On Monday, January 13th, the Arizona Legislature’s 2020 session begins. One topic that’s guaranteed to be on the legislature’s agenda is short-term rentals. After signing a May 2019 law that regulated “party house” rentals through sites such as Airbnb and VRBO, Governor Ducey signaled in August that the law would likely be revisited in the next legislative session. State lawmakers have been under pressure from community members across Arizona who claim that the proliferation of short-term rentals has brought disruption to their formerly peaceful neighborhoods, and in some areas has driven up housing costs and exacerbated housing shortages. Even before the gavel has dropped on the new legislative session, a bill has been introduced on this hot topic: H.B. 2001, if passed, would restore the ability of cities and towns to restrict or prohibit short-term rentals.
State lawmakers have already proposed new legislation that would impact community associations in other ways, as well. S.B. 1001 would amend the language of A.R.S. §33-1256(L) and §33-1807(L) from “the Association shall provide a statement of account” to “the Association may provide a statement of account,” and H.B. 2059 would remove the requirement that an association send a statement of account if no amount is due, or if the unit owner waives their right to receive notices. H.B. 2027 tackles the issue of evaporative coolers, and would prevent an association from prohibiting their installation as residential cooling devices. And H.B. 2085 would allow the collection of attorneys’ fees in garnishment actions and require the reporting of such fees by the Judgment Creditor.
All indications are that it’s sure to be a busy 2020 legislative session. Please check our website weekly for updates while the legislature is in session, and be sure to read our Cheat Sheet after the session ends for a full summary of any new laws and their anticipated impact on your communities.
