Cave Creek, AZ rental management · plans from $75/mo
Who manages rental homes in Cave Creek?
Property Plus USA manages single-family rental homes in Cave Creek, from pricing and tenant screening to rent collection, maintenance and year-end statements. We’re a Chandler-based company led by Designated Broker Kirsten Shafer (Arizona broker license BR535992000), and we manage hundreds of homes across the Phoenix metro and Pinal County.
Cave Creek is a small town in north Maricopa County, where many homes sit on larger desert lots. Town water, wildfire risk and the Town’s short-term rental license all shape how a rental here is managed.
What we do for Cave Creek owners
We handle the day-to-day work of renting a single-family home:
- Rental pricing analysis before you list
- Marketing, including listing on ARMLS, the Phoenix-area MLS
- Tenant screening, leasing and move-in/move-out inspections
- Online rent collection with ACH/direct deposit to you
- Maintenance coordination, with 24/7 emergency maintenance response
- HOA registration help when a new tenant moves in
- Monthly and year-end statements in the Rentvine owner portal
- Evictions handled through counsel when they can’t be avoided
Plans start at $75 a month. See pricing for what each plan includes.
Cave Creek rental snapshot
Updated October 2026. Population, housing and rent figures come from U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts.
- Population: 5,160 (Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate for July 1, 2025), up from 4,892 in the April 2020 Census.
- Renters: the owner-occupied rate is 94.6% (American Community Survey 2020–2024), so rental homes are relatively scarce.
- Rents and values: median gross rent was $2,493, the median owner-occupied home value was $906,100 and median household income was $107,067 (ACS 2020–2024). These are five-year averages, not current asking rents.
- Schools: Cave Creek Unified School District serves Cave Creek, Carefree, part of north Scottsdale and a small part of Phoenix. Its schools include Cactus Shadows High School, Sonoran Trails Middle School, and Black Mountain, Horseshoe Trails and Desert Willow elementary schools.
- Water: the Town runs the Cave Creek water system, fed by Central Arizona Project water, and the groundwater-based Desert Hills system, which the town describes as relying on a decreasing groundwater supply. The two had 4,357 connections at the end of 2024. In July 2026 a clog at the CAP intake shut the treatment plant and the town asked for voluntary cutbacks, and a planned emergency connection with Phoenix is meant to add backup supply.
- Wildfire: in May 2020 the East Desert Fire burned nearly 1,500 acres west of town and the Ocotillo Fire burned more than 1,000 acres and 12 homes. The town recommends defensible space in zones 0–5, 5–30 and 30–100 feet from the home.
- Commute and jobs: Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway connect to the Loop 101 and I-17. TSMC’s north Phoenix chip plant site is growing; the company announced plans totaling $265 billion in Arizona (azfamily, July 2026).
Local rules Cave Creek owners should know
This isn’t legal advice, but these are the rules Cave Creek owners ask about most.
- County registration. Register the home with the Maricopa County Assessor before renting it (A.R.S. 33-1902). Out-of-state owners must name an Arizona statutory agent.
- Short-term rental license. Under Ordinance O2023-02, adopted July 17, 2023, stays under 30 days need a Town Short-Term Residential/Vacation Rental license ($250 per property per year), an annual Town business license ($50) and an Arizona TPT license. When the ordinance was adopted, the town attorney explained that failing to respond to a complaint within 60 minutes counts as a violation, and repeated violations can lead to suspension.
- No city rental tax on long-term leases. Since January 1, 2025, towns can’t levy sales tax on residential rentals of 30 days or more (A.R.S. 42-6004(H)). Ask the Town Clerk (480-488-1400) whether a business license applies to your long-term rental.
- Check the jurisdiction. A Cave Creek mailing address doesn’t always mean the home is inside Town limits. The county parcel record shows which rules apply.
- Deposits and notices. Deposits are capped at one and a half months’ rent (A.R.S. 33-1321), and nonpayment notices give the tenant 5 days to pay (A.R.S. 33-1368). See how evictions work in Arizona.
Cave Creek neighborhoods and communities
Cave Creek rentals include homes near the town core along Cave Creek Road, desert properties toward Spur Cross and the Tonto National Forest, and HOA communities with Cave Creek (85331) addresses such as Tatum Ranch. Whispering Hills was the town’s first Firewise-certified neighborhood.
For HOA homes, A.R.S. 33-1806.01 limits what the association can collect when you rent and caps the fee at $25 per new tenancy, but your CC&Rs can still set minimum lease terms. For homes on larger lots, ask us about brush clearing and well and septic arrangements before move-in.
We also manage nearby in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Anthem.
Plans for Cave Creek rentals
Every plan has a $500 leasing fee. Cave Creek owners choose from three plans:
- Basic, $75/month flat. Lease renewal $199, file setup $199, realtor commission $200, and a 6-month lease guarantee.
- Traditional, 8% of monthly rent ($89 minimum). No marketing fee, no realtor commission and no file setup fee. Lease renewal $150 and a 6-month lease guarantee.
- Property Plus, 10% of monthly rent ($125 minimum). No marketing, renewal or file setup fees. Includes landlord protection up to $50,000 when we place the tenant, plus 2 interior and 2 drive-by HomeCare Checks per year.
The Property Plus plan’s landlord protection covers tenant vandalism up to $50,000, theft up to $25,000, lost rent during an eviction (up to 2.5 months), tenant skip (up to 2 months), service-animal damage, and wrongful-eviction lawsuit defense. Compare the details on our pricing page.
Get a free rental analysis for your Cave Creek home
Call 480-586-3700 or contact us for a free rental analysis. Our office at 2700 S. Gilbert Rd., Suite 5, Chandler, is open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, and you can learn more about how we work with owners on our owners page.
Frequently asked questions
Property Plus USA manages single-family rental homes in Cave Creek, including pricing, screening, leasing, rent collection and maintenance. Call 480-586-3700 for a free rental analysis.
The Town charges $250 per property per year for the Short-Term Residential/Vacation Rental license, plus a $50 annual business license. You also need an Arizona TPT license and county rental registration.
When the ordinance was adopted, the town attorney explained that the owner’s contact must respond within 60 minutes or it counts as a violation. Repeated violations can lead to suspension of the license.
The Town of Cave Creek runs two water systems: the Cave Creek system, supplied by Central Arizona Project water, and the Desert Hills system, which relies on groundwater wells. Some properties in the area may use private wells, so confirm the source before leasing.
Yes. The East Desert and Ocotillo fires burned more than 2,500 acres combined near town in May 2020, so keep defensible space around the home and confirm your insurance covers wildfire.
Cave Creek Unified School District, which includes Cactus Shadows High School. Tenants should confirm the assigned schools for a specific address with the district.
No. A Cave Creek mailing address can fall outside Town limits, so check the Maricopa County parcel record to see which rules apply.
Plans start at $75 per month on our Basic plan. The Traditional plan is 8% of monthly rent ($89 minimum) and the Property Plus plan is 10% ($125 minimum); every plan has a $500 leasing fee.
When Property Plus USA places the tenant, the plan covers up to $50,000, including tenant vandalism up to $50,000, theft up to $25,000, lost rent during an eviction (up to 2.5 months) and tenant skip (up to 2 months). It also covers service-animal damage and wrongful-eviction lawsuit defense.
No. Since January 1, 2025, Arizona law (A.R.S. 42-6004(H)) bars cities and towns from levying transaction privilege tax on residential rentals, which covers leases of 30 days or more. Short-term rentals under 30 days are still taxed as transient lodging.
Yes. A.R.S. 33-1902 requires residential rental owners to file their information with the Maricopa County Assessor, and the home may not be occupied until it’s on file. Owners who live outside Arizona must also name an Arizona statutory agent.
Under A.R.S. 33-1806.01, an HOA can ask only for adult occupants’ names and contact information, lease dates and vehicle information (plus a photo ID in age-restricted communities), and it can charge up to $25 per new tenancy. Your CC&Rs can still set leasing rules, such as minimum lease terms, which we review before listing.
Areas We Serve
Property Plus USA manages rental homes across the Phoenix metro and Pinal County, including Ahwatukee, Anthem, Apache Junction, Avondale, Buckeye, Casa Grande, Chandler, Coolidge, El Mirage, Eloy, Florence, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Glendale, Gold Canyon, Goodyear, Laveen, Litchfield Park, Maricopa, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Scottsdale, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Tolleson.