Gayle Lopez
Honey Bee Ridge Neighborhood
Greetings from the Board
This month’s article is written by Gayle Lopez, President of the Vistoso Community Association (VCA) and Priscilla Harris, Assistant Manager, First Service Residential.
Short-Term Rentals in Rancho Vistoso
The VCA is composed of nearly 7000 property owner/members. There are 51 different neighborhoods, 24 with sub-HOAs. Gated communities* and condos belong to a sub-HOA (local neighborhood association) and the master association (VCA). We refer to these local neighborhood HOAs as sub-HOA’s as they are subordinate to the VCA. Meaning that their Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&Rs) must meet the minimum requirements of the VCA’s CC&Rs, but they can be more restrictive.
From a short-term rental perspective, the only requirement for rentals of any kind in the VCA is that the property only be rented to a single family (p. 25, Section 5.2.6 of CC&Rs.) The CC&Rs of sub-HOAs can, and are, typically more restrictive. For example, the Vistoso Resort Casitas have no minimum stay requirements, the Vistoso Hills community requires a minimum 30-day rental, and the Estates at Honey Bee Ridge requires a minimum 6-month rental.
In light of Senate Bill 1168 passing the Arizona state legislature in July 2022, the Town of Oro Valley (TOV) Town Council passed an ordinance with the strictest possible requirements for short-term/vacation rentals.
Looking for more information on what this means and on how it could impact your neighborhood?
First, let’s define a short-term rental. TOV’s definition refers to a reservation at a property of less than 30 days. Short-term vacation rentals continue to be a hot topic and can impact a community in a variety of ways, both positive and negative.
| Benefits of Short-Term Rentals | Undesirable Consequences |
|---|---|
| Increased Tax Revenue | Less Long-Term Rentals Available |
| Increased Tourism Activity | Change in Neighborhood Character and Quality of Life |
| Attract Home Buyers to Area | Trash, Parking Issues and Noise Disturbance Concerns |
TOV’s short-term rental ordinance specifies that in order to be granted a license, the property owner must:
- Notifying adjacent and nearby neighbors of intent to offer short-term/vacation rental.
- Notify neighbors each year before a license can be renewed.
- Provide neighbors a name, address and 24-hour contact phone number as an emergency point of contact.
- Have someone available to respond to a police inquiry within 60 minutes of a request.
- Pay $80 a year for short-term / vacation rental licenses.
- Agree to background checks.
- Comply by early May 2023.
As part of the community roll-out of this new ordinance, TOV plans to provide:
- Homeowner Associations (HOAs) a list of licensed short-term rentals.
- A webpage dedicated to short-term rental information for owners and renters.
- Access to SmartGov software via its business license portal to register properties and update information.
For the most current information on TOV’s ordinance on short-term and vacation rentals, go to the TOV website.
How can the VCA support responsible short-term rentals in Rancho Vistoso?
- Owners of rentals should complete a “Property Information Form”. This form not only lists the contact and vehicle information of the owner and tenant, it also allows the owner to indicate the type of access to certain information and VCA assets that the owner would like their tenant to have.
- Owners who are utilizing a property management company to handle their account matters should provide a “Information and Property Release Form” This will allow the HOA to communicate with the management company regarding account information; without this form the VCA can only communicate directly with the owner.
- The VCA website will post a link to the TOV website listing all the licensed short-term rental properties. This will aid members of the VCA in identifying and reporting to TOV any apparent short-term rental activity that is not licensed.
- The VCA will also develop and post on the website a list of common fineable violations that owners can provide their short-term renters. This will enable renters to be good neighbors, abide by our rules, and avoid fines (that owner could be liable to pay.)
- All VCA CC&Rs, Design Guidelines, and other important community information is available to the public on our website www.ranchovistosohoa.com. Under the “Resident Info” tab you can view “Helpful Documents” or “Governing Documents”. It is the responsibility of the owner or their Management Company to educate renters on common rules and regulations within the community.
Short-term rentals can be managed to avoid undesirable consequences. TOV has developed reasonable regulations that will help retain the quality of life and value of our neighborhoods. The VCA board and staff will do its part supporting responsible short-term vacation rentals.
Gayle Lopez, President
*The gated community of Siena is an exception as it is a benefited parcel. The neighborhoods Viewpoint I & II are non-gated communities that have sub-HOAs.