SUCCESS STORY | Paradise Valley, Arizona
Short-term rental compliance in Paradise Valley: A model for preserving community character
OVERVIEW
When short-term rentals (STRs) surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, Paradise Valley, Arizona, faced an influx of large gatherings of hundreds of people in luxury residential properties. The town needed a scalable way to regain control of STRs but had no formal system to identify, track, or enforce compliance. Paradise Valley’s lean team implemented Granicus’ Short-Term Rentals (Host Compliance) solution to gain the data needed to identify properties, enforce permitting requirements, and maintain the quiet charm of its community.
SITUATION
Paradise Valley is a unique residential area known for large, high-value homes and a quiet atmosphere. Said homes became attractive venues for large gatherings, or “party houses,” during the pandemic-driven STR boom, leading to widespread noise and safety concerns.
At the time, the town had no established STR ordinance or reliable way to identify rental properties across platforms. Enforcement was reactive and inconsistent, relying on police responses and temporary measures like “unruly gathering” ordinances. Without visibility into listings — especially across smaller or obscure booking platforms — many operators remained under the radar.
“We don’t know what we don’t know, and we can’t fix what we don’t know,” explained Kristi Hillebert, lead community development technician for Paradise Valley. “We had to find a way to identify the true short-term rentals in the first place and then be able to track them more closely.”
SOLUTION
Paradise Valley adopted Short-Term Rentals to establish control through comprehensive STR identification and tracking. The platform enabled the town to:
This visibility allows the small team to monitor activity weekly and quickly address violations. “If they could skirt by under the radar, they would,” said Hillebert. “It would be absolutely impossible to track them without this system.”
Equally important, the town paired technology with proactive engagement, including twice-yearly community meetings for both residents and STR operators. This helped build awareness around expectations and encourage cooperation rather than resistance.
RESULTS
Paradise Valley achieved a dramatic turnaround — boasting near-total awareness and compliance with STR requirements.
The town also saw a significant decline in STR volume due to non-compliant operators exiting the market, which ultimately eliminated large “party house” incidents. “We haven’t had a party house complaint since we began registering and getting them permitted,” said Hillebert.
The town can now enforce regulations more efficiently while maintaining steady oversight, with stronger accountability through direct communication with owners and managers. Most importantly for the public, the process has safeguarded the quiet, residential charm of Paradise Valley.
