By Russ Wiles | Arizona Republic
Linda Curry and her husband, Richard, operate a short-term rental at their east Mesa home.
Short-term vacation rentals sometimes result in raucous parties that prompt calls to the police. And they can make fewer homes available for permanent residents. But rentals also help drive economic growth, employment and tax revenue as part of Arizona’s tourism economy.
Short-term rentals supported more than 75,000 jobs in Arizona last year and generated more than $500 million in tax revenue for the state and local governments, according to estimates made by Rounds Consulting Group of Tempe in a study commissioned by industry leaders Airbnb and Expedia Group, owner of Vrbo.
In addition to these and other economic benefits, short-term rentals often help sell the state’s tourism industry in other ways, such as by putting guests in close contact with hosts, proponents say.
“I’ve met the most amazing people from so many walks of life,” said Linda Curry, who with her husband Richard built a casita on their east Mesa property, where they hosted guests for nearly 200 nights last year.
