By Will Hamburg
Sedona, AZ — Not liking STRs is like not liking tourism. And if you don’t like tourists, you probably shouldn’t live here. My family has been in Sedona since the 1950s, so trust me, I’ve seen the change.
But when an outsider from the East Coast tries to infiltrate my community, spend my tax dollars to strip away my property rights, and take away $721 MILLION in total economic output that STRs contribute to our economy, I call that TREASON.
I don’t care where you stand politically; the data shows that STRs support 4,978 jobs in Yavapai County. If STRs were banned tomorrow, Sedona would go bankrupt.
Let’s go through some of the highlights of the third party independent study:
STRs generated $721M in GDP for our community 
STR guests spent $259 million on rentals, $130 million at our restaurants and bars, $98 million on shopping at our shops, and $52 million on local transportation.
STRs also generate $40.4M in sales tax, funding local infrastructure, schools, and emergency services. So, if they were suddenly banned, you can say goodbye to more than half of the firefighters, police officers and teachers in our community.The fact is that STRs Keep Our Economy Strong
Nearly 1 in 20 jobs in Yavapai County exist because of STRs.
STRs complement hotels by offering different experiences for visitors.
STRs support all local businesses, from landscapers to house cleaners to contractors.Want to talk about the Housing Debate?
The study shows that STRs aren’t the main reason home prices are increasing. Sedona has been expensive for decades. Welcome to Disneyland!
The study shows no strong correlation between STR growth and rising rents in Yavapai County. Furthermore, if STRs were banned, only 18% of owners would convert them into long-term rentals.Also, if STRs didn’t exist, workers seeking long term rentals could never afford the mortgage payment if Sedona had no economy.
So before you jump on the anti-STR bandwagon, ask yourself, do you really want to crush 78% of the jobs, erase millions in tax revenue, and take away property rights just because you don’t like tourists?
Because without them, this town wouldn’t exist.
Let’s talk about solutions that actually work, not government overreach.
View the full report here: https://owninsedona.com/…/Sedona-2025-Short-Term-Rental…
Editor’s Note: William Hamburg is a third-generation real estate investor passionate about Arizona’s real estate markets. William previously served as a board member of the Sedona Verde Valley Association of REALTORS® and as a branch manager at Realty One Group Mountain Desert in Sedona.
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