Greetings from the Board – February 2023

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:

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?

1. 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. 
2. 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.
3. 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.  
4. 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.)
5. 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.

VCA Open House

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Snapshot – February 2023

In case you missed the January 26, 2023 Board of Directors meeting, below is a “snapshot” of the General Manager’s report to the community.  The entire report begins on page ten in the Meeting Resident Info Packet – Click Here to download the PDF.

Onsite Office
• The new VCA office opened its doors to members on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.
• We are located at: 1171 E Rancho Vistoso Blvd., Suite 103, Oro Valley, AZ 85755.
• An open house is planned for Tuesday, February 28 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm. Additional information is forthcoming.

Announcement of Board of Director Candidates
• At the January 26, 2023, the Nomination & Election Committee (NEC) will be announcing the candidates for the 2023 Board of Directors Election.
• There are presently five candidates for the open three seats in the Single-Family voting category.
• In the Other than Single Family and Commercial voting categories there is one candidate each.
• The NEC will be hosting a Candidate Meet & Greet on February 21, 2023.

2023 Yard Sale Dates
• The proposed yard sale dates for 2023 are April 15 and October 14.
• This topic is on the agenda for board discussion and approval.

Shade Sails
• Some of shade sails for Hohokam and Sunset Ridge had to be sent back to the manufacturer because the angle was incorrect.
• Shade sails for Big Wash are scheduled per the reserve study this year.
• We are in the process of getting proposals for their replacement.

Did You Know – February 2023

How well do you know where you live? 

1) Which of the following are true about short-term rentals?

A. The Town of Oro Valley defines short-term rentals as a reservation at a property of less than 30 days.
B. Adjacent neighbors must provide consent to allow.
C. Benefits of short-term rentals include increased tax revenue, increased tourism activity, and may attract home buyer.
D. Concerns of short-term rentals include noise, parking, trash and other undesirable consequences.
E. All of the above.

Answer – A, C, & D are true. Per Oro Valley regulations, adjacent homeowners will be notified of short-term rentals, but they have not authority to grant consent.

2) What is the relationship between the VCA and neighborhood HOAs

A. The VCA is the master association and neighborhood HOAs are subordinate.
B. All gated communities (except Siena) have sub-HOAs.
C. Owners of the Vistoso Resort Casitas can choose to be a member of the VCA.
D. The CC&Rs of sub-HOAs must be at least meet the requirements of the VCA’s CC&Rs and can be more restrictive.
E. There are 24 neighborhoods with sub-HOAs in the VCA.

Answer – A, B, D, & E are true. Vistoso Resort Casitas are members of the VCA and their local sub-HOA.

3) Which of the following are part of Oro Valley’s short-term rental ordinance?

A. Notifying adjacent and nearby neighbors of intent to offer short-term/vacation rental.
B. Provide neighbors a name, address and 24-hour contact phone number as an emergency point of contact.
C. Pay $80 a year for short-term / vacation rental licenses.
D. Agreed to background checks.
E. All of the above

Answer – E is true.

4) Which of the following is true about the new VCA office?

A. It is located at 1171 E Rancho Vistoso Blvd., Suite 103, Oro Valley
B. The new VCA office opened its doors to members on January 1, 2023.
C. Resident of the VCA will be able to rent the new office for family events.
D. An open house is planned for Tuesday, February 28 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.
E. All of the above.

Answer – A& D are true.  The office opened its doors to members on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.  While the VCA plans to host a variety of community activities at the office, it will not be renting the space for family events. 

5) What’s going on around Rancho Vistoso in February? 

A. The Tucson Gem Show.
B. Oro Valley Riverfront Park Classical Concert.
C. The Tucson Rodeo.
D. Off the Vine Wine Festival.
E. Stormwater Utility Commission Regular Session Meeting.

Answer – All are true.  All details of these events can be found in the links in “Around Rancho Vistoso” article.

What’s Happening in February Around Rancho Vistoso?

• Don’t miss the Tucson Gem Show running thru February 13.  

• Looking for some family fun?  Check out the Tucson Rodeo February 18-26.

• Check out what Oro Valley has going on.  Events and Meetings Calendar – Oro Valley | it’s in our nature (orovalleyaz.gov)

• To find out what’s up in the greater Tucson area – https://thisistucson.com/