fewer than 30 consecutive days, and points to A.R.S. §9-500.39 as the state law that allows the use.
Two things happen before the application, not after. First, obtain a Transaction Privilege Tax licence from the Arizona Department of Revenue; its number goes on the application, and the City says the TPT licence must be active and include the property address as a location. Second, complete written notification to each single-family residential property that is adjacent to, across from and diagonal from the rental. That notice carries the STR licence number, the property address, and the name, address, email address and 24-hour telephone number of the emergency point of contact.
Then you apply online. The City has seven business days to review, emails a secure payment link once approved, and issues the licence within two to three business days after payment clears. Per the City page read on 2026-09-20, the annual fee is $250. If a property is found operating without a required licence, the owner receives a notification letter and must submit an application within 30 days.
In 2026 the City adopted updates to Chapter 3-12 (Short-Term Rentals) and Chapter 3-10 (User Fees), and says most requirements take effect at your next renewal. The substantive additions, all read on 2026-09-20:
The City FAQ lists what may be used as a short-term rental: single-family houses, one-to-four unit houses, condominiums, townhouses, cooperatives or timeshares, individual rooms within any of those, and guest houses, casitas or mother-in-law quarters. It also lists what may not: structures not approved as a dwelling unit, unsafe structures such as garages and sheds that do not meet health and safety standards, and campers, tents and RVs. If you are unsure about zoning or whether a structure is approved, the City points owners to Community Development on (928) 213-2606.
The County states that following Arizona legislation giving local jurisdictions more control, the Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance requiring a permit application and fee. Beyond the permit, owners or operators must notify neighbours of the operation, meet building codes, prevent rentals for special events and verify that the owner has not been convicted of particular felonies, with permit suspension and fines available for verified violations. Renewal is not a tick-box: it requires a brand new application, and per the County page read on 2026-09-20 an annual fee of $250. The County publishes a map of registered short-term rentals and reaches Code Enforcement and STR permitting on (928) 679-8856.
The City is unusually direct about this. Its FAQ says that if the HOA rules allow rentals of fewer than 30 days then short-term rentals are likely allowed, tells owners to check those rules, and states that the City does not enforce or have copies of HOA rules. That is the whole shape of it: a licence is a public permission, and CC&Rs, condominium rules, leases and deed restrictions are private and can be stricter than any code. Read the current documents, not the ones from closing, and get a written interpretation where the language is ambiguous. A private restriction will not show up in any search of City or County records.
ADOR describes the transaction privilege tax as a tax on the vendor for the privilege of doing business in the state, and notes a business is likely to need both an ADOR licence and a city licence, with the cost per licence per location stated as $12. The City FAQ says short-term rentals collect state, county and city taxes and remit transaction privilege tax at the same rate as a hotel, that taxes are due whether or not you charge guests separately for them, and that a TPT licence is required even when an online marketplace remits on your behalf. Confirm your own filing obligations with ADOR before you set a rate.
Inside the City, yes. The City FAQ states that a transaction privilege tax licence and tax payment are required even if you only rent a few days or weeks a year, and the same answer applies to renting out a single room. The Short Term Rental License requirement is not scaled to how often you rent. Checked 2026-09-20.
Yes. The City FAQ answers that question directly with a yes and points owners to the online marketplace requirements. The City also requires the TPT licence number on the Short Term Rental application, so there is no route around it. Checked 2026-09-20.
Inside the City, each single-family residential property adjacent to, across from and diagonal from the rental, in writing, before you offer it for rent. The notice carries the STR licence number, the property address, and the name, address, email address and 24-hour telephone number of the emergency point of contact. Emergency contact details must be updated at renewal and whenever they change. Checked 2026-09-20.
Next step
Continue to the Owner Portal for a property-specific conversation. Prospective owners choose I'm considering the program. Existing owners sign in as an owner. Nothing about your home is sent from this page.
