Las Sendas is one of the most upscale neighborhoods in Mesa. Las Sendas is located in the Nort East corner of Mesa and backs up to the Tonto National Forest. The neighborhood is at a higher elevation than the rest of the town and as such has amazing views of the valley.
Las Sendas being a more upscale golf community is known for having a strict HOA. They have rules on where you can park and how long you can have your trash cans out for. They even have rules on the signs I can put up when I list a home for sale or have an open house in the neighborhood.
This might sound like a lot to some people, but the people who move there generally want that kind of HOA and are certainly told before they purchase (at least there agent should tell them).
The neighborhood was first starting to be built in the mid 2000’s and, because of this no one had even imagined what a short term rental, AirBnB or VRBO home was since they simply weren’t around yet. Because of this there were no restrictions placed on them by the HOA.
In 2021 neighbors started to complain because of the AirBnb’s. Keep in mind this is a neighborhood where homes over 4,000 sqft are common so the groups that rent out these short term rentals tend to be larger groups or are throwing larger parties.
One resident of the community talked about a time an entire youth baseball team was staying in the house next door or bachelor parties where people were throwing up in the driveway and partying late into the evening.
So, when these complaints hit a new high in 2021 the HOA announced a proposed amendment to the Las Sendas HOA rules that would prohibit short term rentals under 31 days.
This is where trouble first started to arise amongst property owners in Las Sendas. The owners of these short term rentals were upset because this would affect their business, and the HOA paid $50,000 (out of HOA funds) to campaign against short term rentals and even went door to door to get people to vote for the new restrictions.
This obviously enraged the short term rental owners since the HOA was actively using money they had paid to force them out. Ultimately the measure passed and short term rentals are no longer allowed in the community.
Some members of the community are still trying to fight it, but making little progress.
When picking a neighborhood to have a short term rental in it’s important to know the rules, but also have a feel for the atmosphere in the neighborhood especially when the formation of the HOA predates short term vacation rentals.
Members of a community can always vote to amend the HOA rules to ban short term rentals. So it’s important to take into consideration what the neighborhood is like and what kind of guests you will be attracting.
Short term rental sites allow you to set rules on the amount of guests as well as whether or not they can have large parties in a house, and as a short term rental owner you should set these rules.
Also be mindful of the manager you higher if you higher one for a short term rental. Make sure they have a history of enforcing noise rules or anything else that could get you into trouble.
Lastly know the HOA rules as well as local city ordinances regarding Short term rentals before you buy a short term rental. You’re real estate agent should provide you with a copy of the HOA CC&R’s (Codes, Covenants & Restrictions) before you buy a house.
If you are looking to buy or sell a short term rental I’d be happy to help. I have experience with these and will go over potential rental income figures with you beforehand as well as provide you with copies of neighborhood HOA rules before you buy.