AzBigMedia
This January, Arizona has taken two major steps toward embracing the peer-to-peer “sharing economy”. First, on January 1, 2017 a new law took effect which, among other things, prohibits municipalities and cities from banning people from listing short-term rentals on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. Second, the Arizona Department of Revenue began a partnership with Airbnb that will provide for the streamlining of tax payments to the state. Many have supported these actions a step forward in embracing new technologies and sources of revenue, while others caution of the potential unforeseen consequences.
With the large number of sports events and influx of winter visitors, Arizona is a popular destination for many guests seeking short-term rentals via peer-to-peer exchanges. According to a report published by Airbnb, between January 1, 2015 and January 1, 2016, over 5,000 hosts provided rooms or entire houses available to over 131,000 guests via the website with the average host earning over $4,000 per year.
