SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Four thousand vacation rentals are sprinkled throughout Scottsdale, but ABC15 is following up on the troubles they are causing some neighbors.
After we last reported on short-term rental concerns in October, more homeowners reached out saying the properties keep causing disturbances. They say it goes beyond noise to include illegal activities.
Just minutes from Old Town Scottsdale, one homeowner captured cell phone video just before Thanksgiving showing police responding to what they confirmed was a domestic disturbance at a vacation rental property.
“I had police all over my street and right behind my house. I don't want to be in the middle,” one woman said.
Neighbors, who do not want to show their faces for safety concerns, tell ABC15 they have called the police on two particular rental properties near Indian School and Hayden roads for several reasons.
ABC15 first reported on a police response at one property back on Christmas of 2022.
“They were here all day on the 25th, so the kids couldn't go out and play or anything. Guns drawn all day long,” the same neighbor said. “It's not just a speeding ticket. We're talking guns drawn in the middle of our cul de sac when people can be coming and going at any time.”
Scottsdale police say that day 1.7 million fentanyl pills were found at the rental property, along with meth, cocaine, and weapons.
“I was really concerned about the families that were renting the house after, and I saw a baby, about six months old with a family,” one man in the neighborhood said. “I had to warn them of the potential of drug exposure.”
That dad says just a few weeks ago he found baggies of drugs on the street not far from where his kids play. Now his family is planning to move.
“It’s been hell for my family and I,” he said. “Everything we loved about Scottsdale and the reason we moved here is gone. The safety, the security.”
Sgt. Eric Bolles heads a police unit dedicated to handling concerns related to the short-term rentals operating in Scottsdale.
He says, however, the vast majority of the 4,000 vacation rentals in the city are operating without any illegal activity.
“For the volume of short-term rentals that we have, the illegal activity is very, very small. We maybe get an assault, something that would happen in a normal residence,” Sgt. Bolles said.
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Most issues come down to noise. Scottsdale police get roughly 100 to 200 noise complaints each month, with about half coming from vacation rental properties. Sgt. Bolles says some complaints, like concern over groups of loud motorcycles during Bike Week, may be annoying to neighbors but are not illegal.
“In the state of Arizona, they classify the short-term rentals as residences, which means they have the same legal rights as any other resident,” Sgt. Bolles said. “So basically, you can have 15 people over in your backyard for a barbecue. So can they.”
State law also prevents cities and towns from prohibiting short-term rentals. Some city leaders want that changed.
“High tourism cities like Scottsdale and Sedona and places like that, it's had a really harmful effect,” Barry Graham, Scottsdale Vice Mayor and Councilmember said. “Until we get all that zoning authority back, we have to at least keep pressing the legislature that we can keep getting more tools to bring people's neighborhoods back to a peaceful place.”
Any illegal activity is also concerning to the President of Arizonans For Responsible Tourism, who is also a vacation rental host in Scottsdale.
“When we as responsible renters see bad actors acting outside of rules and policies that are in place, it hurts all of us,” Jonathan Wicks, AZRT President, said.
He says that one key to combatting crime is ensuring all rental properties are registered with the city, and that AZRT is on hand to help any Scottsdale residents with concerns.
“We are working together with legislators to make sure that there is comprehensive legislation to regulate an industry that is good for our state, but also does need to have guard rails to make sure that we are being good neighbors and citizens,” Wicks said.
Residents want rental property owners held accountable, and say they feel investors are changing the family-friendly feel of the neighborhood.
“The people that own these houses live in other parts of the country, live in other parts of our state, all over the place,” the woman who lives near Old Town said. “It's us that has to bring in our children off of the streets. It's us who get woken up at 2, 3, 4 o'clock in the morning.”
Anyone who wants to learn about short-term rental policies or report a problem can do so on the Scottsdale City website.
