Mohave County Assessor's Office

10/05/2026

October's County Corner

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

Two orchids in one week, our office must be making Mohave County property owners very happy.

09/05/2026

We got an Orchid in Today's Newspaper. Congratulations to our team!

09/03/2026

Not a bad article... but it's a confusing headline. There actually is about 3,000 Short Term Rentals in Mohave, we still have a lot of work to do. The Assessors office assesses/investigates each home to make certain they are FULL TIME Short Term, we are not reclassifying snow bird type property or part time vacation home property. The Goldwater letter was just a threat with no teeth and with erroneous conclusions. The law is on our side.

08/14/2026

Deed fraud, ask us how to avoid this from happening to you.

A growing scam is targeting property owners across Southern Arizona...

08/01/2026

07/25/2026

Very accurate opinion piece.
Thank you Mohave Insider.

The Mohave Insider

Opinion: Mohave County’s Short-Term Rental

Policy Could Strengthen Tourism and Local Investment
Mohave County is continuing its effort to reclassify properties that operate primarily as full-time short-term rentals from residential to commercial, a policy that has generated significant discussion among property owners, local officials, and the tourism industry.
According to Mohave County Assessor Jeanne Kentch, the policy is intended to ensure that year-round vacation rental businesses are classified consistently with hotels and motels that provide similar lodging services. The county says the change is based on how a property is primarily used rather than simply whether it is a house.
Mohave County currently has approximately 3,500 short-term rental properties, with more than 900 already reclassified under the new policy. County officials say the review process relies on multiple sources of information, including listings on platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo, residential affidavits, city STR license applications, advertisements, and other available records. Officials say each classification is individually reviewed before a determination is made.
The policy applies only to properties that are primarily operated as year-round short-term rentals with rental periods of fewer than 30 consecutive days. County officials emphasize that owner-occupied primary residences, homeowners who occasionally rent their homes, seasonal “snowbird” properties, and homes with guest houses or casitas that remain primarily residential are not the focus of the policy.
Under Arizona law, qualifying properties that are reclassified move from a 10% residential assessment ratio to a 15% commercial assessment ratio. County officials acknowledge this may increase property taxes for those properties but state the adjustment reflects the property’s commercial use rather than an effort to increase taxes.
Assessor Kentch has stated that her office’s responsibility is to assess property based on its actual use. According to the Assessor’s Office, as the short-term rental industry has expanded throughout Mohave County, continuing to classify full-time vacation rental businesses as residential became increasingly inconsistent with hotels and motels that have long been assessed as commercial properties.
The issue has also attracted statewide attention. Arizona lawmakers considered legislation in 2025 that would have established a similar framework statewide, although the proposal was not enacted. The debate has continued as counties evaluate how rapidly expanding short-term rental businesses should be classified under existing Arizona law.
Not everyone agrees with Mohave County’s approach. Some property owners, tourism advocates, and legal organizations argue that short-term rentals remain residential in character and that higher assessments could increase operating costs, affect tourism, and raise monthly mortgage escrow payments for some owners. Others have questioned whether the policy should be addressed by the Legislature rather than individual counties.
Supporters, however, argue that businesses offering lodging year-round should be treated similarly regardless of whether they operate as a hotel or as a house listed on a short-term rental platform. They believe consistent classifications help create a more equitable property tax system by applying similar standards to businesses providing comparable services.
County officials also note that the policy is designed to classify properties according to their primary use rather than ownership. The Assessor’s Office says the goal is to provide fair, accurate, and transparent property assessments while maintaining consistency across similar property types.
Many counties throughout Arizona continue to watch Mohave County’s implementation of the policy as short-term rentals become an increasingly significant part of the state’s tourism economy.

The Mohave Insider’s Opinion

At The Mohave Insider, we believe this policy presents a positive opportunity for All of Mohave County.

The Mohave Insider’s Opinion:

We recognize Mohave County Assessor Jeanne Kentch for taking on an issue that has become increasingly important as Arizona’s short-term rental industry continues to grow. Regardless of where individuals stand on the policy, addressing the classification of year-round vacation rentals is a complex responsibility that affects homeowners, businesses, and taxpayers alike. We believe it takes determination to address a topic that has generated significant public debate.
From our perspective, the Assessor’s Office has emphasized consistency in how properties are classified based on their primary use. If a property is operating as a year-round lodging business, we believe it is reasonable to evaluate whether it should be assessed similarly to other commercial lodging establishments. While opinions may differ, consistency in applying tax classifications helps create fairness across businesses providing similar services.
We also appreciate elected officials who are willing to make difficult decisions rather than avoiding controversial issues. Leadership often means balancing competing interests, listening to public concerns, and making decisions that may not satisfy everyone. In our opinion, Mohave County benefits when elected officials are willing to address challenging issues openly instead of postponing them.
As Mohave County continues to experience growth in tourism and development, we believe thoughtful policies can help preserve the character of our communities while supporting local businesses and ensuring public resources keep pace with that growth. We encourage respectful dialogue from all sides as these conversations continue, recognizing that different perspectives ultimately contribute to stronger public policy.

In our opinion, if a property is operating like a hotel, it should be taxed under the same classification as other lodging businesses. Hotels, motels, and year-round vacation rentals all provide temporary accommodations to visitors. We believe businesses providing the same type of service should be treated consistently under the tax system, creating a level playing field for everyone operating in the lodging industry.
Tourism is one of the driving forces behind our local economy. Many people staying in vacation rentals are visiting Mohave County to enjoy Lake Havasu, the Colorado River, Route 66, off-road recreation, hiking, fishing, and our local communities. Those visitors spend money at restaurants, boutiques, coffee shops, gas stations, grocery stores, attractions, and other locally owned businesses.
Every visitor who chooses Mohave County helps support small businesses, creates economic activity, and keeps local dollars circulating throughout our communities.
We also believe that tax revenue generated through commercial classifications has the potential to be reinvested into maintaining and improving Mohave County. Investments in roads, parks, infrastructure, public services, and community amenities help preserve the beauty of our county and make it an even better destination for future visitors.
A clean, well-maintained, and thriving community encourages repeat tourism, supports local businesses, and benefits residents across Mohave County.
While we recognize there are differing opinions on this issue, The Mohave Insider believes responsible vacation rentals, fair and consistent tax classifications, and continued investment in our communities can strengthen Mohave County’s economy while preserving the qualities that make it a great place to live and visit.

This editorial reflects the opinion of The Mohave Insider and is separate from factual reporting regarding Mohave County’s short-term rental policy. Ai Photo used .

07/25/2026

Mohave County reclassifies short-term rentals to commercial
_____________________________________________________
Jakob Thorington, Arizona Capitol Times//July 24, 2026//

After the Arizona Legislature refused to consider a bill last year that would have changed how short-term rental properties are classified, one county assessor decided to take matters into her own hands.
Mohave County Assessor Jeanne Kentch announced in July that her office started a policy about a year ago to reclassify the county’s short-term rental properties from residential to commercial, which will increase the assessment ratio for those properties from 10% to 15%.
“Regrettably, this will result in an increase in property taxes for properties that are primarily commercial in nature,” Kentch wrote in a county update that she distributed to the Arizona Capitol Times. “However, this policy creates fairness by ensuring that year-round short-term rentals are classified consistently with motels and hotels that have long been assessed under the commercial classification.”

In 2025, Kentch helped draft House Bill 2316 that proposed enacting a similar policy for the entire state. Rep. John Gillette, R-Kingman, sponsored the measure, but it was not considered in any legislative committee. In an interview with the Arizona Capitol Times, Kentch said the measure had the backing of the state’s county assessors.
“It just kept getting put in a drawer,” Kentch said of the bill.
The Arizona Association of Counties published a platform last year calling for taxes on short-term rental properties, units which are rented for less than 30 days. Kentch’s policy applies only to short-term rentals rented for less than 30 days and are not the owners’ primary residences.
Kentch said she believes these rentals’ current classification creates an unfair playing field for motels and hotels, which pay higher taxes than short-term rental property owners. Over the past year, the Mohave County Assessor’s office has reclassified more than 900 short-term rentals from residential to commercial properties. While the policy has been in effect before Kentch’s July announcement, the county has more than 3,500 short–term rentals in it and Kentch said her office will continue its direction until all “full-time” short-term rentals are reclassified.
Many short-term rental owners do not support the policy change in Mohave County. They argue that it’s unfair to compare short-term rentals to hotels.
“The vast majority of Arizona residents who share their homes do so to help make ends meet — no different than residents with other side hustles,” said Jonathan Wicks, president of Arizonans for Responsible Tourism. “Many are parents and grandparents using their personal property to cover rising costs. These are not big corporations and should not be treated as such.”
Kentch said she made the classification change using an Arizona Department of Revenue guideline stating that “real property in Arizona that is devoted to producing income for the owner is generally considered to be commercially used.”
The revenue department confirmed the guideline was part of its Residential Rental Property Classification Manual, which was published in 2004 before the advent of the short-term rental industry. A department spokeswoman said the agency is reviewing Mohave County’s new policy.
Tom Farley, chairman of a political action committee that supports the short-term rental industry, the Responsible Tourism Coalition, said he believes a law passed by the Legislature in 2016, Senate Bill 1350, outlines that short-term rentals should not be classified as commercial properties.
The law bans cities and towns from prohibiting the use of short-term rentals and defines “real and personal property” that is leased or rented to lodgers as a residential property.
“The assessor has to know this,” Farley said, noting that in 2025 she backed HB2316, which outlined short-term rental classification guidelines and laws. “She’s acting in direct contradiction to what has been on the books since 2016.”
Farley said the rise in property taxes for short-term rentals is additionally significant because it also raises the monthly payment property owners have with their escrow accounts to pay their mortgages.
“Essentially, they’re not collecting enough from you, and your monthly payment will have to be readjusted,” Farley said. “So people are going to get a shock when they get a notice from their mortgage company that their monthly payment is going to go up because the Mohave County assessor decided not to follow state law.”
Jon Riches, the Goldwater Institute’s vice president for litigation, told the Arizona Capitol Times he believes Kentch’s policy is “problematic” after conducting a legal analysis of existing laws.
He pointed to an Arizona statute that defines residential property being leased or rented to lodgers as a residential use.
“The use of the property is what matters,” Riches said. “What the assessor is doing is conflating an owner’s business activities with the property’s actual use.”
Even if a residential property is operating as a business, Riches said the use and range of activities still remains consistent with other houses. He also viewed hotels and motels in their own category for commercial use because those businesses have typical commercial uses such as bars, restaurants, retail spaces and event venues.
Almost all short-term rental bills filed by state lawmakers since the 2016 law have died without committee hearings despite requests from municipal leaders and neighborhood groups to allow for more local control over short-term rental policy.
Susan Edwards, president of the Arizona Neighborhood Alliance, said she hopes short-term rental laws will change statewide. She said neighbors of short-term rentals can also be affected by increased trash and sewage use that may arise from larger parties, while some property owners can reside outside the state and still pay residential taxes.
“It’s a crime that is not implemented at the state level,” Edwards said. “Short-term rental owners, mostly out-of-state, are not paying their fair share.”
Kentch said she’s only received a handful of appeals to her reclassification of more than 900 short-term rental properties in the county. Riches said he believes property owners who have been affected by the change have standing to legally challenge the new policy.