Tempe seeks to suspend short-term rental license after house party shooting

PHOENIX — Tempe is seeking to suspend a city-issued license for a short-term rental property after a shooting at a party in May at a home near McClintock Drive and Warner Road.

A notice with the intent to file charges was sent to the property owner by the city of Tempe and it is anticipated actual charges with be filed by the city attorney’s office with the Tempe Municipal Court, according to a press release.

Deputy City Manager Tom Duensing said the incident was serious enough to qualify for the highest possible penalty — which is suspending the license, the release stated.

The city is intending to pursue legal action and it will mark the first suspension of a short-term rental license since a stronger city ordinance went into effect on March 5, according to the release.

The ordinance allows for a license suspension for up to a year for “any attempted or completed felony act, arising from occupancy or use of a short-term rental.”

“These regulations were developed to preserve safety and quality of life in Tempe’s neighborhoods,” Duensing said in the release. “It is our intention to enforce the ordinance.”

Short-term rentals are residential properties rented for less than 30 days and Tempe currently has 520 licensed short-term rental properties.

Owners of short-term rentals are required by city ordinance to have a license and follow several requirements including, sex offender background checks, neighbor notification and more, according to the city.

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods apologized to residents for the incident.

“We are sorry that residents endured this incident in what is supposed to be the quiet calm of their own neighborhood,” Woods said in the release.

“We acted as a Council earlier this year to require city licenses for short-term rentals and we did that to hold property owners accountable to the fullest extent we could under Arizona law. I am proud that we are again taking action to enforce our ordinance.”