STR Investing
Old Town Scottsdale is one of the most sought-after short-term rental markets in the country. A market overview, the local rules in plain English, an interactive calculator, and the STR-friendly homes that actually make sense — all in one place. No one can tell you how a property will perform. We can tell you the truth about the ones worth your time.
Why Old Town
Year-round demand, true walkability, and a brand the rest of the world already knows. Old Town Scottsdale isn't an emerging STR market — it's a mature one with a deep guest pipeline and a real regulatory framework around it.
Spring training, summer pool culture, fall patios, snowbird winters. Old Town runs four distinct booking peaks instead of one season — smoothing occupancy across the calendar.
Scottsdale is a destination brand travelers already know — spring training, bachelorette weekends, golf, and pool season. That built-in name recognition is part of why Old Town stays on the short list of top U.S. leisure markets.
Old Town has a long track record as a vacation-rental destination with a real regulatory framework around it — a mature market with a deep guest pipeline, not a speculative one.
The Rules
The headlines you should know before you start touring. Not legal advice — and the regulations evolve. Always confirm with your agent and the City of Scottsdale before you offer.
01
Every STR operating in Scottsdale must register with the City and carry an active permit. There's an annual fee, an inspection requirement, and a permit number that must appear on every listing.
02
Scottsdale mandates a minimum liability policy specifically covering short-term rental use. Generic homeowner policies don't qualify — you need an STR endorsement or a dedicated STR policy.
03
A City permit doesn't override your HOA. Most Old Town condos are NOT STR-eligible — only a specific subset of buildings have CC&Rs that allow rentals under 30 days. We track the approved list for you.
04
Scottsdale has real teeth here: documented complaints, occupancy limits tied to bedroom count, and quiet hours that are actively monitored. One bad guest can cost you a permit suspension.
Interactive Tool
A self-directed tool: move the sliders with your own assumptions to see how purchase price, nightly rate, and occupancy interact. It's a math sandbox, not a forecast — no one can predict how any property will actually perform.
Annual Revenue
Est. Net Income
Illustrative ROI
*A self-directed illustration based only on the figures you enter, using a ~35% operating-expense ratio (cleaning, taxes, fees, management, maintenance). This is not a forecast, an appraisal, or investment advice, and no one can indicate how a specific property will actually perform. Your results will differ.
STR Properties
Qualifying Scottsdale single-family homes — and the handful of Old Town condo communities whose CC&Rs actually allow short-term rentals. Sign up for our exclusive list of the best STR properties available today.
The Exclusive List
Out here, the strongest short-term rentals are mostly single-family homes — outside an HOA, with a pool and room to sleep a group. We also track the few Old Town condo communities whose CC&Rs still allow rentals under 30 days.
No HOA · Pool85257 · Hy-View / South Scottsdale
No HOA · Pool85251 · Indian School Park-adjacent
No HOA · Pool85251 · Old Town walking distance
STR-Friendly CC&RsOptima Kierland · 7180 E Kierland
STR-Friendly CC&RsThe Mark · 7180 E Earll Dr
STR-Friendly CC&RsVue Scottsdale · 7180 E Camelback Rd
The Exclusive List
Sign up for our exclusive list of the best short-term rental properties available today. We only send the ones that actually make sense — and we leave out the “DUDD” properties that look good on paper but don't sell because they don't profit.
Placeholder cards shown for the prototype. When the MLS IDX feed is wired up (Arizona ARMLS via Showcase IDX, iHomefinder, or similar), this section auto-populates with live STR-approved condos and qualifying single-family homes.
The Agent
Short-term rentals are their own discipline inside Scottsdale real estate. The local rules, permitting, HOA and CC&R risk, insurance, and an honest read on which properties are actually worth it — the agent you pick makes all the difference.
Most agents in Phoenix can show you an Old Town Scottsdale home. Very few actually specialize in short-term rentals out here. The difference between the two is everything.
No one can promise you how a property will perform — not us, not anyone. What an experienced local STR agent can do is tell you the truth: which locations and homes make sense, what the City permit and tax steps really involve, and which properties are “DUDD” — the ones that look good on paper but don't sell because they never actually profit. We won't waste your time on those.
A good local agent also knows the things that aren't on the MLS. Which HOAs are quietly drafting CC&R amendments that will kill STR use within the next 24 months. Which lenders actually write loans on STR-friendly properties (most won't). Which insurance carriers carry a real Scottsdale STR endorsement. Which property managers, cleaners, photographers, and supply vendors are worth bringing in — and which to avoid.
The Selling Sonoran Group has closed short-term-rental properties across Old Town and the surrounding Scottsdale ZIP codes. We've walked clients through the permit process and built a vendor network that hands new investors a turnkey operation on day one. That's the work. The listing is the easy part.
Recent Sales
A snapshot of recent short-term-rental closings across Old Town Scottsdale and the surrounding Scottsdale ZIP codes.
ClosedClosed by the Selling Sonoran Group.
ClosedClosed by the Selling Sonoran Group.
ClosedClosed by the Selling Sonoran Group.
ClosedClosed by the Selling Sonoran Group.
A sample of recent short-term-rental closings — ask for the full transaction list.
FAQ
The questions we get every week from first-time STR buyers, out-of-state investors, and portfolio scalers. The honest answers, not the brochure version.
Yes — with the right setup. Short-term rentals are legal in Scottsdale, but every operator must register with the City, carry an active permit, list the permit number on every listing, and hold STR-specific liability insurance. Beyond the City layer, your HOA's CC&Rs control whether your specific building allows rentals under 30 days. Most Old Town condos do not allow it — only a specific subset (Optima Kierland, The Mark, Vue Scottsdale, 7180 Optima, Envy, and a few others) have STR-friendly CC&Rs. Out here, most short-term rentals are single-family homes for exactly this reason. We confirm CC&Rs and pull HOA meeting minutes for any property we help you evaluate.
The current short list of STR-friendly Old Town condo communities includes Optima Kierland, The Mark, Vue Scottsdale, 7180 Optima, Envy, and Inspiration Pointe. A handful of other buildings allow 30+ day rentals only, which is a different financial model. The list shifts — HOAs occasionally amend CC&Rs to restrict or unlock STR use. We keep the live list updated and flag buildings at risk of policy change. See the current list above (account required).
Here's the honest answer: no one can promise how any specific property will perform, and as a licensed agent we don't project returns or build income forecasts. Performance depends on the home, the operator, pricing, seasonality, and plenty of factors outside anyone's control. Be skeptical of anyone quoting you a flat "Old Town STRs return X%." What we can do is give you the local rules, point you to the locations and homes that make sense, and steer you away from the “DUDD” properties — the ones that look good on paper but don't sell because they don't profit. We simply won't show you those.
No — the City of Scottsdale STR permit is filed after you take title, since the permit attaches to the property and owner. But you should not close without confirming that the building allows STR use and the unit can be permitted. We pull HOA documents and confirm Scottsdale zoning compatibility before you waive contingencies. Once you close, the permit application takes ~30 days, requires an inspection, and renews annually.
Constantly. Most of our STR buyers are out of state. We handle FaceTime walkthroughs, detailed video tours, drone footage for the lot, and condition-specific recordings before you board a plane. We coordinate inspections, sign-and-deliver disclosures via DocuSign, and connect you with vetted property managers so the unit is operating before you even see it in person. We've closed Scottsdale STRs for buyers in California, Washington, New York, Texas, and Canada — the playbook is the playbook.
Honest answer: most agents can help you buy a Scottsdale property, but only an STR specialist can help you buy one that operates. The HOA and CC&R risk read, the permit and tax steps, the lender connections, the insurance carriers, the post-close vendor network, and an honest take on which properties are worth it — that's a specialty discipline. Buying an STR with a generic agent isn't dangerous in the transaction, but it's easy to end up with a property that never should have been an STR in the first place.
Out here, most short-term rentals are single-family homes rather than condos — because the majority of Old Town condo buildings don't allow rentals under 30 days. The homes that tend to make the most sense sit outside an HOA in 85250, 85251, or 85257 with a pool and 3+ bedrooms, and can accommodate group bookings, though they require more active management and carry higher operating costs (pool service, landscaping, larger turnovers). The few STR-friendly condo communities are simpler operationally but more limited on guest count. The right answer depends on your goals, capital, and how hands-on you want to be — and we'll walk you through the trade-offs honestly.
The Guide
Permit timelines, tax registrations, lender quirks for STR-friendly properties, what makes a home “STR-friendly” in practice, how we spot the “DUDD” properties to avoid, and the off-market deals nobody sees. 30+ pages of how we actually do this.