City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Tombstone, AZ
How Tombstone regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here are subject to registration, a lodging tax, or a small number of operating rules.
- City levies a municipal transient lodging (bed) tax reaching STR stays under 30 days
- General privilege/business license only; no STR-specific registration or permit process found
- No supply device — caps/zone-bans preempted by A.R.S. §9-500.39
- No residency requirement
Based on: Tombstone City Code Title 4 Ch.2 (City Tax Code / Model City Tax Code) §4-2-4 Hotel Tax Upon Transient Lodging + §4-2-5
Summary of the rule
City of Tombstone levies a municipal transient lodging tax under the Model City Tax Code: 'Hotel/Motel (Additional Tax)', business code 144, rate 4.00%; general business/privilege tax 3.50%. A 'transient' is any person obtaining lodging for not more than thirty (30) consecutive days. This city-levied lodging tax reaches whole-home STR stays under 30 days.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 16, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Tombstone · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.