Glendale's short-term rental rules won't be focus on Final Four weekend
Thousands of basketball fans have descended on Glendale for the men’s Final Four, providing the latest opportunity for residents to operate their homes as short-term rentals. Last year, the city passed a new rule requiring permits for these rentals. That won’t be an enforcement priority this weekend.
Rather, the focus will be on tackling nuisance parties and unlawful gatherings during the events expected to draw 75,000 fans.
Deputy city manager Rick St. John says Glendale has experience hosting major events, including concerts, Super Bowls and a previous Final Four in 2017.
“We've gotten very good and we have a very deep bench, if you will, when it comes to planning and executing major events like this. And I would say the Valley as a whole has gotten very good," he said.
St. John says the city prioritizes other areas of public safety, including vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The city of Phoenix warns those operating these rentals about following the rules and regulations.
“In the past, we were strictly complaint-based. And so that means we would need neighbors to report any potential short-term rentals to us. And then we had a registration process," said Spencer Self, the director for the Neighborhood Services Department. "The new permitting process, it has a lot more requirements and it gives us much better tools to help enforce on bad actors."
Self says some of the city’s top concerns with short-term rentals are underage drinking and loud parties.
