Arizona Airbnb law’s passing resolves homeowner suit in Jerome

PHOENIX — Residents in Jerome, Ariz. no longer need to pursue a lawsuit against the town since the passing of Senate Bill 1350.

Prior to the passing of SB 1350, the town threatened residents with large fines and even jail time for renting out their property through Internet lodging sites such as Airbnb.

SB 1350, which passed in May, prevents local government from banning residents from using their homes as vacation rentals and made the suit against the town no longer relevant.

Glenn Odegard bought a home in Jerome in 2012 on the basis of using online booking sites to fund a full restoration.

“Had the opportunity to recoup my investment not been available, I would not have had the resources to restore my 118-year-old Victorian house in Jerome that had sat vacant, abandoned and buried in mud for 60 years,” Odegard said.

Odegard and other residents were represented by the Goldwater Institute in the suit.

“We’re glad that we were able to resolve this case and now these Jerome homeowners can continue doing what they have been for years; offering their homes to tourists that want to visit the wonderful town of Jerome,” Jared Blanchard, a staff attorney at the Goldwater Institute, said.

SB 1350 is the first law of it’s kind in the country and was sponsored by Sen. Debbie Lesko to ensure property use restrictions are limited only to health and safety concerns.

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