Debunking the myths around short-term rentals in Sedona | Arizona Capitol Times

I moved to Sedona in 1990 when I was only 14-years-old with my parents. I have been lucky enough to grow up here, make friends and continue my life here. 

It is a gift I don’t take lightly, especially after the pandemic hit in 2020. As a professional DJ/MC and special event producer, my business went out the door due to all the cancelations of weddings and other events during Covid, and I suddenly was no longer certain I’d be able to stay here forever. 

I purchased my one home in 2018 as a primary residence, investing all my savings in the downpayment alone. When my wife and I got together in 2021 we moved in to her house and decided to make the additional investment of 10s of thousands from our combined nest egg to update my home enough to bring it into the short-term rental space and hopefully create some additional income and a hedge against a future pandemic or market correction situation.

Becoming a short-term rental host has saved me and my family in many ways. That’s why I feel compelled to speak up.

Right now, a few loud voices are telling a very specific story about short-term rentals in Sedona. My hope is simply to paint a more accurate picture, with the real story behind their claims. 

First, I am not a corporation or out-of-state-investor. I’m a local resident just trying to make ends meet. The supplemental income I earn from hosting helps me afford my rent and utilities and pursue my dream. It doesn’t make me rich. Like me, many Sedona hosts are retirees, service workers, and long-time residents trying to pay their bills in an increasingly expensive town.

Second, my guests have NOT been partygoers and I have never experienced any crime or violence. These are good people and families from Arizona or beyond here to experience the same magic and natural beauty of Sedona that I get to enjoy every single day. Sedona is one of the most special places in the world, and we should be welcoming more people to experience it responsibly, not gatekeeping to a handful of few that can afford to stay in luxury hotels.

If we’re going to have an honest conversation about housing here, we need to start with the real drivers of the problem. Over the years, we simply have not built enough housing at a low to mid income level to keep up with demand. Decades of underproduction, project delays, and neighborhood opposition have constrained supply. If we want more affordable housing, we need to be honest about what stands in the way. It’s not sharing the homes that are already here that are owned by local people trying to make a living in a tough market. It’s chronic underproduction and, frankly, neighborhood opposition to density coupled with multi million dollar homes and giant hotels being the biggest ‘land grabbers’ of them all, leaving little to no room for ‘middle America’ expansion even on the outskirts of Sedona.

The uncomfortable truth is that some of the strongest opposition to short-term rentals isn’t about housing or nuisance complaints, it’s about the privileged few deciding who gets to be here. Some people want to keep Sedona for themselves, and I don’t blame them. I love this town. But who gets to decide who gets to experience it? And why shouldn’t locals like me get to take part in our city’s incredible tourism scene?

Hosting is how I both survive here and give back to the place that I get to call home. So instead of shifting blame, let’s work together to solve our real housing issues and be a welcoming community, one where more people can live and responsibly experience this one-of-a-kind place for themselves.

Gabriel Browne is a long-time Sedona resident and short-term rental host.