Since the passage of Senate Bill 1350 in 2016, Sedona residents have expressed growing concerns over the number of short-term rentals within city limits. Vacation rentals, primarily those listed on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, but also those marketed directly to travelers through their own websites, have transformed the local housing market, although their effects on property values and the housing market aren’t entirely clear.

Some STR operators are homeowners renting out a room or casita to make ends meet or renting out an otherwise vacant second home or vacation home, as state lawmakers originally intended. Others are for-profit enterprises acting as de facto boutique hoteliers.

The city of Sedona registers permits but hasn’t put them into an easy-to-read map or format, even though they have all that information. Since about 2000, though prior to the pandemic, the city’s communication efforts with residents have been pretty dismal and reactive, rather than proactive and innovative like those in other communities we cover.

To pick up the slack, and in response to this information gap that has left residents and policymakers in the dark about the extent of STR activity, we at the Sedona Red Rock News have painstakingly mapped all 1,116 of the city’s registered STRs, combining city records and public data to create a user-friendly, interactive map that shows the locations of all permitted STRs in city limits and allows residents to easily search their neighborhoods, which will prove an invaluable resource for residents and leaders, providing us all with a comprehensive view of STR activity.

Click here to visit our new Short-Term Rental Map page: RedRockNews.com/STR

We thank the city staff who made the raw data available.

Importantly, this map is based on official records of STR permits maintained by the city, meaning it provides an authoritative and reliable picture of where STRs are legally operating.

Some local leaders have wildely inflated the actual numbers of STRs to create fear of a crisis. One official claimed in the media that 35% of the homes in his neighborhood were STRs, but a week later he also said, “Fifty percent of the houses on my particular block are short-term rentals.”

Thanks to the map, we know the exact number — which is less than both the numbers he claimed. Hopefully the specificity of this map will put this spin to bed with a hard fact-check.

The map offers a wealth of information for residents who want to gain a better understanding of STR activity around them. By entering an address or zooming in on a neighborhood, users can see the exact locations of all the nearby STRs. This powerful tool allows residents to determine if STRs could be affecting the local housing market, traffic patterns or the character of their neighborhoods.

However, the map has some caveats. This is a map of all the STRs registered with the city of Sedona. Not every rental listed on the map is currently active. Some homeowners may have registered their properties with the city simply to have the option of using them as STRs in the future, while others may only rent out their homes for part of the year.

Furthermore, the map includes all types of STRs, whether they are individual rooms within a home or entire single-family homes. Unfortunately, the city of Sedona does not provide data to differentiate between these types.

Consequently, some users may find that the map includes STR rooms in occupied homes, while other locations may be entire houses.

Despite these limitations, the map represents a major step forward in understanding STR activity. Armed with this information, residents can make more informed decisions about how they engage with city government and advocate for legislative policies at the state level.

The creation of this map also serves as a broader statement about the role of local journalism in holding governments accountable. We are providing residents with the transparency and ease of access they deserve. By using publicly-available data and working diligently to compile it into an easily-accessible format, our newspaper has demonstrated a commitment to serving the community and empowering citizens with the information they need to advocate for themselves and their neighborhoods.

We hope that the city and other local leaders also begin being transparent about the tax revenue generated by these properties and produce economic impact assessments about the business revenue generated by these rentals and their guests, including the economic benefits STRs provide for Sedona. Verde Valley residents are employed as housekeepers, building contractors, handymen and repairmen by STR owners.

This map is just one example of how local, enterprising journalism can play a vital role in fostering accountability and transparency in government. This map of STRs offers Sedona residents a level of transparency and understanding that has long been lacking.

By putting this information into the hands of residents, the map empowers the community to better understand the scope of STR activity in their neighborhoods and advocate for policies that protect their interests. With our new tool, residents can take charge of the conversation around STRs — factually.

Christopher Fox Graham

Managing Editor