Postal city vs. city limits: which town is that address really in?

Rules change: check the city or town’s current code for any property you’re considering.

Why the mailing address can mislead

A mailing address names the post office area that delivers the mail. City and town limits are drawn by annexation and incorporation, and the two don’t line up. The Town of Paradise Valley’s own Resident Guide shows how this works: its residents’ mail is delivered from a Scottsdale post office (Hopi Station), and the Town’s ZIP code is 85253.

So an address reading “Scottsdale, AZ” or “Paradise Valley, AZ” doesn’t settle which government’s rules apply. ZIP 85253 is the Town’s ZIP code, but a ZIP code is a postal area, not a city limit, so check parcels near the Town’s edges. The same check applies wherever an area sits near a city line.

What the municipality decides

The city or town that governs a parcel decides, among other things:

• Zoning: lot sizes, what can be built and how tall, setbacks and uses.
• Short-term rental rules: the license or permit, notices and penalties.
• Police and fire service.
• Sewer, trash and recycling, and sometimes water.
• City sales tax and fees, and some service charges billed with utilities.
• Building permits and the inspections that go with them.

Paradise Valley: a separate town

The Town of Paradise Valley was incorporated on May 24, 1961. Its Resident Guide (revised 2023) gives its borders as Shea Boulevard to the north, Scottsdale Road to the east, 32nd Street to the west and Chaparral Road to the south, and says:

• Zoning. The Town is primarily zoned for single-family homes, one home per lot. Most of it is zoned R-43, with a minimum lot equal to 43,560 square feet. Some areas are zoned R-175, R-35, R-18 or R-10. Some R-43 lots were smaller than the minimum when annexed and are legal non-conforming lots. Other uses, such as resorts, private schools and golf courses, need a special use permit approved after public hearings. Confirm a parcel’s current zoning with the Town.
• Hillside homes. Building and remodeling on a hillside lot needs approval from the Town’s Hillside Building Committee before a permit is issued, down to paint colors, lighting, walls and landscaping.
• Taxes and fees. The Town doesn’t levy a primary or secondary property tax. Property taxes from the county, the state, school districts and special districts still apply. The Town bills a monthly fire service fee, set by a home’s square footage, since January 2013.
• Fire and police. The Town has its own police department. Its two fire stations are run by Phoenix firefighters under an intergovernmental agreement.
• Water. Each home is served by one of three water utilities: the City of Phoenix, EPCOR or Berneil Water Company. The Town publishes a map of which serves where.
• Sewer. Sewered homes are served by the City of Phoenix or the City of Scottsdale. Homes not on a sewer have septic systems.
• Rentals. Short-term rentals need a Town permit, and owners who rent their home need a business license.

Scottsdale

North Scottsdale, Silverleaf, Central Scottsdale and McCormick Ranch are areas of the City of Scottsdale. This site draws North and Central Scottsdale by ZIP code, and a ZIP code can cross a city line, so addresses near the city’s edges need the same parcel check.

• Short-term rentals. A rental of less than 30 days needs an annual City license for each property ($250 a year), liability insurance of at least $500,000, a state transaction privilege tax (TPT) license, and a notice to neighbors within 30 days of licensing that gives a 24-hour emergency contact.
• Environmentally Sensitive Lands. About two-thirds of the City is covered by the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance, which can require parts of a lot to stay natural as Natural Area Open Space (NAOS). It matters most for lots and additions in the north.

Phoenix: Arcadia and Biltmore

Arcadia and Biltmore are areas of the City of Phoenix. Check any address near a city line.

• Short-term rentals. Phoenix has required a permit since November 6, 2023 ($250, renewed), with a TPT license, a notice of intent sent by certified mail to neighboring single-family homes and nearby registered neighborhood associations, and the permit number in every advertisement.

State limits on rental rules

Under A.R.S. § 9-500.39, an Arizona city or town can’t ban short-term rentals. It can require a permit or license (with a fee of no more than its actual cost or $250, whichever is less), an emergency contact, notice to neighbors, liability insurance and the permit number in advertising, and it can suspend a permit for up to 12 months after repeated verified violations or a single serious one. An HOA’s CC&Rs can restrict rentals separately from the city, so read them too.

How to check a parcel

1. Look up the parcel on the Maricopa County Assessor’s site by address or parcel number.
2. Confirm with the city or town that the parcel is inside its limits, and check its zoning map or parcel lookup for the zoning district.
3. Ask each utility, or check the Town’s water map, which provider serves the address.
4. Read the HOA documents, if any, for rental limits and other rules.

The Paradise Valley, Arcadia and Biltmore pages describe each area’s lots and homes. For a specific address, ask Aaron, or read how buying works in Arizona.