ARIZONA, USA — The Super Bowl provides a chance for Valley residents to make thousands if they are willing to give up their homes for a weekend.
However, what if you live in a place that bans the practice? What if you try to rent out your home or apartment anyway?
“You are putting yourself at the mercy of your landlord,” George Finn, an attorney with the Rose Law Group, said. “It depends on which municipality you are in, which city, which town.”
The potential penalties depend on where you live and if you own or rent.
Multiple cities in the Valley now require a license to operate a home as a short-term rental.
Scottsdale has a hotline for citizens to report problems and illegally operating properties.
The penalty for getting caught renting without a license varies from city to city. In Scottsdale, a violation will set you back $1,000. The cost of a license is $250.
If you live in an apartment that does not allow your home to be sublet, you would likely be in violation of your lease.
"That could lead to your eviction," Finn said.
Finn said evictions would likely only happen in extreme circumstances. He said a fine is much more likely.
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If you live in an HOA that bans short-term rentals, you could face a fine.
“The worst that can be is they impose a penalty on you,” Finn said.
Finn said HOAs exist in more of a grey area. The organizations can impose fines that are "reasonable" to prevent the action from happening in the future."
What that amount is could be up for debate.
How you'll get caught
How could a city, apartment, or HOA know you are renting out your home instead of having guests in town?
Some apartment complexes have employees check short-term rental sites for illegal activity.
Cities have hotlines and numbers for people to call to report illegal activity.
The HOAs have neighbors, but enforcing their rules may be more difficult.
Super Bowl
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