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Commentary: How short-term rentals, ADUs and property politics are reshaping where we live

A home with a guest house in north Phoenix.
Hailey Schaudt
A home with a guest house in north Phoenix.

A new political action committee, the Responsible Tourism Coalition, has filed with the Arizona secretary of state to support candidates who favor policies benefiting short-term rental, known as STR, operators on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.

The group’s stated mission is to defend property rights and bolster Arizona’s tourism economy — a move that underscores how deeply the STR industry has woven itself into housing and policy debates, not just in Arizona but nationwide.

It is not the first organization pursuing this agenda: Arizona is also home to Arizonans for Responsible Tourism, a longstanding group representing hosts and property managers.

Together, these organizations reveal the breadth and coordination of the STR industry’s influence in state politics, showing that Arizona’s debate is part of a sustained, organized national movement.

Read the entire commentary on Substack In The Center Lane With Herb Paine →

More commentaries from Herb Paine

Commentator Herb Paine is president of Paine Consulting Services in Phoenix.