For years, cities and towns in northern Arizona have lobbied the state Legislature for the power to limit short-term rentals. The explosion in short-term rentals have driven up housing costs and slashed the number of affordable homes. Prescott Republican Representative Selina Bliss introduced three bills to address short-term rentals this session, but all of them stalled in the state House. She spoke with KNAU’s Adrian Skabelund.Adrian Skabelund: Currently, state law prevents localities from regulating short-term rentals. Is that a problem?Selina Bliss: Well, you just hit it on the head right there, and it’s an issue of local control where the state comes in and tries to take over cities and towns. That’s part of the problem. The other piece is the private property rights [that seem to be] what stops leadership from assigning these bills. But we argue: what about the private property rights of the folks living in these neighborhoods, having investment firms come in, buy out housing stock, displace the neighbors and drive up home prices?So, there’s got to be some happy medium in there.That’s where [my] bills look to either limit how many licenses are issued or give back the city some control. You know, we even went back to Debbie Lesko.She was the original sponsor of the bill that really created what we’re seeing today. And she does get it now that she’s on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. She realizes, “Oh, this wasn’t the intent of this bill. It was meant for those who have the casita in the back, they want that extra income, but they liv …
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